What would you do if someone stated in front of a room of people that you and/or your team didn’t do what was expected on something?
Would you say something to defend yourself and your team or keep quiet? This is a situation that you may not have to face often, but when it happens, it is a bit of a defining moment. Most of the time it comes down to the level of confidence that a leader feels in front of the audience in the room.
If the leader has low confidence, they may choose the safer option to say nothing. However, there are some implications that can occur when that choice is made. The comments that were made will be assumed to be true, even if they aren’t true. Your team will wonder why you didn’t say anything to defend them and address the issue. Your management may question if you can handle difficult conversations and stand up for yourself.
If the leader has high confidence and calls out the other person, then it is important that they do it in the right way.
Getting defensive and pushing back may not be the best approach, or you may look bad in front of the group. Instead, you need to remain calm, comment on the facts that are incorrect, and provide the correct information to the group so there is no confusion. It sets the example for your team that you are a leader who stands up for them and it demonstrates to your management that you address issues head on.
Here is an example approach of how you could address it calmly: “It seems as if you have some incorrect information, we did deliver on time and received some great feedback from the clients that it was exactly what was expected.” Simple, to the point, and very impactful especially when you add that you received positive client feedback. You are also giving them the benefit of the doubt about the information that they received by using “it seems as if” at the beginning of the sentence.
How you choose to respond in these situations can have a positive or negative effect on your reputation and credibility.
Don’t let someone else throw you into a situation that causes you to say the wrong thing. Take a moment and think about the facts, then state them to the room. This is what a leader who is confident and composed does to increase their visibility in a meaningful way.