The Busy Leader's Handbook

15Drill Down on Generalizations

 

• “Everyone is upset.”
• “All the employees are feeling left out.”
• “Everyone is overwhelmed.”
• “People are angry!”
• “I can’t tell you who said it, but I thought you would like to know.”

We all hear generalizations at one time or another. They can send us into a panic and cause us to act before carefully thinking things through. And one of the hardest lessons to learn in leadership is to be cautious before responding to them. I’ve never regretted pausing before taking action but I sure have regretted not pausing first.

When a leader responds without thinking things through they can create an even bigger issue, generating more worry and putting more energy into a situation than necessary. You may hear a complaint followed by “Everyone feels this way.” But who is everyone? And why hasn’t “everyone” come to the supervisor to voice their own concerns, instead of sending a single person to carry the message?

If you hear a generalization and just assume the majority of employees agree with it, you might make a knee-jerk change. Your reaction to the “crisis” that’s not real might create actual problems in the long run. Afterward, you might discover that only one or two people actually wanted the change. Now the majority really is upset. Plus, you have reinforced that it’s okay not to carry your own messages, which is the opposite of how things should work in an open, transparent organization. (“Owners” speak up and advocate for themselves.)

In my experience, ...