Calamities like the ones playing out at companies such as BP, Goldman Sachs and Toyota do more than just impact a firm’s reputation and bottom line. They also create a toxic environment and do a number on employees in terms of productivity, morale and sense of belonging. I can’t help but think of some of the middle managers in these companies that had nothing to do with the decisions that were made to create the chaos and toxicity in their environments. These folks are just coming to work every day trying to create a positive, productive experience, achieve objectives, do good work, keep their teams motivated, and lead their lives with integrity. They are caught in a storm they did not create and are are stuck in a sea of finger pointing, questionable decisions and actions, and damage to be corrected. That’s a tough, stressful environment to be in.
Can you imagine the questions these managers are getting from employees?
Is it true? What’s going to happen to us? Are things going to change? Will I still have a job? How could they let this happen? Why? Who made these decisions?
I also wonder what information is being shared “from the top” with these managers to address questions and concerns coming from employees? Is it “corporate speak” or is it direct, honest communication? It’s hard saying what’s really going on in these companies right now to make course corrections. Some will lead and learn from their mistakes. Some won’t. For those managers in those companies trying to lead I offer five tips for surviving corporate calamities.
- You are not your company. Just because your company is in chaos right now, you are the captain of your ship. Check in with you. Be honest with your employees about what you know and don’t know. Reinforce your values and what you are committed to during this calamity.
- Acknowledge the ebb and flow. During stressful times, productivity is going to plummet. Acknowledge to your team that you know people need time to process the increased stress. Create short to do lists with your team to continue forward momentum on your projects.
- Go have some fun. Take your team to a baseball game, or whatever, and commit to having fun—no talk about corporate B.S.— just fun.
- Allow yourself time to be “in it”—look at it, look at you in it, feel and observe the physical and emotional responses to the situation. For a range of reasons, one of them being fear, you may not feel comfortable asking your boss the questions you want answers to—that’s okay. Write them down any way. For example, consider this question.
Who or what angers, confuses, disappoints, saddens you and why?
___ because______________.
I am ____________ at ____(Name) - Do the work (steps 1-4) and creativity will happen. When you clear your mind of the chaos and toxicity from the situation, there is then room for creativity to happen. Options, choices begin to appear.
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Great points. #2 especially – small achievable goals truly helps. I do this even in my life when things get chaotic or very stressful. Works well. #5 — Work the steps is something that makes the others come to life. So many times people are looking for tangible quick relief. The tangible relief comes when you work at all the steps to finding a new way of working/living.
One additional step — have your teams dig into their strengths and who they are. If they have never taken a personality indicator, do it. If they have never read books on change, buy copies, everyone reads and discusses.
CONTEST – Have everyone search the internet for best tips on handling change and bring their favorite tip to the next meeting. Instead of trying to pump them all up and keep them up, have them engage in inspiring each other.
Change is happening all the time. People's fear of the unknown can paralyze them. Counter the fear with exploration, learning, and engagement. Here's a post you might find fun:
————————— http://katenasser.com/fun-facts-to-find-comfort-w...
Thanks again for this post. I will RT on Twitter.
Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach
Hi Kate,
Excellent point about having your team dig into their strengths and who they are. Thanks for the pointer to the article as well.
Cheers!
Melissa
Thanks Melissa,
Great tips.
on #1 : I think the Gen Y may take things less personal than the baby-boomers but they are also more socially conscious about brands that do not respect people or the environment. Word of mouth is key for this generation with 80% saying they buy after they receive advices from friends or followers . The implication can be dramatic for global companies as talent will just move to another highly responsible company and will switch to another brand as consumers.
I agree that telling the truth and shifting focus on strengths while telling people they can do something good for the team and the company is key for being more creative and less stressed.
Anne,
Thanks for comments. You noted, "The implication can be dramatic for global companies as talent will just move to another highly responsible company…" You are absolutely correct. I've seen top performers leave companies because they don't like how situations are handled. It's a real eye opener for companies to have their best and brightest say, "no thanks."
You make great points about GenY too.
~Melissa
Melissa,
Another solid post. I like the effort. It has me thinking about additional risks that I did not address on my post citing BP, and Goldman as poor risk planners. I think I will go back and make the update.
I think #1 is an excellent point for all generations. While currently Gen Y may not feel that attachment, unless all companies shift I think it will be a learned quality that they will pick up, so drilling it into their minds now is definitely a help!
In my experience I think managers struggle with ambiguity. When the bank I worked for was "merged" the situation was hazy for everybody, but the exec. team and pretty much on down the management line had enough experience with the situation to just tell everyone to relax… that nothing they could do or would do was going to stop the changes. The key as I saw it was that they maintained their own calm, even as their jobs were being made redundant and they were asking themselves the same questions they were getting from employees. So I think a suggestion for those in the management position would be to first and foremost remain calm.
Nice post!
Thanks Asaad! I appreciate the insights you added.
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
To answer your prior question, I am the Founder of Wisepreneur, and a regular reader of your posts. Thanks for asking.
Here's one thing I might add to your list. It's similar in spirit with your first point. Leaders should understand and acknowledge the affect corporate calamities have on people. Some times it's easy to get caught up in the numbers. We look at sales, profits, and market share. Those are just numbers.
At its core, business is about people … how we can help people. If we have a situation that is hurting people, then it is bad business and against the purpose of the organization. Instead of managing public relations, leaders should focus on their impact on people. When leaders strive to benefit people, then through good times and bad, it usually works out.
Hi Calvin,
Excellent. Thanks for the comments. You noted, "Leaders should understand and acknowledge the effect corporate calamities have on people." I agree and not all executives are leaders and they don't understand or acknowledge the effect corporate calamities have on people. I see it all the time. CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, VP – all these acronyms behind executives titles does not equate to leadership. There are plenty of companies that bring in a CEO to get short term results no matter what cost. Their actions result in complete and utter havoc on employee moral, but they please the shareholders. The board is happy and often clueless on the damage done to achieve those results. But people keep working for these companies because they have a family, a house payment, and change is hard. A lot of times it's easier for people to stay, do just enough, and do their best to NOT to let their company's actions suck the life out of them. I wrote this article for the managers that have to ask all the questions from employees about their CXOs actions and decisions. These managers don't have any leadership from their CXOs and are faced with still leading their teams. They're often doing the best they can with the little information they have.
Whew! This one is near and dear to my heart.
Tell me more about Wisepreneur some time.http://wisepreneur.com/
You've done a great job at putting together the site!
Cheers~
Melissa