Let’s be honest, your words ALWAYS matter. As a leader, they matter just as much, but the impact can be exponentially greater than on an individual basis.
The words you choose, can inpsire, electrify, motivate, tear down, build up, anger, calm, etc…it’s up to you to decide how you want to show up for your people. We as leadersare responsible for the words of our voice and I promise you that your people will hold you to what you say. With that, it’s very important to have a very clear picture on what you intend to say.
This is never more important than a difficult conversation. Whether it’s a coaching situation, a hard topic discussion or a performance improvement plan situation…your words can have very disastorous consequences if you aren’t careful. If you choose vague words, or qualifying words, the weight of the message could get lost and people won’t know exactly where they stand. Which could put you as a leader in a tough spot because you may think you told them they were going to lose their job if they don’t change, but your words led them to believe it was just a warning.
When HR gets involved and they follow up with the individual and they didn’t understand the severity of the situation…it can look bad on you as a leader and can also hinder that persons ability to overcome whatever is in front of them. Be concise, be clear and be canderous with them.
You might be wondering…how do I not say the wrong thing? First off, we all make mistakes and say things in ways we don’t intend, it’s part of our growth as a leader. With the being said, there are ways to improve your chances of saying the right things. Have a plan, role play that plan and if you don’t have someone to role play with, talk to yourself in the mirror…it may sound silly, but hearing yourself say the words out loud can be a great way to make sure they make sense and sound correct.
Saying the wrong thing will happen, when it does, own it and learn from it. That is the best way to ensure you continue to improve.
Thanks for being here! Reach out for questions or comments!
