The quickest way you can take an engaged high performing employee to the exact opposite.
Let’s face it. We’ve all done this.
Something goes wrong
A mistake happens
An employee “should” know something…but they don’t.
We do the one thing that has a lasting and detrimental impact.
We snap.
We talk down to them.
We take out all our frustrations with the problem on that employee.
And they walk away feeling:
Inferior
Degraded
Disrespected
Discouraged
Most times, that’s not our intention and nevertheless we did it anyways.
Your employee holds onto that.
They become fearful.
Their spirit is deflated.
With that fear their performance declines.
And then…their engagement declines.
Soon they are a shell of the person they once were.
Want to avoid this from happening?
Walk away.
Walk away from the situation.
Don’t respond immediately.
Don’t react immediately.
It’s ok to excuse yourself from the situation and ask for a minute to clear your head.
Give yourself permission to take that minute.
To give yourself grace to feel:
Angry
Sad
Frustrated
Once you’ve done that, then address the thing that needs to be addressed.
Remember.
Your employees are human.
You’re human.