"I Think We Have an Issue" - Delivering unwelcome messages

I Think We Have an IssueDelivering unwelcome messages

Fiona CharlesEuroSTAR WebinarFebruary 11, 2014

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The Vasa

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January 1625: King Gustavus II Adolphus signed a contract for the design and construction of a warship he intended to be the showpiece of the Swedish navy

400 men worked for more than 3 years to build the ship – at huge cost; 1000+ oaks were felled…

August 1628: setting out on her maiden voyage with much fanfare, the Vasa capsized and sank to the bottom of Stockholm harbour, where she remained until finally lifted in 1961

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We’ll never know who knew what (and when), and whom they told during that 3-year project

About the top-heavy design of the Vasa

About the ongoing impacts of changing requirements in a project with a fixed launch date

We do know that a standard stability test conducted shortly before the launch had to be abandoned because it was unsafe to continue

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Why was the unstable Vasa launched on schedule?

Could it have been because nobody dared deliver this unwelcome message to the person(s) with authority to make the right decision?

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Who dares tell the King…

President or Prime MinisterCEO

Executive Project Sponsor

Customer

?

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As project managers, testers (& test leads), and consultants, we are paid to tell the truth as we see it.

But what we see as evident fact can be unwelcome news to the powerful people who need to hear the message.

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Few managers want to hear news that:

A project is failing

The quality of a critical system threatens a planned launch

Bad news like this can be threatening to the recipient

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What happens

when people

communicate?

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Satir Interaction Model

intake

meaning

significance

response

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What the recipient actually takes in

intake

meaning

significance

response

•Message content and presentation (words, message, body language)•Relationship of speaker & recipient(trust, roles, power…)•Recipient’s communication preferences (directness, level of detail…)•Cultural differences (e.g., communication styles, accent) •Recipient’s state of mind •Noise, external distractions•etc.

Some things that can affect intake

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How the recipient interprets the intake

intake

meaning

significance

response

•Information taken in•Information recipient supplies to fill gaps in the message•Relationship & history with speaker•Experience with analogous situations •Recipient’s political agenda•Upbringing, background, personality•Prior knowledge, preconceptions, assumptions•etc.

Many things can influence interpretation, including the recipient’s past experiences and hopes or plans for the future

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How the recipient feels about his/her interpretation of the intake

intake

meaning

significance

response

•Relationship of speaker & recipient(trust, roles, history, power…) •Recipient’s state of mind, self-esteem•Corporate, project, & personal history and current situation•Recipient’s political agenda•Risks and opportunities posed by the message: to the recipient and/or other people or entities•How the recipient feels about his/her feelings•etc.

Past experiences and current concerns can influence the

recipient’s feelings

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How the recipient responds

intake

meaning

significance

response

•Relationship of speaker & recipient(trust, roles, history, power…) •Presence or absence of other people•Significance of the message to the recipient (and feelings about those feelings)•Recipient’s communication preferences•Recipient’s personal rules •Recipient’s personal or political agenda •etc.

Some things that can influence a response

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A meeting will consist of many such interactions

You can’t control the other person’s part

But by working to make your own part go well, you can have a positive influence on the whole interaction

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Prepare

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I keep six honest serving-men

(They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.

Rudyard KiplingThe Elephant's Child

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What is the message?

Why do you want to deliver this message—or feel you must?

Who should you talk to?

When and where should you have the conversation?

How are you going to say it?

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People

(Why & Who)

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Your own motives and objectives

Why do you believe you should deliver this message?

What good outcome do you want to enable?

What bad outcome do you want to prevent?

What are the risks to the organization or project

If you don’t deliver this message?

If you do deliver the message?

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Your risks could include:Credibility Professional reputationPosition in the organizationAmour propre/confidence

What could you stand to lose from delivering this message badly (or at all)?

Or from NOT delivering this message?

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Who is the right recipient for your message?

Who is the decision-maker who really needs to hear this?

Is that the person you should talk to?

Most likely to be receptive

Next person up the chain

Go directly to the top?

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What is this person’s relationship to you?

In the hierarchy

Previous interactions and observations

Mutual trust and credibility

Power

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Things you know about this person that could help you prepare for the meeting

Motivations

Expectations of others

Integrity

Political agenda, aspirations

Personality type

Listening style and attention span

Preferred level of detail

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What about the recipient’s risks?

How might this message be threatening to this recipient?

What is the risk if he/she doesn’t get the message?

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Setting(Where &When)

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Choose a time and place to optimize intake of your message

Scheduled meeting specifically for this

Quiet place

When you can be prepared

Not in a crowd, or in front of other managers/peers

Minimize chances of embarrassing or annoying the recipient

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Message(What & How)

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What are you going to say?

