With tensions running high in the wake of a traumatic IT overhaul earlier this year, Steve Pickering, the ‘unorthodox’ CEO of South East independent bed retail chain Sussex Beds, decided to clear the air by formally recognising the validity of his employees’ emotions …
On May 2nd, 2024, at 18:00, I called a meeting with my leadership team. Dubbed the ‘Leadership Wellbeing Meeting,’ the objective was simple – to create a safe, controlled environment where everyone could freely express their feelings and emotions.
The past few months had been intense. Six gruelling months of preparation leading up to the go-live and switchover to our new IT ERP system on April 1st were followed by a month of post-launch stress. As teams grappled with new processes and procedures, we were all pushed to our mental limits.
Frustration, finger-pointing and blame began to surface. Accusations of poor execution and insufficient effort fuelled anger and annoyance. We were exhausted, and it was clear this needed to be addressed – immediately.
I set the following agenda:
Leadership Wellbeing Meeting agenda
Purpose: To allow the emotions, feelings and viewpoints of the past two-plus months to be shared and understood by all. To foster a better understanding of each other, strengthen our bonds, and learn from our experiences.
Note: These are personal feelings and emotions. Everyone needs to be open and honest. No personal attacks or blame – just feelings and emotions.
1. Leadership scorecard (biz and personal)
2. What went well during and after Project Mayhem?
3. What could have gone better?
4. (Around the room, individually) How do you feel? What emotions have you experienced over the past two-plus months? What triggered these emotions? How could this have been avoided, or what outcome do you hope for by sharing these feelings?
5. How do we build on this experience and become stronger as a team?
In situations like these, you always fear the worst – outbursts, arguments, confrontation. But there was none of that. The atmosphere was calm, and everyone offloaded their frustrations, leading to a mutual understanding.
I believe no-one can argue with how something makes you feel. It might not have been intended, but that’s beside the point. The feeling or emotion is the person’s interpretation of your action or inaction.
The result of the meeting was an understanding of each other’s perspectives and feelings. There were a few tears and a few apologies. The air was cleared, and we are now ready to face the next challenge.
Do you have tensions within your team that need addressing? How do you handle conflict in your organisation?
Discover more of Steve’s thoughts in his blog.
