TSB 030: Handling Staff Rebellion in the Heat of the Moment

Read Time: 2 minutes

This week's tip:  As a follow-up to last week's session, we discuss real-time responses to nonprofit staff revolts. 

Last week, we talked about turning things around when nonprofit staff revolt and a few of you asked how to deal with things in real-time when in the moment. 

Here are some tips to get you through it.

1. Pause and Take a Deep Breath

When faced with a staff revolt, remaining calm and composed is essential. Take a few deep breaths to settle your emotions and regain your composure before addressing the situation. 

2. Ask the Group to Pause

Request a temporary break in the conversation to allow everyone involved to collect their thoughts and regain a sense of calm. This can help to prevent the situation from escalating further.

3. Affirm the Group's Ideas

Acknowledge the concerns and ideas raised by your employees with statements such as, "You are raising some important points. Let's consider all perspectives and make this a better decision."

4. Redirect the Conversation Towards Vision and Purpose

To diffuse emotions and refocus the discussion, guide the conversation toward the organization's vision and purpose. Ask questions like, "Before returning to the discussion about tactics and details, could we spend a few minutes refreshing our memories about the outcome we want from this discussion - why are we here now?"

5. Evaluate Arguments in Relation to Vision and Purpose

After realigning the conversation with the desired outcome, evaluate each argument presented in relation to the goal. This can help ensure that decisions made align with the organization's overall goals.

That's all for today. I'll see you again next Saturday!

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