Blunder #3: Leaders who don’t answer an employee’s questions, request for clarification or more information
Sometimes leaders mistake a request for more information or clarification of a message they sent, as a weakness in the person requesting the information.
They reason that this person must not have the courage to take action on matters involving accountability. Sometimes that might be the case. But ultimately, whose responsibility is it to make sure they have the training and the confidence to make those decisions and take the necessary actions?
You guessed it, the leader that person reports to.
There is nothing that builds distrust more than a leader who doesn’t communicate promptly and consistently.
Let’s take a look at why this happens. First, the person requesting the information usually does it for good reason. They need to make a decision, and they believe the leader has the necessary information to help them make the best decision.
When a business owner, CEO, or president tells me he or she doesn’t have enough time to answer requests for information, I respond in this way. “You don’t have enough time not to answer the requests for information.”
Think about it. A delayed or wrong decision by one of your employees can cost the company time, money, rework of an order, hurt feelings, and even lost clients and customers. So, if you don’t think you have enough time to answer those requests, my recommendation would be – better reconsider.
Sometimes a leader doesn’t know the answer. So now what should he or she do?
“I don’t know,” is not an acceptable answer, A better way to go could include any of the following responses:
- “I don’t have enough information to answer your question.” —Jeanne Sullivan, founding partner of Starvest Partners
- “Good question. I’ll find out and get back to you within 24 hours.” – Dr. Dave Miles, Dr. Dave Leadership Corp.
- “Based on what we know today, my thoughts are…” —Selena Rezvani, leadership author, speaker, and consultant
In summary, to stop making trust building blunders, and to build your team’s belief in you, I strongly recommend doing the following:
- When you make a mistake, admit it as soon as possible.
- When you offend someone – sincerely apologize. The sooner the better!
- Answer an employee’s request for clarification or more information as soon as possible.
When you are able to employ these three tools, you will be building your confidence levels and your reputation for being trustworthy and a real human being.
Learn more about my system I use to grow and strengthen your leadership team.
