You’ve selected “Bottom Left” as your response. Your selection implies that you have a low level of trust, alignment and communication. This is very concerning and we want to help you resolve this situation and improve your feelings on the topic that you were asked. You may ask why this is so important to fix. The answer is engagement and satisfaction. A lack of trust usually results in low engagement with the work you are doing. Additionally, low trust and poor communication can result in an employee who feels unhappy and isolated from their leaders and their own team. These things result in poor job satisfaction. If you remain in this area for long, it’s not good for you or for your team. We have some work to do together, but if you will do your part, we can fix this!
Let’s address the trust portion first. Why do you have a lack of trust in this situation? Is it due to the people involved or do you simply not trust in a decision or plan being discussed? Trust is the absolute necessity that must be present for us to help you. If you have a lack of trust in a specific person or group of people we have to address it. We recommend that you try to discuss your feelings in person with those involved, but we also recognize that those discussions can be tough to initiate. We are here to help you with that and you can contact anyone in the Team department for support and guidance.
If you choose to move forward on your own…here are a few tips to help you prepare for those discussions:
-Get your own emotions in check…never walk into a meeting with your own emotions fired up. Emotional intensity will throw up others guard defenses and will likely have a less than optimal outcome.
-Examine your own behavior and conduct an honest self-assessment of your actions, or inactions, which could have contributed to your current situation. Take responsibility for your role in the situation.
-Avoid emotionally charged discussions. You must be able to remain calm.
-Don’t walk into the meeting as if you’re going to war! Avoid being defensive and do not launch preemptive strikes toward the other person.
-When you have the meeting, ensure that you are mentally prepared. Be open-minded and receptive. Maintain your composure, tact and professionalism. Taking the above steps will help allow you to make great strides in moving into a better place. If you can do this, your efforts will, result in an improvement in communication and alignment. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it will be to communicate with others once you have established trust in your relationship. Again, these situations can be tough to deal with and we are here to help you in any way possible.
If you would like to speak to someone outside of your workplace, please feel free to contact any of the Team members listed below. Your conversations will remain anonymous if you wish. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you get “Top Right”!
Chad Cottingham, Director of Community & Employee Relations @ (269) 506-0691
Johnny Honaker, Chief of Service Operations @ (269) 535-6118