A bad statement to make

A guy goes to the doctor, and the doctor tells him, “I have some very bad news for you. I’m afraid that you’re afflicted with a fatal and incurable disease.”

So, the guy asks, “Well, isn’t there anything I can do, doc?”

“Hmmm... maybe you should go to a spa and start taking daily mud baths,” the doctor tells the patient.

“Mud baths? Will that help me, doc?”

“Probably not... but at least you’ll get used to being covered in dirt!”

Now, that obviously is a bad statement to make. The doctor in this story is either insensitive or seriously lacking in communication skills. But things like this happen so often in the workplace.

When I started my corporate career, I remember the president summoning me to his office for a status update. When I said a problem was happening, he cut me off immediately and said, “I don’t pay you to bring me problems; I pay you to bring me solutions.”

I think he might have been in teaching mode, seeing me as young and raw, but the statement negatively affected me.

Many leaders still give out these cringe-worthy statements:

“Don’t bring me a problem without a solution.”

I am not so sure about this. If I had a solution, would I still have to talk to the boss about the problem? The statement is cringe-worthy because it does not make sense. Perhaps the boss meant, “Give me options and recommend a solution.”

Bad statements stifle the creativity of problem-solving. No one will offer any input to a leader with that attitude.

When I heard my boss’s statement, even at the early stage of my career, I told myself, “Conversation done. Complete. Over.” My boss felt it was a waste of his time to inform him of a problem, and he was essentially killing the messenger who was delivering the message.

Another problem with this statement is that it forces real problems to continue – everyone knows it but can’t mention it. Silence becomes the norm because people aren’t able to bring up the problems they see.

When the unaddressed problem develops into a damaging situation, the same boss might say, “Why did no one inform me about what’s happening?”

In reality, people on any team don’t have the power or authority to solve the problems they see. They only know there is a problem. And they likely know it better than anyone else because they have to live with it daily.

People often feel “unsafe” and risk angering the leader when they report problematic situations. They must endure these issues because they lack the authority to change rules or procedures. They must accept their circumstances, even if they identify numerous problems in their work processes. However, openly communicating problems to leadership can help improve efficiency, productivity and team morale, significantly enhancing organizational trust.

Instead of shutting down people with the horrible statement, “Do not come to me with problems unless you have a solution,” what if you empower your people to solve problems? Or better still, gather teams of peers to suggest solutions.

Promote open dialogue where people feel comfortable bringing a problem forward. Make sure everyone on the team – regardless of position – feels free to share what they see and experience.

On many occasions, I have said, “Give it to me straight, no matter how dire the situation is. Do not be afraid of giving me the bad news. I welcome it. I just don’t like to be surprised.” We’ll fix it together.

(Francis Kong’s latest book, Leadership Excellence – on passion, purpose, productivity, and perspective – is now available at leading bookstores nationwide).