By Wendy Sheaffer
Economic unrest, nationwide turmoil and the ongoing fear of the pandemic have threatened businesses on many levels. For those who lead a team, it can be especially difficult to lead during this time, even if you have years of experience. While no one is immune to feelings of apprehension, there are ways to guide others through difficult times while minimizing crippling anxiety.
Knowing what to expect helps us feel okay, and its human nature, helps us look for facts during a crisis. Often times, when a company has poor communication, employees feel isolated and anxious.
As a leader, do your best to keep your team updated: tell them what you know and how you want to navigate through the crisis. While you may not always deliver good news, evidence of honesty and transparency builds trust, builds credibility in leadership, and creates a sense of camaraderie within a practice. Employees have to stay positive, but also understand reality. A true leader “keeps it real” and motivates his team to assert themselves. Help your employees understand the ever-changing conditions.
The best leaders are the front runners who lead their teams through the turmoil. Stay focused and positive. Maintaining strong morale is paramount - after all, it helped explorer Ernest Shackleton lead his 27-strong Antarctic crew through insurmountable obstacles in one of the most unforgiving environments on earth. Although he may not be the first to reach the South Pole, all of his crew survived after losing their ship in the ice. Fortunately, business obstacles aren't all that dangerous, but there is much to be learned from Shackleton's story.
As a guide, avoid making hasty decisions and making associations. Lead your team with carefully crafted short-term decisions to help overcome temporary rough spots. A good first step is to give your employees clear, actionable priorities in order to collect themselves. Second, listen to their fears and provide a platform for them to offer suggestions. As you lead them, walk beside them too - be sure to emphasize this.
It takes courage to be a good leader and it is important to keep moving forward. Standing still makes challenges grow and gives your competition the chance to move forward. Be ready to act and make decisions even when you don't have all the answers. Proceed with the information and data that you can collect. Trust your specialist knowledge and the knowledge of those around you.
Strong leaders help employees feel safe and secure in their professional community. Core values and a vision for your practice can help bring your team together and create a sense of unity. Empowering employees through their support instills a sense of pride and they will be ready to fight on behalf of the organization. Help your team come together in a way that makes sense to your business environment and daily operations.
All of your team members - from your technicians to your assistants to your office workers - are different, and their inherent needs and motivators should be assessed individually. Some may thrive in a strong social setting and prefer face-to-face communication, while others may prefer community but not necessarily engage in a public setting. The latter may feel connected to the team through goals, feedback, and news from other departments.
Personality assessment data can help you identify who needs what. In addition, the results can be shared across the company so employees can better understand each other and feel more connected.
It is not easy for anyone to live in a world full of uncertainties. While no one wants to go through life blindfolded, sometimes we have to deal with ambiguity. Life has unexpected detours; No matter how much you plan, even with contingencies, something usually takes us off course. How many of us expected a global pandemic around this time last year?
Strong leaders learn to deal with the unexpected. They examine the information they have in the moment and move forward. Some personality types find this easier than ...
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