3 Responses

1. Only way forward?

   Hi, if I’ve read your question correctly it is the managers who are not motivated and who disagree with the subject matter.  Correct?  If that’s the case why are they being nominated to deliver the message, can someone else be used instead?  I’d say you’re on a hiding to nothing and the potential results will be nowhere near what it hoped for or required.  Besides if the management aren’t happy how will the employees react?? 

2. the short answer is “usually…..

   ….badly."

   Enthusiasm is an infectious disease; it is not taught, but caught

   &

   There is only one thing more infectious than enthusiasm, and that is a lack of it.

   If a manager isn’t enthusiastic about something then he or she will almost certainly pass that on cynicism/lack of belief/lack of motivation to their staff….you only have to look at a large percentage of culture change programmes to see this in action.

   Rus

    

    

3. Bad news – there’s going to be a lot of it about

   Sadly, I’d say that following George Osbourne’s announcment about cuts yesterday, that in the future many managers are likely to be delivering bad news and messages they do not agree with. Rather than duck the issue, we need to be training managers how to handle these staff interactions in as constructive a way as possible. Such training could include, for example: preparing properly for the discussion, encouraging managers to ‘take ownership’ of the messages they are delivering, helping them to see the issues from another point of view, handling negative emotions and helping staff regain control.  By this last point I don’t mean that staff are able to overturn what are seen as unpalatable decisions; but rather that they are able to move from a passive or angry reaction to one where they start to make positive decisions (no matter how small) about how they are going to handle a negative situation.