The dreaded invitation.
“Come see me in my office.”
When you’re the one inviting, here are a few truths to remember…
- Your employee didn’t wake up this morning intending to make life miserable for you or anyone else.
- Your employee is trying. If not, there’s a much deeper problem that’s been simmering for a long time.
- Your employee is probably very nervous or afraid.
- Your employee will definitely feel misunderstood and possibly bullied.
- Your employee almost certainly will not say most of what he’s really thinking.
- Your employee really wants some encouragement after a tough conversation.
And here are a few things to try…
- Start things off with a less scary invitation: “Do you have a few minutes? I’d like to go over some stuff with you.”
- Visit your employee in their own office where they’re comfortable.
- If you need to close the door, tell them it’s because you want both of you to be able to speak freely with each other without having to worry about what anyone else thinks.
- Show your employee honor by genuinely allowing that their motivations could be very good. Honestly try to understand your employee (they’ll know).
- Make it a two way conversation. Ask them what their take on the issue is, what factors are causing it, and how you can help.
- Tell them how much you appreciate them.
- Ask them for feedback.
- End on a positive note. Smile. Be truly excited to help each other make things even better!
Unless, of course, you really are just trying to kick them rudely out the door. In which case, you may be the problem…
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