Damage Control: Communication in Difficult Situations

tccta Texas Community College Teachers Association Damage Control: Communication inDifficultSituations Pamela Baggettwww.Persuasion-Communication.comPam@Persuasion-Communication.com

Crisis • Turning point • Dramatic upheaval • Instability • Someone feels victimized

Precipitators • Sudden, unpredicted change • Fear of the unknown • Loss of control • Stress to paranoia in a blink

Cognitive dissonance • Experts being told what to do by “outside experts” • Autonomy of classroom at odds with “top down” management

Typical responses • Blame the messenger • Threats to resign • Spend more time grousing than implementing • Sabotage

No one is happy

Crisis emotionsblock communication

Inform & persuade • The higher the emotions, • the lower the trust, • the less likely communications will succeed.

Inform & persuade • Keep repeating the message until it’s heard Keep repeating the message until it’s heard Keep repeating the message until it’s heard Keep repeating the message until it’s heard Keep repeating the message until it’s heard Keep repeating the message until it’s heard

Begin with yourself • Remain calm • If you can’t change the situation, change your response

Begin with yourself • Take the time to understand how and why the decision was made • Don’t repeat your supervisor’s mistakes • Begin collaborative process

De-stress vs.DISTRESS • Model the behavior you want to see in others • Relay information as positively as possible • Ask for help implementing it

De-stress vs.DISTRESS • Assume everyone is acting honorably • Build your team without relying on a common enemy • Show loyalty to your supervisor AND your team

De-stress vs.DISTRESS • Provide “safe” feedback opportunities • Listen to complete question before responding

De-stress vs.DISTRESS • Reflective listening • Empathy: Acknowledge what is being said. • Nonetheless, don’t be suckered into appearing to take a viewpoint you either don’t agree with or would get you in trouble. • Don’t sound condescending.

De-stress vs.DISTRESS • Exhorting the team, enforcing the rules • Don’t be a bully • “I” vs. “you”

Your turn • #1: “I got an F on a paper in Professor Allen’s class last month. I asked why and he told me to come to his office to talk about it. When I got there he started telling me how much he cares about me and my future. Then he asked if he could give me a hug. I didn’t know what to say, but said “OK.” Then he tried to kiss me and I ran out. I got an F in that class, and I don’t deserve it. You have to do something about it!”

Your turn • #2: Give a reflective response. • #1: Restate your demand. • #2: Another reflective response. • #1: Once again, with feeling. • #2: Set your boundary.

Your turn • #3: Give feedback and then the three of you decide what you could say to “de-stress the distress.”

Your turn • #2: [You are the same person.] • Confront #1 who is the accused professor. • #3: Observe and critique

E-mail • “There are three things that can happen when you throw a pass, and two of them are bad.” • --Darrell Royal

E-mail • E-mails never die • What you intend to say is not always what is understood • Recipient may forward your e-mail to another person

E-mail • Don’t put anything in an e-mail that you don’t want to see in the news • Or your personnel file

E-mail • The written version of thinking with your mouth open • Use spell check • PLEASE read before you push the button

The crisis is over • Maybe . . . • Hot spots will still flare • You’ll be tested many more times on this issue and others

Your leadership • Has been proven • Demands respect from others • Fills the bank of trust and good will • Puts you in position to take issues up the ladder

tccta Texas Community College Teachers Association Damage Control: Communication inDifficultSituations Pamela Baggettwww.Persuasion-Communication.comPam@Persuasion-Communication.com

Damage Control: Communication in Difficult Situations