1. Uncover your intention (before the actual conversation)
Ask yourself “What’s my intention?” “Is it that you want to blame or you want it to work in the future?”
Take the time you need to process your emotions until you are clear that your intention for the conversation is
“I want to make it work in the future. I want to support this person to grow.”
2. Acknowledge what was agreed and what actually happened.
For example: “We agreed that this will be done by today and it’s not complete.”
Nothing more.
No story or opinion about it. Just the facts.
3. Ask “How come it’s not complete? Just listen.
Do not engage in reasons.
Just listen – it’s their experience and it’s for you to get that.
It’s not about how you see it should be done.
The intention of the conversation is to make it work in the future for both of you.
The intention of the conversation is not to find out who’s to blame.
4. Share the impact of incomplete work (on you, the team, etc.)
You can say something like “It does not work when we agree on something and it’s not complete by the time we agreed on, when you don’t let me (or others) know it won’t be finished. There are consequences:
- Everybody is expecting the release and I need to let them know in the last minute that we are not ready
- I need to have a conversation with my boss and explain how come this happen. I need to allocate time that I have not planned.
- It impacts the team, as we don’t deliver on time.”
5. Look at what can be done in the future.
Questions like
- “How can I support you?”
- “What do you think I can do differently?”
- “What do you think you could do differently in the future?”
Or/And requests like
- “Next time can you let me know ahead it won’t be finished on time? In the moment you discover it won’t be finish. And we can work together to see how we can deal it with.”
- “Next time can you let us all know during the daily?” And we can deal with it and find solutions together.
INCOMPLETE WORK CONVERSATION
CHECKLIST
1. Uncover your intention
2. Acknowledge what was agreed
3. Ask “How come it’s not complete?” And just listen.
4. Share the impact (on you, the team)
5. Look at what can be done in the future
Click here to download the checklist as a PDF and keep it on your desk.
Do you have questions?
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Please email me at andra.popa@leadersbeingheard.com.
