Coaching cases · Anonymized actual case · Organization & HR
A place to begin
A SaaS manager explored the pressure to make every change convincing and tried conversations about facts, impact, focus and decision criteria.
IT and SaaS organization · office-based middle manager · changing strategy and team fatigue
The starting situation
Projects were interrupted and priorities repeatedly reversed. Colleagues questioned whether the newest direction would last, while the manager sometimes lacked a clear understanding of the reason for a change. Believing that trust depended on convincing the team, the leader prepared increasingly detailed explanations.
Questions explored in coaching
Coaching explored the expectation of always having an answer and the concern that visible uncertainty would appear incompetent. The leader noticed physical tension and the impulse to explain quickly when describing strategic changes.
The conversations considered how much uncertainty the manager was attempting to carry through personal confidence. What would it mean to be honest about what was not yet known while still helping the team understand the choices available now?
Practices considered
Change conversations were organized around what had changed, the impact on the team, where to focus and the criteria to use in decisions. The manager distinguished a long account of the background from direction that colleagues could actually use.
The work clarified implications for current tasks and decisions, and sought common language for judgment. Instead of trying to remove uncertainty completely, the leader practiced making the next practical focus more understandable within it.
What the changes invite us to notice
The account describes less repeated persuasion and explanation fatigue, with clearer focus after changes. The leader reflected on trust as something that could also be supported through usable direction, rather than only through appearing certain about every reason behind a decision.
A reflection for HR
HR can look at how senior decisions and their rationale reach managers, alongside communication skills. If authority to stop or continue work is unclear, additional explanation may not resolve the burden. Can the manager clarify what is unknown and carry the team’s actual constraints upward?
Questions about this topic
What leadership situation does this article explore?
A SaaS manager explored the pressure to make every change convincing and tried conversations about facts, impact, focus and decision criteria.
What practices does the article consider?
Change conversations were organized around what had changed, the impact on the team, where to focus and the criteria to use in decisions. The manager distinguished a long account of the background from direction that colleagues could actually use.
What can HR explore alongside the leader?
HR can look at how senior decisions and their rationale reach managers, alongside communication skills. If authority to stop or continue work is unclear, additional explanation may not resolve the burden. Can the manager clarify what is unknown and carry the team’s actual constraints upward?