Your higher-ups are constantly asking your team for progress reports and it’s just slowing everybody down. What can you do ? See what Mara and Hugo have to say.
Mara runs into Hugo at the water cooler. He looks discouraged.
- What’s the matter Hugo? You look upset this morning.
- I am, Mara. I don’t know how to handle the situation with management. I’ve got an amazing team who is working like crazy to meet deadlines. But they’re constantly being interrupted by worried managers who want to know where things stand. I’ve asked the managers to come through me, but they won’t listen.
- That’s a tough situation. I actually went through something similar once.
- You did? How did you handle it?
- I understood and accepted that the managers were worried: there was a lot at stake for them with the project, and I was empathetic.
I stayed calm, without giving in to panic.
I suggested that my team let me answer update requests.
I quickly replied to all requests and increased the frequency of my progress reports.
- So what did you do about the managers who continued to bother your team?
- I contacted them directly and explained that it was counterproductive to go to the team. They understood that I wasn’t trying to keep information from them.
- Thanks so much – I feel a lot better. I’m going to try to do that.
“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you…” Rudyard Kipling, “If—”
What about you ? Do you have similar or different experiences? Let me know, I'll be happy to discuss it with you!
Artwork: Mélanie Bénard Tremblay,2017, © Marakoudja.