If I could only go back and type the email over I would do it in a heartbeat. I have the privilege and responsibility of communicating doctor decisions and directives to staff when we make decisions. One Thursday, a couple weeks ago, we decided to let one of our staff know about the great job that she did pretesting. Excited to go and construct an email that would best reflect our thinking, I typed one out that was not clear regarding the other staff member that was working beside her. When the email was read by all staff there was an interpretation that the other pretester did a bad job. This was not my intention but after reading it, they were right and I had hurt someone because of my poor wording. When this all came to a head, I had a chance to sit down with the individual that I hurt and we discussed the situation.
These are three things that I learned in hopes of not repeating this same mistake.
- Praise an individual specifically, praise group generally: Whenever I send an email that is regarding a specific praise of one of the staff, I will include a couple of sentences that builds everyone up. We all want to feel important and cared for. As the CEO and leader, I must not leave room for anyone within the group to conclude that they are not important. If I leave but only a couple of positive nuggets for the whole team while highlighting an individual then everyone walks away encouraged. The goal as a manager of “what gets rewarded gets repeated” is still communicated, so everyone wins.
- Communication builds trust: Confrontations are never easy and there is a lot at risk when perceptions and opinions differ. By taking the time to discuss this with my staff member I was not only able to communicate my intentions but trust was built between the two of us. Due to the trust road our conversation took, I had the opportunity to express concerns that the doctors had regarding her overall performance. My apology of a poorly constructed email opened the door for her to trust me, which resulted in her being amiable to working together on an improvement plan.
- Redefining CEO: Joel Manby says it best in his book Love Works. He states that the “definition of CEO needs to be expanded. It also stands for chief
encouragement officer.” How true this is as it resonates with me on almost a weekly basis. This experience has reinforced my role as CEO and reminded me that CEO is a great responsibility to those that I employee.
Making a mistake is not about if, but when. When you make a mistake what will you do with it? The easiest approach is to run and avoid the problem. This works initially but over time avoiding results in grudges and resentment. The best approach is open and honest communication about expectations and perceptions. As CEO, you have to keep the team working and playing together. Most players excel and are inspired when they have a coach they trust.
