Managing your people through uncertainty
Mar 19, 2020
The world is currently facing uncertainty, and with thanks to social media, unprecedented global coverage of the global situation. There are a number of steps that our governments are advising us to take as individuals, but also as business owners in order to protect ourselves, our clients and our people. Our firm experience has seen us walk with business owners through similar global and financial events, and it is this experience that we want to share with you.
Here are some key tips to managing your people through uncertainty:
Communicate, communicate, communicate.
People are scared and uncertain. Now is the time to keep your staff in the loop as much as you can. Ensure you communicate the key messages (these may be changing daily) in a timely manner, and in a way that works for them. Remember that email isn’t always the best communication tool (tone and emotion are left to the interpretation of the reader!). Be concise and clear.
Provide the right kind of information
The global and local situation is changing daily, and it can be very easy to get sucked into news stories, social media and potentially fake news. Provide resources and support to your people with quality information that they can rely on if they need it, or their customers need it!
Remember the humanity
We are all in this together, and we all need to remember that behind each smile there could be anxiety and fears. There will be tough decisions that need to be made before we come out the other side of this - none of these come easy. So above all, remember that on the other side of these decisions is a real person walking their own journey out too.
Find the positive
There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty out there at the moment and it can be easy to feel this weighing heavy on our shoulders. It’s important, with the possibility for some of self-isolation, that you take measures to address mental health for you and your team.
Take steps like making counselling services available (check out online services), or have a mechanism for your people to raise their hand if they need help. Things like walks outside (refer to Ministry of Health guidelines), encouraging positivity in the workplace (even remotely!) and fostering a culture of gratitude all help!
