The problem with engaged employees is that they care and without fail passionately care about what they do and what happens at work, so sometimes when things don’t work properly they can get a little upset/mad about it. What happens then? Well, they need to let off steam!
No one likes it when people come to see them to let off steam. In fact, most people avoid this like the plague. It’s uncomfortable and invariably hurtful, because you care about your organisation and so what they are saying feels personal, and both parties feel pretty miserable.
In engaged teams and workplaces however, when someone lets off the steam, you’ll find the following characteristics in the manager who is receiving the out pouring:
- Listen hard – what do we mean? Well, they let the individual say all they have to say, however they might say it, without interruption or justification. This means they understand that although they might have practised what they want to say before they come to see them, they accept that it might come out with some emotion. So unless there are threats of bodily harm, they are allowed to ‘let it all out’ without fear of judgement.
- Confirm understanding – once the employee has said all they want to, they then repeat back in their own words their understanding of what has been said to ensure they have understood the problem correctly. If questions are need to gain further details or clarity, these are asked, calmly.
- Ask – This is simple, if the employee hasn’t already stated what they think should be done to make x better, then they ask them. This is not to say that they automatically do this, but they ask the question and maybe explore it a bit further to gain a deeper insight in to the problem and potential resolution.
- Agree – They agree only one thing, that they will get back to the employee and when they will do this. In fact you often find they get back to them before the deadline agreed, and most certainly always always get back to them by the deadline.
- Act – If things can be changed for the better all well and good, but if this is not possible what do you do? You go back to the employee and talk to them about the things that have been considered and as much of the reasoning behind the decision as possible. This conversation is important – don’t skip it. They will value the honesty if things can’t be changed, and they may even be able to offer some other ideas having listened to what has been considered. You just never know where the next bright idea will come from.
Managing the situation in this way shows genuine commitment to people and should be seen as an opportunity to demonstrate this effectively.
[Tip: If you find your employees are comfortable letting off steam then privately congratulate yourself. Their willingness to coming to see you demonstrates that they believe they will be heard, and that maybe something will be done as a result.]
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Photo credit: invisiblekid2007
Article by Hayley Oats
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Excellent post. All very good tips. In my world, we advocate strategic recognition of employee behaviours and actions to encourage engagement and motivation. What you are describing is another form of recognition — noticing employee needs and contributions when presented in a negative way (blowing off steam) and still recognise the value they are bringing to the organisation through that (perhaps poorly expressed) enthusiasm.
This is a very important point of strategic recognition — acknowledging the passion, engagement and value, regardless of how it’s expressed.