Bluster
Or the not so subtle art of lying through your teeth
Disclaimer: It is fair to say that this post may have been inspired by a well-known political leader, but there is no intention to make this about politics. You are safe to read on.
“I don’t know about that”
It feels strange for a leader to say those words, but then I guess we do live in strange times.
Knowing when to own something – or at least, accept it may exist, and therefore needs to be followed up on – is something I try to install into all of the Delivery Managers I help and work alongside.
It aligns with the view in a great number of organisations that we “win and lose as a team”.
By pretending not to know something. To adopt a slopy shouldered position, is a bad look all round. You don’t have to take responsibility for every mishap or cock up the team commits (in Github or otherwise). Yet you do, as a leader, need to be all over things. So that when you are asked in a governance meeting to explain the status of something gnarly – you don’t check google to see when the 279 bus is about to pass by. Positioning your team on the curb, just in time.
Deflecting, which often makes it look like you are lying, is just as bad.
If you don’t know the details of the issue that has been sprung on you in a meeting – a team member hasn’t updated you or the client/stakeholder finds something out through back channels, rather than the formal reporting process. The correct course of action is to simply say you’ll take it away and find out more.
“I can’t really comment until I have all of the information I need. Once I do, I’ll come straight back to you.”
Again, don’t do this when you DO have all of the information, as it will still make it look like you are lying.
A team that holds back, or a DM that lies are not working at their best. Being able to hold your hand up and say you made a mistake. To then agree how to report that mistake, with a resolution already planned/enacted – is where you want to be.
By denying knowledge or making things up, simply move past the challenge and onto the next topic of conversation (one that shines you in a better light) is a terrible strategy, that will only get worse.
Be across your s***. Learn how to work when being blindsided. Win and lose as a team. That’s the space where you will do your best work.
/END