A crisis
pressure-tests leadership and culture. Many new values are formed under the
strain, and employees gain new perspectives on their organization and its
leadership. Communication is the key to keeping them motivated and productive
in a season of enormous distraction.
The COVID-19
pandemic isn’t my first financial crisis. No matter how well you run a
business, external forces will test you, your culture, and your resolve.
Leaders are constantly processing the future, and our employees are watching to
see how confident we are and how clearly we see the situation.
So, what
exactly does “empathy” mean right now? It means focusing on goodwill and doing
no harm. It means prioritizing people and their well-being. Making decisions
that are in your employees’ and customers’ best interest. This may sound
simple, but it’s not always easy to execute. Here are some tips to help you
navigate communication in the midst of a challenging situation.
Let Employees Ask
Questions
Remember,
during a crisis people are scared. Actively listen to what employees have to
say. Even if you think you know what questions are on your employees’ minds,
giving them the opportunity to ask makes all the difference in how “heard” they
feel. Displaying empathy through solidarity can assuage concerns.
Seek
Opportunities to Learn & Grow
While crisis
can be detrimental to normal business operations, such as having to cancel
events, it can also lead to positive growth and learning. We are already seeing
signs of this positive growth and learning opportunity. Many companies have
leveraged their built-in virtual infrastructure and transformed massive
in-person events into virtual meetings to protect participants’ health. And,
while some may be concerned about how remote work and work-from-home
flexibility may impact business, research shows that there are a variety of
benefits when companies provide remote work flexibility. Those may include: an
increase in productivity, increased morale, less stress for workers, and lower
operating costs.
Build Trust
To feel
confident to act on your recommendations and direction, your team has to trust
you. Why is trust so critical in a crisis? Because, according to several
studies, the more we trust the people who are supposed to protect or inform us,
the less afraid we will be. The less we trust them, the greater our fears. To
build trust, communicators must manage expectations and communicate openly,
honestly, and often.
Arm Employees
with Facts
Knowledge is
power, and during a crisis information and events can move quickly. Educate
your team on the best ways to take care of themselves and others. Provide your
team with updated links to reputable sources with accurate and up-to-date
information that includes advice. Research shows, the more people are armed
with facts and understand what they can do to take care of and protect
themselves, the more they will gain self confidence that they can care for
themselves.
Challenge Your
Biases
We all have
biases. Some of them are conscious biases, because we know we have them. Others
are unconscious – we react automatically, without thinking. Biases are built
from our upbringing and experience. We can never eliminate them, so the next
best thing is to be aware of them, so we can ensure they don’t affect our
decision making.
Leading isn’t
for the fearful. How you show up and how you communicate can dissipate anxiety
and help your team be more connected to the purpose of your company and to one another.
It can also help them be productive while getting there.
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