Know the essence of your message before you speak

How do you know you’re right?

Do you have a resolution/ approach to propose?

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What background could make it hard for the recipient to hear your message?

Previous knowledge or understanding of the situation

Conflicting information from other trusted sources

What background could you leverage to make your message more compelling?

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How will what’s already

known

or believed

influence what you say?

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Tailor the detail level to your audience

Sit in a chair or stand at a whiteboard?

A busy executive may give you 5 minutes

Have substantiating material in your pocket

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“Center, enter, turn…”

Problem-solving, not blame

Stay calm and matter-of-fact

Watch your body language

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Stick to facts you can substantiateDon’t offer opinions unless asked

If asked, either decline or be clear that you are stating an opinion

Be clear about any assumptions

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Responses

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Watch the other person and listen carefully

Choice of words

Tone, pitch and volume

Body language

Did you make your meaning clear?

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Remember that it’s difficult for the other person, too!

Bring out the positive in the interaction

Try to talk the other person’s language

Make sure you’re understood

Engage in dialogue

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Avoid getting sidetracked into defensiveness or blaming others

Ask, “Have I given you enough information?”

If you encounter anger or hostility, excuse yourself and ask to resume later

Stay in problem-solving mode

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Send follow-up email and request a response

Summarize conversation (& agreement, if possible)

List action items

Follow up

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Tips

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Risk assessment before you speakIs this message important enough to outweigh the risks to me?

Try to discern and understand the recipient’s background and risks

Remember there’s an impact for him/her

What are the risks of not speaking?To you?To the other person?

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Don’t wait till it’s too late

Nobody likes ambushTry not to surprise

Speak the recipient’s languageIf it’s $€£, speak $€£

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Don’t put yourself at a disadvantage

Try not to get into a 2 on 1 situation

Level the playing fieldConsider standing up to deliver

Use visual aids (whiteboard, etc.) Easier for you to focus discussion & reiterate important points Harder to argue with

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Build/preserve/enhance the relationship

Don’t corner the other person

Try to put yourself in their position

Seek cooperation

Keep conflict healthyIt’s a professional discussion of a problematic situation

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“Let me get back to you on that”

Table contentious items or those where you need more backup

If the meeting becomes heated, get yourself out

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Don’t accept responsibility that’s not yours

“How would you like me to handle this?”

Ask for guidance, not solutions

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Who might be an ally?Think about the “back channels”

Prepare the ground with regular communication

“If there’s a problem, how would you like me to let you know?”

In difficult situations, keep a log of significant events, decisions, actions

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Know your limitations/restrictions/legal rights & responsibilities

Whistle-blowers beware!

Ultimately, it’s not your decisionYou’re here to share your professional judgement (and sometimes to help put the decision where it belongs)

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Successful delivery of any message—welcome or not

Your message has been heard and understood

The recipient treats your message as valuable information for appropriate consideration

You retain or enhance your credibility

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Sources & Further

Readings

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Sources

Satir Interaction Model

Weinberg, Gerald M., Becoming a Technical Leader, ISBN 978-0-932633-02-6, Dorset House, 1986. (also available as an eBook from www.geraldmweinberg.com)

Dale Emery, “Untangling Communication”. http://dhemery.com/articles/untangling_communication/

Judy Bamberger, “The Satir Interaction Model”. http://sstc-online.org/2006/pdfs/JB1365Notes.pdf

Don Gray: 2 Blog posts: “Debugging System Boundaries”, “Why Don’t You hear What I Mean?”

http://donaldegray.com/debugging-system-boundaries-the-satir-interaction-model/

http://donaldegray.com/why-dont-you-hear-what-i-mean-the-satir-interaction-model/

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Suggestions for further reading

Communication

Karten, Naomi, Communication Gaps and How to Close Them. ISBN 0-932633-53-6, Dorset House, 2002.

Isabel Briggs Myers, Peter B. Myers, Gifts Differing: Understanding personality type. Davies-Black Publishing, 1980, 1995.

Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzer, Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when the Stakes Are High, McGraw Hill eBooks, 2002.

Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most, Penguin Books, Edition with a new preface and chapter, 2010.

Speaking Truth to Power

Norm Kerth, “Speaking Truth to Power: How to break bad news to those who can crush you.” Better Software, November 2006. Available on www.stickyminds.com

Elisabeth Hendrickson, “The Politics of Testing: Making conflict count.” STP magazine, January 2010.

http://www.stpcollaborative.com/knowledge/545-the-politics-of-testing-making-conflict-count

Fiona Charlesfiona.charles@quality-

intelligence.com

www.quality-intelligence.com

Twitter: @FionaCCharles

Images and text ©Fiona Charles 2014