Others handle day-to-day challenges. But the hot potato lands in your hands.
Passing the buck in a high stress situation means you’ve reached your peak. But an aspiration to advance requires resolve to hang on to hot potatoes.
Two High Stress Situations:
#1. Answering questions during uncertainty.
- Acknowledge agendas. People tailor information and input to create THEIR preferred response. (This may or may not be malevolent.)
- Dig below the surface with probing questions. Ask discomforting questions or you’ll be uncomfortable after making decisions.
- Test your assumptions. Avoid assumptions based on one person’s input. Explain what you’re thinking and ask, “Does this seem right?”
- Test their assumptions. “It seems like you believe xyz. Is that what you’re thinking?”
- Explore options with stakeholders – the people closest to the situation, for example.
- Make a small decision. Make progress. Don’t solve everything.
- When possible, sleep on important responses.
- Always follow-up.
- Give it your best. If you can’t sleep on it, preface answers with, “This is my best answer at this time.”
- Apologize and adapt when you get it wrong. “I screwed up,” strengthens relationships and builds confidence.
#2. Correcting.
People don’t screw up intentionally – unless they’re disgruntled saboteurs.
- Assume the best.
- Stay cool. Anger makes you stupid.
- Leverage curiosity before exploring solutions.
- Explore results before exploring causes. “What happened?” is a question about results and impact. It’s not an invitation to attack or diagnose the person who screwed up. The answer to what happened is, “We disappointed our customers,” for example.
- Treat mistakes like learning opportunities. “What did you learn?”
- Look to the future. “What will you do differently next time?”
Note: Habitual screw ups require stronger intervention than first-time mistakes.
What suggestions do you have for the above situations?
What added hot potato situations should leaders lean into?
Bonus material:
Decision making in Uncertain Times (McKensey)
Making Decisions in High Uncertainty. (Decision-Making)
Your employee Messes Up: How do You Respond (SHRM)
The 12 Toughest Challenges of Leadership (LF)