I asked several of my colleagues a quick question via email the other day:
If you could give leaders ONE tip, suggestion, or piece of advice for leading their teams and organizations through the challenges we all face these days, what would it be?
Here’s what they said:
Susan Gerke, of Gerke Consulting and Development, said,
Communicate, communicate, communicate! People need to know what’s happening in the organization and they need you to listen to their needs and concerns!”
Trudy Sopp, of THE CENTRE for Organization Effectivess, said,
Self-manage your worries and anxiety because when this is over, they will remember how you acted in a difficult situation and you won’t be able to make up for any ‘unleadership-like’ behaviors.”
Eric Klein, of Dharma Consulting, said,
Reconnect people (including yourself) to a purpose which has enduring value. Coach each person (including yourself) and your team as whole to answer these questions: Why does what you do matter? (to you, to the organization, to customers, to the community, and even to the world). The answers will give meaning to the day to day challenges.”
Robin Reid, of Reid-Moomaugh and Associates, said,
Organizational values begin with you. What you do (or don’t do) casts a long shadow across your work place. People always notice how you behave.”
Jeff Freedman, of Clear Path Alliance, said,
Managing uncertainty and ambiguity, while staving off the ever present pressure to merely react, makes room for clear thinking and informed action to emerge. Start by asking your direct reports what they believe is in the way of achieving their goals and hitting next quarter’s numbers without imploding or derailing. Surfacing their concerns first makes room for high-impact solutions.”
Kathy Rippy, of Migliore Consulting, said,
Everyone is feeling uncomfortable and anxious about how things are going to work out for them, personally and professionally. It’s a great time to engage with employees and use their expertise to find new solutions. Be as open as you can about the status of the organization. Get as specific as you can. If you can tell someone their job is safe, do so and get that question out of their minds. If you can’t tell them their job is safe, let them know as much about the situation as possible – even if it’s that you don’t know what will happen next. These uncertain times put us all on the same page, whether we like it or not, because no one knows that is coming next. Use this time to find ways to fully engage your people and make them stronger.”
And last, but not least, Tom Crane of Crane Consulting said,
Without rapport…feedback is just noise.”If people do not respect you or feel comfortable in your presence, then it seems unreasonable to expect them to listen or care about what you have to say…or share with you what they really think. So – build the relationship by becoming a trusted coach.”
I find these suggestions have much in common. What advice do YOU have for other leaders right now?
