START WITH HEART 31the fellow emphasizes the word very makes it sound as if he's
about to accuse Greta of kidnapping the Lindbergh baby.
The frightened manager continues.
"Greta, you've been at us for six months to find ways to cut
costs. I'd be lying if I said that we've given you much more than
a lukewarm response. If you don't mind, I'd like to tell you about
one thing that's making it tough for us to push for cost cuts."
"Great. Fire away," Greta says as she smiles in response.
"Well, while you've been asking us to use both sides of our paper
and forego improvements, you're having a second office built."
Greta freezes and turns bright red. Everyone looks to see what
will happen next. The manager plunges on ahead.
"The rumor is that the furniture alone will cost $150,000. Is
that right?"
So there we have it. The conversation has just turned crucial.
Someone has just poured a rather ugly tidbit into the pool of
meaning. Will Greta continue to encourage honest feedback, or
will she shut the fellow down?
We call this a crucial conversation because how Greta acts
during the next few moments will not only set people's attitudes
toward the proposed cost cutting, but will also have a huge
impact on what the other leaders think about her. Does she walk
the talk of openness and honesty? Or is she a raging hypocrite
like so many of the senior executives who came before her?
Will We Get Hooked?
How Greta behaves during this crucial conversation depends a
great deal on how she handles her emotions while under attack.
Sure, when she's giving a speech or writing a memo, she's all for
candor. She's a veritable cheerleader for candor. But what about
now? Will Greta thank the fellow for taking a huge risk and
being honest?