TOUGH EMPLOYEE QUESTIONS

Overview:

Leaders get tough questions.  It’s hard to have all the answers.  “Because I said so!” or “Because my leader told me we have to!” are not the best responses.  When you are put on the spot, do you know what to say?  Or do you find after the conversation you think of the things you should have said?  It’s tempting to be pulled into negativity or being pulled in to be “one of the guys/gals” (and you may even agree with them).  However, as a leader, you set the tone for your team.  In this session, we’ll first give you tips and techniques to deal with difficult questions you face.  Then, we’ll have lots of practice time facing real questions and scenarios, and how to respond appropriately and think on your feet faster.

Objectives:

In this program we will explore:

• An activity to point out why it’s important that leaders are all part of the organization’s team (your team is not just the team of people that report to you).
• Why you shouldn’t agree with your team when they are negative (even if you feel the same way they do).
• That receiving negative feedback is not all bad.
• The importance of asking questions to uncover what the employee’s real objections are.
• How to pull back a conversation if an employee takes the conversation in a direction you did not intend.
• It’s okay for you to have expectations and hold team members to those expectations.
• Role playing various real world tough questions.  A few of examples include:
  • “We busted our tails last year and now this year our goals are even higher.  They are unrealistic.  Do you really expect me to meet that goal?”
  • “Why do we have to have weekly meetings?  It’s a waste of time.  I could be getting real work done.”
  • “Seems like performance reviews don’t matter around here.  Susie is a poor performer and gets a review each year, but nothing ever happens.  Why?”