UNDERCOVERCOACH


WHY WON’T YOU PART 2: Options and Opportunities


IN PART 1, THE UNDERCOVERCOACH MADE THE CASE FOR MORE OPENNESS IN THEWORKPLACE. IN THE SECOND AND FINAL PART OF THIS ARTICLE, THE COACH LOOKS AT THE METHODS PEOPLE USE TO AVOID BEING OPEN AND HONEST IN THEWORKPLACE AND HOWWE CAN TACKLE THIS PROBLEM IN OURSELVES AND IN OTHERS.


There was a time, within the lifespan of people now reading this article, when we would all bite our lips and accept that some things were not up for discussion in the workplace.


But that was then and this is now. People are much more socially confident these days and more people are better educated than ever before. People are now more open, less deferential and expect others to be open with them.


So when people (especially colleagues and bosses) are not open and honest with us it can lead to a lot of frustration and anxiety.We may even feel that ‘they should know better than to treat me this way’.


AVOIDING BY PROMISING TO SPEAK BUT THEN NEVER ACTUALLY GETTING AROUND TO IT An increased awareness of how others can and will react has caused many people, who fear the consequences of openness, to devise and deploy ever more sophisticated ways of avoiding being open with others. Here’s ten to start you off. Please add any others, which you have experienced yourself that are not listed here.


1 Telling lies, that have some plausibility, to fob people off


2 Telling half-truths, that sound convincing, so that people go away.


3 Distracting people with (say) humour or other issues to get them off track


4 Changing the subject or re- prioritising other issues so that they talk about something else – at least for the time being.


5 Delaying the discussion, as in ‘I can’t talk right now – I’ll get back to you’.


6 Claiming that they ‘do not know the full picture’ so cannot really comment.


7 Quoting precedent e.g. ‘That’s not the way we do things around here’


8 Avoiding by promising to speak but then never actually getting round to it


9 Feigning sensitivity – ‘I can’t say anything, I do not want to risk hurt anyone’s feelings – at this stage’


10 Claiming ignorance of a situation but all the time avoiding finding out, as in ‘Don’t say anything to me - then I will not have to lie to keep people happy’.


14 Wind Energy NETWORK


There is evidence that overwhelmingly supports the view that people want others to be open with them. Openness is seen as being far preferable to being ‘kept in the dark’ about something important.


BETRAYAL CAN LIVE IN THE MEMORY FOR A LIFETIME People, on key matters like bad news, can get very angry if information is known by others but withheld or not shared immediately. Not sharing difficult information can sometimes be seen as a betrayal and betrayal can live in the memory for a lifetime.


We need some strategies that will somehow get the person - who is not being open with us - to feel more confident and to believe that being more open is the best option for all concerned. If we are ourselves are not being open when appropriate then we need to understand that we may not just be part of the problem we may actually BE the problem!


First of all, those of us in management positions need to set a good example of openness and honesty in the workplace. If you have ever been guilty of the sins listed 1-10 opposite chances are people have already found out that you can’t deal with the truth and morale and performance have already started to decline.


BE OPEN W


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