When people push back on your pivot

Tap into what matters most and communicate accordingly

I remember telling my parents a full year before I left corporate that I was going to go off on my own.

• My mom was excited, although she did ask if I was going to get another job before leaving the one I had.

• My dad was concerned, and although he was an entrepreneur for 30+ years himself…told me not to do it.

I come from a collectivist immigrant family, so I cared to include them in my process even though I had made my decision.

When you’re an entrepreneur, this scenario happens with nearly every decision you communicate, and particularly with pivots.

Pushback.

Sometimes it’s gentle, sometimes it’s harsh. Sometimes well-intended, sometimes hostile. Sometimes helpful, sometimes…exasperating.

It’s easy to get defensive because pushback often hits us at our core, where we might have grappled with the decision or its impact ourselves.

Even while we say that no one else’s opinion matters when we are grounded in our truth,
we don’t live in isolation. Their opinion matters in that it’s a part of the system.

Pivotal leaders know that. They center their leadership on truth, while acknowledging that their decisions will have an impact on those around them - their direct staff, their customers, their investors, their advisors, their personal relationships, their community at large.

If you find yourself facing pushback even after centering truth,

1. Ground yourself in the truth. Turn inward. What was at the center of your decision? What evidence supported your decision? Staying centered translates into resilience to stand for your purpose, while still being able to hear others (whether you act on their feedback or not).
   

2. Categorize the feedback and your relationship with the person delivering it. In line with the 2x2 below - split by feedback value and relationship importance -where does the feedback fall? Consider working through this with a coach or another objective party if you’re navigating multiple relationships in your role.
   

3. Decide on a communications approach, and deliver the message. While the matrix offers direction on how to prioritize and respond to feedback, you get to decide what message you want to deliver and how. What values will guide your messaging? What will your tone be? What do you want to happen next?

So much of what I do with CEOs and their directs is to help them navigate decisions and day-to-day interactions in a way that honors their truth while:

• Uncovering blind spots,

• Removing barriers to progress, and

• Focusing resources to keep critical people engaged.

As the thought leader and decision maker, managing pushback to your decisions can take a toll if you fall into defense mode. Staying true to evidence, elevating oneness, and optimizing the resources at your disposal will give you the resilience and clarity to carve your path forward.

How do you handle pushback?

Reach out to Farah at info@coachingwithfarah.com for help in managing pushback.