Framing.
Positioning.
WIFM (them).
Spin.
If you are a leader, you have sat in one of these meetings. How do we explain this to them... in a way they can hear, understand, and feel good about?
How you position a change matters. A lot.
And yet…
If you find yourself in meeting after meeting, working to wordsmith the change…. to better “position” what is happening, I encourage you to ask one question.
“What if we told them the truth?”
- … overtime is too high, we must increase productivity
- … the stock price is stagnant, we will all benefit from better financials
- …we need to ensure everyone is contributing
- … this new automation will be more efficient
- ???
Grown-ups want the truth. Not spin. The truth is most people will respect you far more for telling them the truth than any elegant positioning you can concoct.
When people feel respected, they will respond.
When people feel respected they will join.
When people feel respected they will try.
On the other hand…
Unfiltered truth shared in an uncaring way creates unproductive havoc.
What If You Start With the Truth?
And then consider…
- What are the best and worst parts of this change?
- Who will this impact in what ways?
- What questions will be most relevant to whom?
- What additional information should I have available?
- What other questions will they ask?
- ???
I have never regretted erring on the side of the truth… even when it was scary. Even if the awkward truth creates short-term anxiety, communicated well, the credibility you establish is worth the risk.
What do you think?
Do you think it’s important to tell the whole truth?
See also:
The Transparency Debate: How Much Should Leaders Share?
The Debate Continues: 4 Reasons for More Transparency
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I agree with telling the whole truth. I’ve found the biggest challenge is the order in which you share the truths. All of us can struggle hearing anything after the first statement.
Eric, thanks so much for adding that. Order really matters.
Transparency is paramount.
Lanny Davis, former special counsel to President Clinton, has a wonderful book called “Truth To Tell: Tell It Early, Tell It All, Tell It Yourself: Notes from My White House Education.”
Tell it Early:
The longer you wait, the more people speculate and dig for the worst. Plus, nothing in the organization gets done.
Tell it All:
Disclose all the facts, even the most embarrassing ones. People can’t tell when you’re sugarcoating or holding back information.
Tell it Yourself: As the leader, be out in front and deliver the news to your team. Don’t send someone else to do the dirty work.
You can tell a lot about a leader on how they show up when they’re going through the perfect storm vs. a sunny day.
Meant “People CAN tell when you’re sugarcoating or holding back information.”
Steve, thanks so much for adding all of this So helpful. I look forward to getting that book
Telling the truth makes one feels confident about what they do and how they do. It’s a great sense of security and assurance feeling. You never get found out.
Thanks so much for adding that. Truth creates confidence.
Personally I’m a big believer that be fully trasparert is a good way to maintain the trust with the team.
Ahmed, so great to have you part of the conversation. Thank you…. I agree. Transparency builds trust.
My management mantra when it comes to a tough message has always been “anything less than real talk is a waste of everyone’s time.”
I like that…. “real talk” … indeed.
Yes, telling the truth is a noble goal, even if it’s a negative thing you’re talking about, because it may come out eventually anyway. But I doubt there is a boss in the world who has the nerve to tell the COMPLETE truth about some things, like which employees he’s considering letting go when he’s told he has to make cuts.
In the examples you gave of a manager being honest with his team—for instance, “Overtime is too high; we must increase productivity”—I don’t think it’s dishonest to use a little “positioning” to soften the blow. Already stressed-out employees are now thinking, “Great; they want MORE out of me?” “Positioning” might mean saying something like, “it’s not as drastic as it sounds; all we’re talking about is doing ____, differently, and I have some ideas.” .
Gary, thanks so much for joining the conversation…your raise very important points. I completely agree. As leaders it’s very important to consider choosing words carefully and with empathy and respect. That kind of “positioning” is good. What I worry about is spin, where leaders come up with angles that are far from the true story. I am so glad that you added this to this complex discussion. I hope you will continue to add insights in future posts.