All professionals face the prospect of coming under fire - mostly from clients, but also from regulators, media, the public, and government.
Perhaps scrutiny or criticism is deserved. Perhaps it's even long overdue. But maybe it's unfair, unbalanced, or even hypocritical.
Whatever the circumstances, and no matter how tempting, when you're put in the spotlight, it usually doesn't help to:
- swing straight into defence mode
- lash out with criticisms of others
- go to ground with "no comment".
Just like so many situations in life, when you come under fire, you may have little or no control over the circumstances or actions of others. What you can control, though, is your own reaction and behaviour.
Instead of letting unhelpful instinct take over, try this approach when you're next confronted with this kind of criticism.
1 Show you care. Express your concern. Show you understand - or at least want to.
2 Get into action. Explain the steps you've taken or the action you plan to remedy or mitigate the problem or situation.
3 Put it in perspective. Offer insights to place the situation in perspective. Give information which will help get things back into balance.
Here's just one simple example of how to put this approach to work.
You've been successfully working with a client for some time. But, just recently, you've missed a couple of due dates.
1 Show you care.
"I understand you're under pressure, Bill, and that you work to tight timelines. I recognise that when we miss a due date it makes things even more difficult for you and that you, in turn, can't report to your management on time."
2 Get into action.
"Bill, here's what I've done to make certain that we don't slip up again and that we meet all deadlines in future. I'm doing x and y. I also arranged for my assistant to do z from last week onwards."
3 Put it in perspective.
"Bill, you know how much I value our business relationship. Over the last couple of years, with thirty or forty deadlines, we've made all but two. Now, we've let you down twice in quick succession. I think that we've developed a great working rapport and I'll be doing everything I can to rebuild that and make sure there are no more slip ups in future. I hope you'll give me the chance to restore your confidence."
Rehearse this care, action, perspective - CAP - approach and see how you can use it to do better when you next come under fire. (It happens to us all.)
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