Disappointments are a normal part of the business world. Although you will have some successes, you will also face many disappointments. However, that isn’t the real challenge. What matters is how you respond to and manage the disappointment. The natural reaction may be to feel angry and upset, but this often leads to a bad outcome. Some of you might even regret your response later on.
Disappointments, among other negative and challenging situations, are really opportunities for leaders to come out shining. They can be the defining element of your leadership style, personality and character. In fact, handling disappointment well can earn you much respect, admiration and credibility.
To spin around disappointments you’ll need to remain composed and calm and think rationally. Try these useful suggestions to help you make the most of the situation.
1. Look Within
Before you talk to the employee(s) involved, take a moment to evaluate the situation. As a leader, you have authority, but acting on impulse could lead to more problems. Think carefully about your approach and plan your conversation and its desired outcome. Make sure that the result you want is the best option for both the organization and the employee. Reflect on whether you played a part in the disappointment. Could your actions (or lack of them) have avoided this issue? Starting off correctly is crucial for achieving a positive outcome for everyone involved.
2. Give Benefit of the Doubt
There’s a good chance that the disappointment that transpired was unintentional. When you’ve accepted that you’ve basically given the employee the benefit of the doubt and hence reduced much of your anger. Sure the error in their judgment or the mistake they made is still quite disappointing, but at least you’ve established there was no malicious thought behind it. Besides, however disappointed you as in them, there’s a good chance the employee is equally (if not more) disappointed at themselves. Hence, as their leader try to take the high road. Having said that, if, however, the act was intentional then it goes without saying that corrective measures need to be taken to address the matter – obviously in line with principles, values, ethics and your organization code and policies.
3. Focus on the Issue, Not the Person
Despite your best efforts to avoid it, you’re likely to blame the employee for the disappointment. Even though the employee may have been negligent or reckless, you need to separate the occurrence with the employee and focus on the behavior itself. Since your objective isn’t to punish or penalize the employee the only way you can extract any learning from the disappointment is if you avoid cornering the employee. Give them room to think, respond candidly and assess the situation with you. Be inquisitive as a coach and you’ll be able to avoid future occurrences of the disappointment.
4. What’s the Learning Here?
In every situation, there’s some learning – both the successes and disappointments. Push aside your anger and look at the situation from a learning perspective. What’s happened can’t be altered, but you sure can move ahead, learn from it and device ways to not let it happen again. Rather than being authoritative and bullying your employee, try cooperating and collaborating with them to make things better. Was there a flaw or gap in the process? Can human errors be limited? Are there skill enhancements or training needed? Get to the bottom of the problem and learn from it.
5. Be a Leader
Great leaders don’t use intimidation tactics to elicit behavior. Letting your anger lose will only instill fear in your employees and you know very well the outcome of that. Declining productivity, loss of drive and passion, gossip, reduced respect for you and alignment with you are just part of it. You don’t want your leadership to be stained with such perception. Instead, try being humble about the disappointment. Admit that you, as their leader, could have contributed more to avoid the situation. Then use the disappointment to build stronger bonds with your team, improve operational gaps, and be the visionary leader your organization respects. This really is your moment to shine.
We all get a rush of blood to the head when we’re faced with disappointment, it’s natural. Being a leader gives you false belief that you can get away with being angry. But in reality, it’ll only lead to a chain reaction of other negatives. Worst of all, your credibility as a leader is on the line. And that’s why it’s all the more important to take these suggestions into account when you’re hit with a disappointment. Consider it this way, disappointments are coaching opportunities in disguise. Be the savior and supporter your team needs and desires.
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