Transcript Baggett - Texas Community College Teachers Association

tccta
Texas Community College
Teachers Association
Damage Control:
Communication
in Difficult Situations
Pamela Baggett
www.Persuasion-Communication.com
[email protected]
Crisis
• Turning point
• Dramatic upheaval
• Instability
• Someone feels victimized
Precipitators
•
•
•
Sudden, unpredicted change
Fear of the unknown
Loss of control
•
Stress to paranoia in a blink
Cognitive dissonance
• Experts being told what to do
by “outside experts”
• Autonomy of classroom at
odds with “top down”
management
Typical responses
• Blame the messenger
• Threats to resign
• Spend more time
grousing than
implementing
• Sabotage
No one is happy
Fellow
Faculty
Your
Spouse
Admin
Staff
YOU
News
Media
Students
Taxpayers
Crisis emotions
block communication
REVENGE
FEAR
ANGER
BLAME
Crisis emotions
block communication
REVENGE
FEAR
ANGER
BLAME
Crisis emotions
block communication
REVENGE
FEAR
ANGER
BLAME
Inform & persuade
The higher the emotions,
the lower the trust,
the less likely communications will
succeed.
Inform & persuade
Keep repeating the message until
it’s heard Keep repeating the
message until it’s heard Keep
repeating the message until it’s
heard Keep repeating the message
until it’s heard Keep repeating the
message until it’s heard Keep
repeating the message until it’s
heard
Begin with yourself
Remain calm
• If you can’t change
the situation, change
your response
Begin with yourself
• Take the time to understand
how and why the decision was
made
• Don’t repeat your supervisor’s
mistakes
• Begin collaborative process
De-stress vs. DISTRESS
• Model the behavior you want to
see in others
• Relay information as positively
as possible
• Ask for help implementing it
De-stress vs. DISTRESS
• Assume everyone is acting
honorably
• Build your team without relying
on a common enemy
• Show loyalty to your supervisor
AND your team
De-stress vs. DISTRESS
• Provide “safe” feedback
opportunities
• Listen to complete question
before responding
De-stress vs. DISTRESS
• Reflective listening
• Empathy: Acknowledge what is
being said.
• Nonetheless, don’t be suckered
into appearing to take a viewpoint
you either don’t agree with or
would get you in trouble.
• Don’t sound condescending.
De-stress vs. DISTRESS
• Exhorting the team, enforcing
the rules
• Don’t be a bully
• “I” vs. “you”
Your turn
#1: “I got an F on a paper in Professor
Allen’s class last month. I asked why
and he told me to come to his office to
talk about it. When I got there he
started telling me how much he cares
about me and my future. Then he asked
if he could give me a hug. I didn’t know
what to say, but said “OK.” Then he
tried to kiss me and I ran out. I got an F
in that class, and I don’t deserve it. You
have to do something about it!”
Your turn
#2: Give a reflective response.
#1: Restate your demand.
#2: Another reflective response.
#1: Once again, with feeling.
#2: Set your boundary.
Your turn
#3: Give feedback and then the
three of you decide what you
could say to “de-stress the
distress.”
Your turn
#2: [You are the same person.]
Confront #1 who is the accused
professor.
#3: Observe and critique
E-mail
“There are three things that can
happen when you throw a pass,
and two of them are bad.”
--Darrell Royal
E-mail
• E-mails never die
• What you intend to say is not
always what is understood
• Recipient may forward your email to another person
E-mail
• Don’t put anything in an e-mail
that you don’t want to see in
the news
• Or your personnel file
E-mail
• The written version
of thinking with
your mouth open
• Use spell check
• PLEASE read
before you push
the button
The crisis is over
Maybe . . .
• Hot spots will still flare
• You’ll be tested many more times
on this issue and others
Your leadership
•Has been proven
•Demands respect from others
•Fills the bank of trust and good will
• Puts you in
position to take
issues
up the ladder
tccta
Texas Community College
Teachers Association
Damage Control:
Communication
in Difficult Situations
Pamela Baggett
www.Persuasion-Communication.com
[email protected]