An online poll conducted by Joseph Grenny, a leadership expert and author of Crucial Conversations, and Cynthia Good, the CEO and founding editor of US women's business website Little PINK Book, found that one in five women left their jobs because they could not discuss limiting their workload when they felt overworked. Here are some of the issues that women felt most uncomfortable discussing:
- Negotiating limits when asked to take on more work than is reasonable or possible,
- Giving performance feedback without hurting the person's feelings or damaging the relationship,
- Asking for a raise or changing a performance plan related to a raise.
The research was conducted in the US, but Helene Vermaak, a consulting psychologist with organisational performance company The Human Edge, says this is also the case locally. "By learning how to speak and be heard, and encouraging others to do the same, people are able to make high-quality decisions, uncover the best ideas and then act together on the idea."
Here is Grenny's advice on how to tackle difficult issues at work:
- Earn the right to ask for difficult things, it is easier to negotiate a fairer workload if you have a reputation as a hard worker,
- Don't begin with complaints, rather start by saying: "I am concerned about how much work I have, but I do want to help our team meet its goals. I don't want to make changes to my workload that will make it more difficult for you.",
- Be factual rather than making broad generalisations that will make your team members feel defensive,
- Be clear about your non-negotiables - such as family commitments you won't compromise on,
- Make suggestions on how you can make this work for your boss,
- Ask for feedback from your boss or teammates - most people will be happy to listen to contradictory opinions as long as they get a chance to share their opinions too.
Source: Times Live
