Great Advice from Top CEO’s – #4

Hear all Sides; Get the True Facts; Let the Chips Fall Where They May

This post’s great advice is a practical strategy for facing your toughest leadership challenges.  Here’s Ed Johnson’s simple formula for solving problems; resolving conflict; and bringing closure to your worst mistakes and failures: HEAR ALL SIDES; GET THE TRUE FACTS; LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY.

Take It From a PRO…

I met Ed early in my professional life.  By that time, he was in retirement after a successful career in banking (he built a small regional bank into a strong and vigorous financial institution with billions of dollars in assets).  He followed his own formula to deal with some of the toughest challenges and failures of his career.  The formula is a simple, but powerful check on the biggest mistakes leaders make in dealing with tough problems and contentious issues.

Up Close and Personal

In one organization I served, I once found myself angrily confronted by the CFO.  He accused my staff of a serious abuse of protocol and threatened to remove vital privileges from my department in response.  Admittedly, he was under tremendous pressure.  (The organization was dangerously low on funds, and it was his job to juggle the resources and try to keep everything afloat.)  But he was also reacting emotionally and trying to exert authority that didn’t belong to him.

I tried to stay calm, and told him simply, “I’ll look into it, John.  If my staff is at fault, I will certainly deal with it and clean up the mess.”  He stormed out of the room, still fuming.  I was determined to get to the bottom of the issue, and restore my executive reputation if at all possible.

Follow the Formula

After a few short interviews with employees who were in the know, I discovered the truth—it was personnel from another department who were involved, NOT MINE.  At the next executive staff meeting, the CFO was the one with egg on his face and a tarnished image.  When the facts were shared, he sat there looking foolish—deflated and defeated.  The next thing we knew, he was taking a (recommended) leave, to step away from his role and try to deal with his emotional exhaustion.

This Will Save You From Even Bigger Mistakes

If you’re wise, you will follow Ed Johnson’s simple advice, and avoid even worse mistakes.  It’s a simple formula, but it does require a little effort…and a little care.

HEAR ALL SIDES

Get everyone’s version of the story.  It’s important.  It means you’re going to have to be patient and do a lot of listening.  That’s how you determine what really happened.  It’s also how you send the strong message that everyone in your organization has value – no matter where they are in the organizational hierarchy.  People will learn quickly that you don’t play favorites. 

GET THE TRUE FACTS 

Isn’t it funny how quickly the facts get distorted when the stakes are high, and everyone is trying hard to shift the blame?  Don’t stop until you have a clear picture of what REALLY happened.  Jump to conclusions too quickly, and you will fail to find the right solution and even worse: you will alienate the innocent in the process.

LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY

Let the appropriate people be held accountable for what happened – especially if one of those people is YOU!  There is nothing more helpful, inspiring, and endearing to a team than a leader who is willing to humbly admit their own mistakes.  Be one of those leaders.

Follow this formula, and you will…

• solve problems more effectively;
• develop a stronger, smarter, more loyal team; and
• earn the respect of your people, your colleagues, and higher ups.

If you want more great ideas for better leadership and management, stay in touch with this blog—I promise to keep sharing practical ways you can improve your leadership and become more effective in your role.

Yours for better leaders… and better organizations,

Dr. Jim Dyke – The Boss Doctor^TM – Helping you to BE a better boss and to HAVE a better boss!