You’ve made a decision that impacts your team.
Some people are happy with it. Others have concerns. You’ve explained your thinking, but you can feel the frustration building.
To you, the decision makes sense. So why are they still questioning it?
One thing worth considering is that they may be evaluating the same information differently.
One person might be starting with the facts and the logic. Someone else might be starting with the people who will be affected.
And if they’re each waiting for the other person to see what seems obvious, it’s easy to get stuck.
What do your team look at first?
Some of us begin by looking at a decision objectively.
- What are the facts telling us?
- Does this make sense?
- What principles are guiding us?
- Are we applying the same standard to everyone?
There’s a need for the reasoning to hold together. For the decision to be consistent with the standards we’ve agreed.
Others begin with values and the impact on people.
- What matters most here?
- Who will this affect?
- What is particular to this situation?
- How will the decision affect trust and relationships?
They may be thinking about the person whose circumstances are different. Or the small group who will carry more of the impact than everyone else.
So, while one person is asking, “Are we treating everyone consistently?”, another may be asking, “Have we considered what this means for these particular people?”
Both questions deserve some attention.
We can consider all these things. But we tend to start in one place more readily than another.
And that starting point can shape what we need to understand before we feel comfortable with a decision.
When the same decision raises different concerns within the team
Imagine you’re introducing a new working arrangement across your team.
You’ve explained what will change and why. One team member feels reassured by the clear reasoning and the fact that the same approach will apply to everyone.
Another is concerned about the additional pressure it could put on a few people whose circumstances are different.
One keeps coming back to consistency.
The other keeps coming back to individual circumstances.
They’re discussing the same arrangement, but each is looking for something different to be considered before they feel comfortable with it.
That can become frustrating for everyone.
Someone may feel their reasoning is being dismissed.
Someone else may feel that an important impact hasn’t been heard.
As the leader, it can help to pause and ask what each person needs you and their colleagues to understand. You may find that you’ve given more attention to one perspective because it’s where you naturally start too.
Start by noticing yourself, as the leader
The first place to begin is with your own response.
When a decision needs to be made, where does your attention go first?
Do you want to:
- Establish the facts?
- Check the logic?
- Make sure the same standards apply?
Or do you find yourself thinking about:
- What matters most?
- Who will be affected
- What might happen to relationships afterwards?
Notice that starting point. It may make some concerns easier for you to recognise than others. Then consider what else needs your attention.
You can begin to build the same awareness within your team.
Listen to the questions people ask and the concerns they return to. Give them space to explain what matters to them and help their colleagues hear it too.
This won’t mean everyone agrees with every decision. But bringing these perspectives into the conversation can help you make a more balanced decision and reduce some of the resistance and frustration around it.
So, the next time your team responds differently to the same information, pause before going back over the explanation.
What is each person paying attention to? And what might you need to bring into the conversation so that both perspectives are considered?
As always, stay connected. Especially to yourself.
Want to know more about how different people think, and how to support your team with this subject? Check out the Team Development Workshop.
