A member in Texas didn’t quite understand from where the confusion was coming. He had turned over management to his son and very capable management team, but his casual, even offhand comments created quite a stir. People jumped to take action on the founder’s comments even when they’d been directed otherwise by their bosses. What was going on?
Please tune in this week as Wayne relates the story of King Henry II and Thomas Becket (from the year 1170 no less!) and why you, especially as a senior leader, must choose your words carefully indeed when around employees who don’t know you very well. Please share with us in the comments whether you have experienced similar “10x power” words in your organization and what you did to limit “direction via indirection.”
2023 Boot Camp cities and dates are now available! The Contractor Business Boot Camp will take place in Dallas on May 11-12, Denver on August 10-11, Toronto on October 5-6 and Raleigh on November 9-10. Please contact Charlotte at ckopp@familybusinessinstitute.com for more information.
Ray Nunn says:
Yes, this was a great example. I’ve learned as a founder to take on a role of encouragement for my son – the CEO and his management team. I’ve learned to be extra careful what I say regarding my generation’s work culture, diversity, and ethics, because the younger generation is different and even something said as a joke can be misinterpreted. I think most founders realize all this, but sometimes we are not as cautious with our words as we should be.
Wayne Rivers says:
Good call, Ray! Thanks for adding your experience to the conversation.
Alan Mills says:
I love it, Wayne, great example. When you said you were going to talk about something and it was relevant to the Holiday Season, I wondered if it was people’s actions you would focus on, because these can cause good work and reputation to go flat like a deflated balloon.
The Beckett example though was lovely and to the point.
Keep ’em coming!
Wayne Rivers says:
will do, Alan. Thanks.