Date: 11/14/2016

Title: LEADING THROUGH DENIAL – Part 1

By Jennifer Erickson

As leaders, we want to be able to lead our employees and team in the right direction….toward a goal. We develop a vision and communicate this to them. We ensure they have the resources to do their part in making the vision become a reality. We appeal to their motivators: facts, data, emotion, helping others, learning, etc.

As leaders, we keep our employees and team up-to-date regarding changes that will be occurring. These changes could range from launching a new product, to switching our insurance provider, to needing to lay off people, to needing to reduce employer contributions to the retirement plan, to partnering with another company, to —- fill in the blank with your example.

But, how do we work with those employees who deny, even when faced with facts. At first, it might be easy to dismiss them. This would be human nature. We might think “Oh, they’ll come around.” But, when they don’t, we usually talk with them and bombard them with facts.

We think that no one can disregard facts. Why, the numbers are right in front of them! How can they not see this? How can they not understand that our decision to (pick any one from the list above) is necessary and based on facts?

As leaders, we try to educate people with facts. We assume their denial of “the obvious” is based on ignorance. It’s not. It’s psychology.

To learn more about how to practice this understanding, contact Results Group, LLC at www.ResultsGroupLLC.com or 515-330-2866.