Communicating About Controversial Leaders

How do you navigate leadership changes, even when the decisions make little sense?

Dean Heuman was recently featured on the Stories and Strategies podcast, where he and Doug Downs tackled the challenges of handling leadership transitions, especially when the choices seem controversial. Using the recent example of the Edmonton Oilers hiring a new GM, they explored the delicate balance between maintaining trust, managing emotions, and ensuring transparency. Dean introduces the EFA (Emotion, Fact, Action) approach as a framework for communicators to manage such transitions effectively, stressing the importance of addressing internal and external concerns.

When leadership decisions ripple across employees, sponsors, and the broader community – the challenges become intricate, and the stakes are higher.

Dean’s initial thoughts on this topic were covered in a blog post, which gained Doug’s attention. He then invited Dean onto his podcast.