Question: How do you motivate people in an economy that is highly unstable and perpetuates fear? Answer: Encouragement, optimism and honest communication.
This may seem counterintuitive to task-driven managers who focus on the news headlines and the bottom number in their ledger. Granted, the economy is shaky and companies in almost every industry are either feeling the tremors or getting hit hard on by the financial power outage. Things have changed dramatically, leaving countless businesses thinking, "I have no control over this."
However, that’s not true. Sure, the market will go up and down—but obsessing over it only forces good businesses to make bad decisions. A prudent investment is to focus on building human capital and that starts with influencing your people to perform at a higher level. Try the following four steps.
Practice emotional control. It's easy to lead when times are good and business is flowing like fine wine. However, when times are stressed, does your impersonal autopilot take over and put the business process before the welfare of your people? You may justify calculated decisions by saying, "it's business," but remember: People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Client trust and employee loyalty are developed most effectively by those who can be relied upon to connect with others respectfully, competently and in a timely manner. How you connect with others when things are going well says a lot about how they'll respond to you when things are tough.
True leaders are able to execute at a high level because they can demonstrate compassion and understanding, while maintaining clinical objectivity. A key action step is to be sure to get feedback on how cool you are when times are heated.
Provide frequent updates. Many managers and owners create stress and resentment with those they manage because knowledge of company status is not shared. In the absence of feedback, employees will create their own interpretation of events—and it's often negative.
A great way to keep teams and individuals informed is to designate time on your calendar to share your knowledge. These updates should be initiated by you, the leader. They must involve honest disclosures of what you know, what you don't, what you can share and what you cannot. For example:
A colleague named Jill is a brilliant business-development manager. Recently, her firm was involved in a merger, and she was instrumental in the success and seamlessness of the transition. But, ironically, not a single partner on either side of the merger took time to meet with Jill regarding what role she would play when the transaction was completed. Jill inquired often and the executives, self-involved and ineffective in communication, never provided her with a solid answer. Then, when she gave her notice, you would have thought someone pulled the fire alarm as every big shot made desperate attempts to keep her aboard. But it was all in vain.
The lesson here is that the very effort of proactive communication is not only crucial for competent alignment within organizations, but it also can have significant impact on the retention of immensely talented contributors like Jill.
Become an exceptional listener. Getting people to perform in tough times requires understanding. A checklist for this type of listening includes:
- Encouraging others to talk—Get your staff and clients to talk about themselves by asking open-ended questions, such as, "How are things going? What suggestions would you give to improve our current working situation? What concerns or questions do you have that I have not addressed?"
- When others speak, clarify for certainty—You can accomplish this by repeating what people have said or rephrasing their message. "If I'm hearing you correctly, you're telling me that..." or "Let's see if I completely understand what you're saying..." Paraphrasing shows respect for team members and client ideas, and keeps miscommunication to a minimum.
- Eliminate distractions—Many leaders attempt to multi-task, which generally achieves little. It's important to show focus on those you're listening to by shutting the door, turning off your cell phone, turning away from your computer or forwarding your office phone. Let the person know that his or her message is valued and respected.
Many people believe that they are good listeners, but employee surveys often indicate very few leaders are exceptional. Amid uncertainty, people want information, but they also want ownership, value and, yes, even a little bit of therapy. Listen at a deeper level and you're likely to create more committed and confident performers.
Lead with (realistic) optimism. Leading in turbulent times can bring the sobering reality of negativity, anxiety and stress. It can not only turn careers upside down, but it can also take a toll on home life. And, while your employees want to hear the straight story with no strings attached, think about this: Would you rather follow someone who is constantly preaching failures and bad luck or someone who is persistent in finding opportunity? For example:
Jeff is a long-time CEO of what once was a thriving bank. Recently, however, his branch has taken repeated, devastating blows from the swing of the financial market. He is a positive guy, yet in a conversation with him a couple weeks back, Jeff said, "It's hard to smile when you keep getting kicked in the teeth." Even so, Jeff remains optimistic that things at the bank will not only stay afloat, but rebound for the better—and he lets his staff know what he thinks. One of his employee said, "There is not leader I'd rather follow than Jeff. He's been supportive of the uncertainty and worries of his employees."
Attitude and the behaviors that go with it are contagious. Leaders need to paint pictures that are reflective of the truth, but they must also speak about possibilities. It's easy to get swept up in the bad news, but the mettle of our character is how we get off the deck when we've been knocked down.
Ultimately, in continued studies of how relationships impact business results, the need to establish and cultivate business connections is greater than ever. Remember, people think with logic, but they act on emotion. Motivating others requires action.
Joe Takash is the author of the newly released "Results Through Relationships: Building Trust, Performance and Profit Through People," as well as a business consultant and keynote speaker. As the founder of Victory Consulting, Joe helps clients—such as American Express, Prudential and General Motors—build morale, achieve results and attain profits through relationships. A syndicated columnist, Takash has also been interviewed in Entrepreneur, Selling Power, Crain's New York and MSNBC.com. For more information, visit www.joetakash.com or call 888.918.3999.
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