14 Ways Leaders Can Communicate Shifting Priorities Without Losing Trust
14 Ways Leaders Can Communicate Shifting Priorities Without Losing Trust
Part of being a good leader is recognizing and accepting that a course correction is in order when your vision is not coming together properly. Faced with priorities that are in flux, a company leader must also understand how to effectively recalibrate and communicate those shifting priorities to employees without causing undue concern, or worse, losing their trust.
Below, 14 members of For Coaches Council discuss how to share news about changing plans when it’s time to pivot from the current strategy.
1. Build A Culture Of Trust And Open Communication
Building a culture of trust, open communication, vulnerability and strong relationships prepares organizations to make necessary shifts without causing concern. Gathering input from staff members and discussing options to respond to possible marketplace shifts keeps everyone prepared to recalibrate as needed. To build relationships, leaders at all levels benefit from visibility and accessibility. - Edward Reed
2. Give It A Bigger Context And Take A Longer-Range View
We tend to focus on the here-and-now, short-term goals, but when we bring a larger intention, a larger mission, we’re able to reframe “failures” into “stepping stones” or “learning opportunities.” The way leaders communicate this reframing is paramount in these situations. The key is to link the “failure” to our larger mission. - Sara Gilbert
3. Share The Situation, Options And Solution
I believe in the SOS formula, which stands for situation/options/solution. Openly share with the team what the situation is, what the options are and what you believe to be the solution moving forward. People appreciate when they are trusted with the details and understand when things need changing. It is when they are kept in the dark that problems arise. John Lowe
4. Show Confidence And Focus On The Plan
These days, course correction is needed all the time. Your response as a leader sends a strong message, and your people will follow your lead. Don’t get hung up on the fact that the vision wasn’t realized. Declare it, own it, show your people you are confident and focus on the plan going forward. Owning the need to change and making adjustments to succeed is strong leadership. - Cheryl Breukelman
5. Articulate The ‘Why’ Behind The Course Correction
Leaders always provide the “why.” They fight the fight, not the plan, so changes should be the norm, not the exception. Leadership requires constant analysis, evaluation and adaptation. Course corrections are not failures but adaptations in response to impacting factors. Good leaders clearly articulate why something did not come to fruition and why the plan or strategy required a correction. - JC Glick
6. Exercise The Empathy Muscle And Be Human
Integrity and authenticity are earned characteristics. Leaders get out in front of the issue by being clear about the situation, building the business case for recalibrating and, most importantly, putting people first by letting them know there is a plan they will engage in together. It is critical to exercise the empathy muscle and be human—people respect that. - Adena Johnston
7. Incorporate A Design Team Strategy
When this happens, the most powerful transition is to incorporate a design team strategy. Gather a team together that can provide insight and energy and reinvent the path of your vision. Use their energy to bring new actions and accountability and to communicate new possibilities! - Denise Trudeau-Poskas
8. Reinspire Your Team With A Fresh Vision
Authentic leaders have courage and conviction. In business and leadership, having a mindset that accommodates a “dare to fail” vision is powerful. We all know that things don’t go according to plan at times, but what really matters is your response to the challenge and how you reinspire your team with a fresh, updated vision and new possibilities. Leaders that can put this into action become iconic and have lasting legacies. - Jon Michail
9. Express Humility And Demonstrate Your Commitment
Humility is one of the most essential characteristics for gaining, maintaining and rebuilding trust. We live in a world that is wholly unpredictable, and no leader has the ability to predict the future. When course correction is in order, leaders who express humility while also demonstrating their unwavering commitment to help get it right will always come out better in the end. - Saba Hasanie
10. Share The End Goal And Ask For Suggestions
Be vulnerable. Show and tell that, like your employees, you also need to accept failure and learn from it. At the same meeting, tell them what your end goal is. Ask for suggestions instead of giving a new plan. Apparently, your vision is fallible. It’s not about know-how, but rather about show-how. How do you want your employees to deal with mistakes? Don’t give the answer; show the answer. - Arvid Buit
11. Involve Your Team
Get the team together and have a group conversation. Make it a yearly event to review successes and challenges and let them tell you what could be better. Listen to be present, not for a response. It will give you critical insight and engage the team, making them feel as if they are part of the solution. The change will be expected, and the team will be ready to activate your new vision. - Sara Phelan
12. Center Recalibrations And Communications Around Data
You need to be extra careful about how you communicate with people who may not be perceived as your inner circle or clique. No matter what you have done, the perception that you are playing favorites probably exists, fair or not. So you need to make sure recalibrations and communications center around data and data analytics (not personal preferences) as much as you can. Share facts with everyone. - Joh M. O’Connor
13. Use Best Practices In Change Management
Communicating openly and authentically with staff is acceptable to let them know that we must shift our strategy. Today, companies are tasked with becoming more nimble and agile. Using best practices in change management helps to bring the company along when it is time to deploy an alternative strategy. This type of communication helps increase support for a scenario-based strategic approach. - Stacy Soria, Gladegy Consulting, LLC
14. Truthfully Communicate What Went Wrong
Company leaders mistakenly believe that their vision is well-understood by their company. So when course correcting, it is important to communicate the underlying assumptions that drove the vision’s creation and to truthfully tell what the leader (or leadership) got wrong—and right. Be accountable and authentic, and remember that substituting a new, low-conviction vision won’t help. - Ben Levitan
