I know it’s Christmas Day when this is scheduled to post. And maybe your holiday season feels heavy this year because of a decision you had to make, or in anticipation of one you’ll need to make when you return to your workplace.
Decisions that inflict pain on some team members in order to protect or preserve others can weigh on your mind. When you’ve exhausted your options, when you can’t find a way for everyone to win and you’re forced into a tough choice, what can you do to minimize the damage and operate in a trustworthy way?
First, even though it’s the best decision you know how to make, acknowledge that any time your choices cause pain, that represents failure. Own that failure; don’t hint or suggest any placement of blame on the team members who were affected.
Second, explain what you can of the conditions that led to the decision, as well as the alternatives that were considered and why they were rejected. Show how the hard choice will lead to long-term better outcomes to more than just the senior leaders or investors. Give credible hope that future decisions will avoid this kind of pain.
Third, absorb more than a token amount of the pain yourself before imposing it on others. Don’t, for example, talk about how you sacrificed by selling one of your multiple sports cars or by flying coach instead of first class. Absorb more of the impact than you distribute.
Fourth, in your conversations, show empathy, honor, and respect to anyone who was impacted. Remember that they are people, not merely resources, departments, roles, or projects. Don’t hide behind euphemisms or business jargon.
Hard decisions are, well, hard. Especially during the holidays. If you’d like a thinking partner to walk through tough decisions with you, let’s talk. Visit stevedwire.com/talk to start the conversation.
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