How Good Leaders Deliver Bad News

There are many people who depend on a leader as this individual is tasked with the responsibility to guide their teammates. Delivering bad news is also another part of the job associated with being a leader. Although it may be hard to share bad news such as a demotion with a worker, this is just one duty that comes with the territory of leadership.

How is there a good way to give bad news? Well, it might not be easy to break the bad news. However, there are ways that leaders can relay some unfavorable news so that it is more palatable. Sometimes people aren’t aware of how a person may receive information that’s opposed to what they would like to hear. Initial reactions can be anger, frustration, stress, sorrow or even relief. Despite the emotion solicited, here’s how good leaders can deliver bad news without feeding confrontation or inflaming the situation.

Be Empathetic

Leaders should be more empathetic when addressing their employees with bad news. There may come a time where a team member needs to be let go or demoted. Leaders should take into consideration how this news will affect that person’s life. When handling such matters as this, leaders should make sure they are not in any rush when sharing the news. They should allow the other person to respond and adjust to the new announcement as rushing to leave this conversation is seen as quite insensitive.

Always Give People a Warning

Fair chances should always be given before delivering bad news. Everyone is capable of making mistakes and leaders are no exception. By instituting a warning, team members have a fair opportunity to avoid making those critical mistakes. An advance warning also shows that a leader values their members and is willing to compromise when necessary.

Say “no”

Sometimes it is necessary to say “no”. In many cases, it is needed to reinforce a company’s values. Leaders may tiptoe around giving bad news because they feel for others. While empathy is a good leadership quality, other members of the team still need to know that their leader is consistent in upholding their values. No one is exempt from being held accountable.

This article was originally published on HenryComteVelasquez.org

Leadership Conferences To Check Out In 2020

Career development is essential to active professional and personal growth. If you are interested in exploring new depths, then you should attend a couple of conferences in 2020 that focus on leadership by creating a positive, interactive learning experience. By attending conferences, you will not only be allowed to expand your current network, but you will also gain the opportunity to develop more skills and prioritize your own advancement. From tech to women-focused, there is a wide range of leadership conferences that can add great value to your life.

Women with Wings Leadership Seminar, Portland, Oregon (January 9-12, 2020)

This conference costs $695. Its main focus is on building leadership traits, confidence, and compassion, enabling new and seasoned leaders to strengthen their skills in order to carry out their vision. This women-focused conference has a seminar format, which is structured for a small group. Its women focus helps build rapport among the attendees, allowing them to network among other female professionals from management and IT to community service positions.

MozCon, Seattle, Washington (July 6-8, 2020)

This conference costs between $999 and $1,499. If you own a business, are a content creator or work on a marketing team, you will learn a great deal from these workshops. During the conference, you will learn how to search for terms that your customers use in addition to maximizing your site for mobile use and marketing purposes. Even though this conference is heavy with technology talk, there will also be inspiring speeches with speakers like Orbit Media’s co-founder, Andy Crestondia. Join the conference, and you will find out the best way to scale your business, how to stay relevant and tips on supporting your team to be the best that they can be.

Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit, Detroit, Michigan (October 27-30, 2020)

This conference costs $995. This event takes place every year, providing its attendees with a chance to learn how to become innovative, effective and successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. At the conference, you will participate in interactive sessions, such as the Startup Hub. This event is more than your average conference; it has the feel of a music and food festival with its many offerings. If you are interested in purchasing an executive program, you can enroll but at a higher fee.

This article was originally published on HenryComteVelasquez.org

How Leaders Can Show Appreciation

Workers oftentimes have their contribution taken for granted. It can make employees feel underappreciated or as though their company doesn’t value their efforts. This may translate to a tense work environment or a decrease in worker productivity.

A quit mindset may even persist if employees aren’t feeling appreciated. A simple expression of appreciation to workers can be enough to make their day and even change their lives. A token of gratitude could be as simple as sharing a personal thank you. Employees will see that their hard work is being noticed. Although people have a job to do, they are still human and do benefit from praise so that they can give their best at all times. Here are other ways that leaders can show their appreciation:

Annual Awards

Musicians, entertainers, and athletes all have award ceremonies for doing their job. Why shouldn’t other people be awarded for doing good at their jobs? A leader can create a yearly award ceremony and give away medals, trophies, certificates to workers with upstanding work. Each employee will have their own moment of acknowledgment and feel equally meaningful to their team.

Milestone Celebrations

Leaders can provide gift baskets to their employees for reaching certain milestones. For instance, employees could be treated to dinner or presented a gift card for their achievements. Promotions and successful projects can be celebrated by the team as this will make one feel good about their success and aim to achieve higher goals.

Give High-profile Work

High profile projects can be given to show a leader’s confidence in their employee. By giving someone a more “serious” task, it will communicate to them that their employer trusts in their abilities and talents to complete the task successfully.

Referrals

Leaders can show their appreciation by giving their teammates their “moment to shine” and “set their people up for success”. One can show their employees their appreciation even if employees are relocating. A gesture to display gratitude to employees is to provide them with other job leads and referrals if they are moving away or plan on transferring jobs. This shows employers care more about a person’s success even if it isn’t with their company.

This article was originally published on HenryComteVelasquez.org