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Managing in an Uncertain World

BY: Michael Stern 22nd November 2006


War and the threat of terrorism on Canadian soil, political uncertainty on both sides of the border, global warming, warnings of flu pandemics, and an economy at the tipping point. For a society that was supposedly at "the end of history" just a few years back, we seem to have no trouble finding new sources of anxiety.

Is it business as usual for your employees? I detect growing levels of anxiety in a lot of organizations. Security is being tightened up, more organizations are practicing emergency evacuations and lockdowns, and managers are receiving increasing briefings on everything from travel safety to the right way to wash your hands.

As the old joke goes, if you're not worried, maybe you haven't been paying attention.

Kidding aside, the new anxiety creates a growing problem for leaders. Keeping employees focused on their work and motivated to succeed has always been a challenge. Now the job is to keep your team concentrating on results at a time when individuals' concerns are increasingly turning to questions of personal safety and family security.

You can't tell people not to watch the nightly news. You can't assure them that the health-care system can handle a flu epidemic, that the oil is not going to run out, or that terrorists can't operate on Canadian soil.

But you can set an example as en enlightened employer who believes in work/life balance, takes time to counsel troubled employees, and reminds people that they're part of a team that will work, struggle and triumph together.

In times of crisis, it is normal for people to elevate their personal concerns over those of work. Whether they're conscious of it or not, tough times make many people more eager to smell the flowers, "seize the day," not let those extra vacation days slip away.

Now is the time to be encouraging employees to take their full holidays (and leave their Blackberries behind!). A week spent in the Caribbean or painting the basement can restore and rejuvenate, and help dispel the fears that gnaw at people when they're feeling tired and anxious.

An executive I know recently took two weeks off - for probably the first time in a decade. He confessed to me it was the best break he could have imagined. "I didn't realize how stressed I was," he told me, "until I took time off and discovered how great it was not to be stressed all the time."


Here's how to de-stress your team:

• Accept the new reality. Don't pretend it's not there.


• Remember that leadership matters. Now is the time to reach out, find out what your team members are thinking and feeling. Anticipate their concerns and show them a way ahead that allows both the organization and its employees to fulfill their needs and meet their changing goals.


• Know yourself. Understand your personal style and how you draw results from others. Make sure you adapt your style to today's climate and the needs of individuals.


• Find ways to help your employees exploit their individual strengths and interests more productively. They'll be more engaged and, likely, more effective.


• Make sure your employees have the tools to do the job. Do they need more resources, or more time? Stay focused on the goals, but be prepared to show increasing flexibility about how to get there.


• Be creative. Now is a time for innovative solutions, for work-at-home options and collaborative projects that enable people to focus on personal issues and still achieve their business results.


• Align your organization's goals to your employees' values. People want to be part of missions that have purpose and meaning. Make sure they understand why what they do is worthwhile and important.


• Take more time to celebrate milestones and achievements. Nothing succeeds like success.


• Remind your people of the resources available to help them deal with problems of focus or fear. Most large organizations offer access to personal-counselling services and stress-management courses, but few people take advantage of them. Remind people of the services that are available, take suggestions or more, and assure them that seeking solutions is a sign of strength, not weakness.


• Most organizations have drifted away from mentorship and on-the-job talent development in recent years. Consider bringing in coaches for key people, or conducting training to help your managers become better coaches for their own teams.


• Overcommunicate.


• Overcommunicate.