By Erica North, Talent Management Consultant with Performance Impacts
May 20, 2020
The true test of leadership is successfully steering an organization through a major crisis while maintaining the confidence and commitment of employees. Here are some ways that resilient leaders guide their team past fear and toward success.
HAVE A GOOD COMMUNICATION PLAN
Explain challenges and solutions. It is important that your employees have a shared understanding of the organization’s problems and the fixes that are needed. Address employee concerns and encourage everyone to focus on what they can control. If a furlough, pay cut or lay-off is required, be transparent about what is happening. Talk about what to expect when going through stages of transition, how work will be distributed and discuss the possibility of future actions.
HELP EMPLOYEES DEVELOP RESILIENCY
Another tactic that can help employees move forward during a crisis is offering lessons in resiliency. Stephen Covey’s “Circle of Control and Influence” is a useful tool to encourage your employees to be proactive and focus their energy on actions within their circle of control and influence. Individual coaching conversations are also extremely useful in building resiliency. These guided discussions should be focused on recent successes, challenges, actions taken, as well as what they have learned during the crisis that they can still apply when things get back to normal.
HOLD ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE MORALE
Share the vision for the future and connect each employee to the organization’s goals. Offer career development, provide coaching, and encourage mentorship programs. Recognize successes. During cutbacks, helping employees feel valued strengthens morale. Share wins, success stories and recognize and thank employees for their contributions. And finally, don’t forget fun! Play, novelty, humor and laughter reduce tension and stress. Easy and inexpensive activities — manager-chef pancake breakfasts, afternoon surprise treats, potluck lunches, dress down days, pet days, amusing contests — can unite your team and generate creative energy.