Say it as it truly is
Dealing with stakeholder conflicts
Part of me would whisper, just say what they want to hear and be done with it, but the better part of me felt obligated to paint the accurate picture. Helped by working outside in, supported by data, with a rational mind and little emotion.
There was a time when I vehemently disagreed with a CEO client of mine who ended up not speaking to me for two months! Unexpectedly, he did thank me for my honesty and advice that he understood was for the company benefit. He did not admit to being wrong, but he did thank me 😊 For me, it really wasn’t about being right — it was about serving the best I could, fixing what was broken, or turning good into great.
Now, as a CEO, the story changes. The duty to all your stakeholders and the back and forth on strategies are one thing. Couple this with the fact that decisions you make impact the stakeholders’ collective wealth, your businesses, employees, and yourself. The implications could not be more different!
For one, the advice, whether positive or a bitter pill to swallow, I now must act on myself. Whether it is entering a new business, reducing or stopping something — not only is it hard to practically implement, but the emotional toll can often be beyond anticipation. It is your baby after all!
Secondly, you are waist deep into it. As you debate the finer details with senior stakeholders, you sometimes don’t have the luxury of being the “expert” who can give advice and fly off, or bluntly say no to what you’re being told. Don’t get me wrong, there may be CEOs and leaders out there who will just nod and do it for good reason, but I can’t see that being the right thing to do if all your assessments say otherwise.
So what do you do? ‘Do the right thing’ to me is the worst, most generic of terms. But, do the right thing!
Emotions or not, decisions need to be data driven — current, historical and equally important, forward looking. Numbers don’t lie — and if you don’t like them, be clear of ‘what you would have to believe’ to follow your gut instead and know the risks.
As for being told what to do whilst in disagreement, again, keep the facts handy. Present your case well and talk through implications of each decision (as a consultant would!). Stand by those decisions and follow through with complete dedication. Things go right, voila! But if they go wrong, hold your hands up, take the responsibility and more importantly, learn from it!
In the odd occasion when the decision is taken from you, make sure you’ve ‘said what is right’. You might live to get that ‘thank you’ later.
