Leadership Tips

Trying economic times challenge the skills of even the most seasoned managers. Take a few minutes to review some of the things that you can do to help alleviate workplace stress and keep employees focused and productive during the tough times we are facing.

1. Pinpoint the sources of your stress. Just as a doctor can't treat general malaise, neither can we relieve nonspecific stress. Before we can resolve it, we need to identify the specific cause(s) of our stress. While there may be many sources, focusing on one may have positive and restorative effects on the others. One tool I often use with clients to identify specific stressors and to leverage stress management strategies that have worked for them in the past is the StressMap
2. Put on Fresh eyes.
Often, under stress, we think if we just do more of what we've been doing but do it better, we'll solve our problem. Not so. What we've been doing is what got us here in the first place (along with a whole lot of other contributing factors, many of which were outside of our control). We've never seen times like this so we need to be willing to let go of what we already know, relinquish sacred cows and create the future. Taking a look at the situation as if you have just been hired into the organization and are seeing it for the first time helps you separate yourself from feelings of failure or blame for the current situation and allows you to see possibilities for solutions that aren't attached to history. Seeing both the problem and your resources will allow you to see solutions with a fresh perspective.
3. Tell it like it is. Be honest and open in your communication with employees. Let them know the magnitude of the challenges that you are facing together. Don't try to protect or shield employees from the truth. Hold regular meetings to give factual updates on the situation and take proactive measures to deal with rumor control. Employees who know the facts spend far less time and energy worrying, and more time offering practical solutions.
4. Listen carefully to your employees. Listen to learn and understand your employees' perceptions and their feelings. Plant the seeds of information that you want passed along into the grapevine. Pay attention to the rumor mill and set the record straight promptly when you hear information that isn't true. Understand and empathize with feeling of fear and anger, but continue to hold employees accountable for results. Allowing them to stay stuck in negative emotions does not serve them, you or the organization.
5. Set clear challenging goals. During these uncertain times, people feel a great loss of control which leads to fear and lack of productivity. There's lots of 'wheel spinning' going on when people feel the need to be busy but they aren't quite sure what to do. Giving people concrete goals to work toward can serve as a great motivator. It can give them a greater sense of control and power which catapults them into greater creativity and productivity.
6. Involve employees in problem-solving.Empower employees by asking them for problem-solving ideas. The people closest to the work often have the best ideas about how to re-engineer it. Create small task force teams. Not only is working in small teams energizing, it gives employees a focused goal and requires they be accountable to others. And, this is no time for ego. Internal customers often have suggestions for how other groups can improve their processes. Invite them to approach the process with the same fresh eyes that were described above. Insist on clear conclusions, and hold the teams responsible for implementing their own decisions.
7. Be decisive. This is no time to be wishy-washy! Strong leadership in tough times makes people feel safe and more secure. Leaders who pretend that nothing is wrong or continue along, business as usual do not inspire trust in their employees. Nor do leaders who prolong the inevitable because they don't have the stomach to communicate bad news. The sooner and the more clearly people hear what's going on, the sooner they can get into action! People expect action and reaction when times are tough, so act decisively. Be radical. Take some risks. Do something!
8. Be true to your vision and values. As you make the difficult decisions and take the actions you must take, do it in a way that is consistent with your vision and values. If valuing employee development and integrity are two of your cornerstones, let those values be your guide as you implement restructuring plans. Treat people who are impacted adversely with dignity. Be straightforward, do what you say you will do, offer opportunities for people to have closure and to get assistance moving on. Be empathic toward the 'survivors'. While relieved to still be employed, survivors often feel sad and guilty about their colleagues' fate. Allow them these feelings while expecting them to be productive. Managers who walk their talk, especially in tough times, experience less productivity loss caused by internal criticism, are in a better position to re-hire past employees and will be seen as an employer of choice when the good times return.
9. Stay focused on talent development. Training and other human resource initiatives are often among the first budget items to feel the ax when times get tough. It can take real courage and leadership to invest in talent at this time. Continue to invest in your organization and continue to deliver the programs and strategies that help your organization transform itself during today's economic slowdown.
10. Believe that you can succeed. As Henry Ford said, "Whether you believe you can or can't, you're right." What we believe shapes our actions. A positive outlook results in our doing success oriented things, while a pessimistic outlook causes us to give up and fail. Sometimes all we have is faith. Share your optimism and your belief in the company, its people and its future even though you can't be sure what it will look like. You may not be able to predict next week, let alone next year, but if you believe that together you can work toward a positive outcome and you communicate that belief, you'll be in a better position to make it happen.

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Want more help managing personal stress and minimizing it for others? Contact us at (781) 453-2211 so that we can discuss your next steps.