Ge�ng Difficult Ques�ons From Your Employees? David Grossman

Ge�ng Difficult Ques�ons from Your Employees? 3 Tips to Facilitate Dialogue and Understanding

Difficult ques�ons. We all get them.

Par�cularly in this challenging period,

there’s no shortage of tough ques�ons

on people’s minds, with employees

wondering whether and when they’ll

go back to the office or about safety

protocols and childcare once they’ve

returned.

In my latest book, Heart First: Las�ng

Leader Lessons from a Year that

Changed Everything, I devote an en�re

chapter to leader �ps for answering

tough ques�ons. I o�en find that with

just a li�le prepara�on, leaders can

accomplish a lot just by educa�ng

employees and pu�ng some of their

concerns to rest.

Being prepared and prac�sing these

three tried-and-true techniques can

help you field with ease that

challenging employee ques�on (or

reporter who’s looking for a

compelling angle). 3 Tips to Facilitate Dialogue and Understanding

Before we get into the specific �ps, remember that it’s always best to answer the ques�on, as best you can. And directly. We’ve all heard non-answers and know what that feels like to be on the receiving end of some babble. Or someone who thinks “spin” can take the place of “truth.” Your employees know the score, and your credibility (or lack of it) will be front and centre in how you answer those tough ques�ons.

Tip 1: Prepare Yourself

An�cipate the ques�ons you’re most likely to get. You can do that by addressing these simple points:

� What is on people’s minds?

� What are the toughest ques�ons you’re likely to get?

� What’s the best way to respond, and what messages do you need to get across?

Tip 2: Prac�ce (out loud) answering the ques�ons that are likely to be the toughest, and keep these points in mind as you do

� Think about the perspec�ve your employees will bring to the discussion

Ge�ng Difficult Ques�ons from Your Employees? 3 Tips to Facilitate Dialogue and Understanding

David Grossman

� Demonstrate empathy as you answer ques�ons – put yourself in their shoes

� Be respec�ully authen�c. Being honest and who you are doesn’t give any of us a pass to be rude or inten�onally offensive

� Employ the 3 + 1 communica�ons approach: oWhat we know … oWhat we don’t know … oWhat we’re working on finding out oProac�vely bust myths …

Tip 3: Bridge

Bridging helps you get back on track if ques�ons are star�ng to pull you down a path that isn’t helpful or distract you from the key points you’re trying to get across. Here are two key steps for successful bridging:

� Address the ques�on being asked, but don’t stop there

� Use key words or phrases as a bridge to get back to a point you want to make

You can bridge to a key message by using some phrases like these:

� "However …"

� "Something else that may be of interest …"

� "I can’t speculate on that but what I can tell you is …"

� "What you should know is …"

� "The most important ques�on we should be asking is …"

� "Before we go too far down that path, let me add …"

Is it Ever Okay to Ignore a Ques�on?

Should you just ignore certain ques�ons?

No!

You should never just ignore a ques�on you don’t like. You need to address it, even if it is just to say you don’t have the answer at this �me. Then use your bridging technique to get back to what it is you want people to know.

When you apply these �ps, you’ll be ready to answer all sorts of ques�ons that help ins�ll confidence that you’re doing your best to keep the team as informed and “in the loop” as possible. That goes a long way toward building trust, engagement and buy-in from your employees.

What are some of the toughest ques�ons you’re facing from employees today, and how are you demonstra�ng strong leadership in the way you respond?

—David Grossman