It must be completed by this Friday! No Extensions! Not even a single day! Replied the Project manager as he adjusted his thick glasses on his nose. He looks frightened, confused, and extremely upset, constantly pulling on his left ear. She peeks at him and the sight of a near panic attack makes her regret the whole idea of joining the company a few weeks ago.
She takes the order, turns around and rushes down the hallway to talk to the team … To make sure everyone gets their deliverables completed by Friday. Remember? No extensions… Not even a single day! A few minutes of discussion, rather heated, with each team. After an hour, everyone’s convinced they’d have to meet their deadline.
It’s one o’clock in the afternoon. Everyone’s in the boardroom for the regular weekly meeting. The project manager looks around and with a smile on his face says: I guess we can consider an extension. How about two weeks?
Her jaw drops. But she thinks to herself: “This is not the first time he says one thing one minute and another thing the next.” It’s been only 4 weeks they’ve been working together but seeing too many instances of the “flip-flopping” behavior and unclear, confusing instructions makes her wonder if she can put up with this for the entire duration of the project.
We know how frustrating it can be to deal with a boss who is inconsistent, gives too many conflicting instructions or has unclear expectations.
On the flip side of the coin, if you have a reputation for being a flip-flopping boss, you’re creating an environment where people struggle to trust your leadership decisions. The constant change in direction is leading to decreased morale and productivity.
Are you at the Receiving End of Flip-Flopping Orders?
Next time you get hit with an urgent request from your flip-flopping boss, try the following tips and tricks:
1. Ask as Many Probing Questions as You Can Think of
Think outside the box and examine whether the need is urgent or even real. Ask your manager AND yourself as many probing questions as possible. For example, your boss might ask you at 6:30 pm (technically outside working hours and right when you were thinking of calling it a day): “Please send a meeting invite now, so everyone has it in their calendar for next week.” Start asking yourself these questions:
• “Is this a life-or-death situation?” The answer is likely no (perhaps in 99.8% of situations)
• “Is sending the invite tomorrow morning a risk to the project?” Most people are off work by now anyways. Sending the invite now or early tomorrow morning wouldn’t make a difference.
If your boss insists on his irrational demands to get something done, respectfully ask him to clarify the reasoning behind their demands. A situation like this can get abusive and emotionally draining over time, especially if you don’t set your boundaries. If he insists on following through with his demands, propose alternative solutions. If nothing else works, seek guidance from higher management.
2. Wait it Out as Long as You Are Able to
Taking no action when you receive unreasonable demands can be helpful, especially if your boss has a history of issuing conflicting orders. If you know with confidence that the situation isn’t a true urgent one, try to give it some time before you initiate an action. Think what could be a reasonable amount of time to wait it out: A few minutes? A few hours? A few days? The directions will likely change towards a more rational course of action, at least we can hope so.
Are you Guilt of Being a Flip-Flopping Leader?
We know that your intention is to get things moving for your project (for the most part), but the constant tendency to shift directions has the opposite effect. Even worse, the team stops believing that your needs and orders are legitimate. Of course, all of us have the right to change our mind, but we can’t afford to lose our credibility by doing that frequently and on no rational basis.
Try the following strategies to manage your flip-flopping behavior and encourage consistency at your workplace:
1. Self-Awareness is the First Step
Do you have a reputation around the office for being a flip-flopping decision maker? Have you observed that you’re making too many moves in various directions? Are those around you confused what way the wind is blowing today? Being self-aware of one’s own indecisiveness is crucial as it allows you to recognize patterns and motivations behind your behavior. From there, you can observe what triggers and situations lead to flip-flopping, so you can develop strategies to address these challenges more effectively.
2. Gather as Much Information as Possible
You can significantly reduce uncertainty and incomplete understanding by researching alternatives and collecting data before making any decision. The more comprehensive information you have, the more confident you’ll be that your decisions are well-informed and well-thought through.
3. Think and Talk through Your Decisions before Announcing it to the World
Brainstorming the options with the team is always a great idea to encourage trust within the team and let them know that their opinion matters. If time is a constraint, make sure you weigh the pros and cons of your decision, consider various perspectives, and anticipate potential outcomes before sharing it as final with your team. Thinking through your decisions and the impact they have enhances your confidence and reduces the likelihood of impulsive decisions or inconsistency driven by emotional or external influences.
4. Take Ownership of Your Words and Decisions
You may have a short memory and easily forget the things you say and decisions you make. When you document your decisions, you create accountability for your actions. Keeping a record of your decisions also helps identify patterns in your behavior and understand the underlying causes of flip-flopping or indecision to work towards more consistent decision-making in the future.
5. Reflect and Learn from Mistakes
Reflect on past decisions and learn from both successes and failures. Leaders who acknowledge mistakes openly and seek to understand their root cause can make more effective decisions, reducing the likelihood of repeating flipflopping behavior.
You can be at either end of flip-flopping, whether as the individual struggling with indecision or as an observing team member witnessing inconsistent behavior in your leaders. In either scenario, the repercussions of flip-flopping can be detrimental to trust and productivity within the team. Whether grappling with indecision yourself or observing it in others, addressing these tendencies is crucial to trust, clarity and enhanced productivity in your team and organization.
