In today’s uncertain and turbulent environment, many of us are grappling with a roller coaster of emotions and an extraordinary level of stress.
The stressors can take many forms, from working from home (WFH) and adjusting to all the changes, e.g., caring for little ones without outside help, managing your children's schoolwork, to being quarantined with family 24X7 in a small space. Add to that the fear of contracting the virus; caring for ill family members; grieving family or friends impacted; dealing with personal health-related issues; feeling isolated or displaced.
I could list a dozen other types of stressors and complexities based on conversations with clients and people in my personal and professional networks.
It's likely that a combination of these stressful scenarios is plaguing you and your talent, employees, managers, and leaders at all levels of your organization.
In this article series, I lean on my thirty-year career and over twenty years of leadership experience in Financial Services and Technology to share and remind you of three valuable strategies.
My intention is to serve you to the best of my ability. And to help you to self-care, stay motivated, and get through this in the best way possible—we are going to get to the other side! What’s helping me cope is being compassionate with myself and where I am and taking constructive action while we deal with this global crisis.
The techniques I’m sharing will help you as a Manager, or someone in another leadership role, to improve the side effects of imminent stressors, and to care for and enhance the well-being of your most valuable asset, your people.
These time-tested strategies work as well now as they do during times of relative certainty in the socio-economic landscape. One could argue that for many, the “normal” work environment experiences significant internal and external changes, often with impactful and far-reaching repercussions to the organization and the livelihood of employees, e.g., M&As, restructuring, layoffs, etc.
So, regardless of the source of the turbulence, in the "new normal," practicing these time-tested tactics will help you engage with your talent, enhancing their overall experience, and helping them find meaning in their work. You will be supporting them to perform at their best and deliver results while enhancing your company's brand and your personal brand by gaining their loyalty.
As an employee, learning about what your Manager could be doing is insightful. As you learn these best practices, from a team member's perspective, you will also learn how to influence your team culture positively and how to keep up or improve your performance during times of change and in environments of high complexity.
Steer the Ship: Communicate Clearly
Across the spectrum of situations, poor Managers are ambiguous, don't have a precise measure for successful completion of projects, are unrealistic in their expectations, and are apathetic to obstacles that may cause delays.
Instead of inciting chaos, confusion, and at best mediocre results, I invite you to apply the concept of SMART goals when allocating work to team members. In other words, whenever possible, based on the nature of the deliverable, give them assignments and projects that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timebound.
The goal is to remove ambiguity and increase their level of certainty and competence, which takes me to the next point.
When assigning projects and deliverables, consider the team members’ talents and strengths.
According to a study reported on the Harvard Business Review, to get the best from your workforce, ensure employees are using their gifts to perform work tasks.
The study also found that when employees feel valued for their contributions, and when they understand the company's mission and how their work contributes to that mission, they are more likely to find meaning in their work and perform at their best.
This approach requires that you understand their gifts and talents and frequently articulate what you appreciate about their contributions and the big picture of the organization's current strategy and mission.
As their Manager, do you understand your team members’ unique value proposition? This may not be the case for you and many other Managers, regardless of your level in the organization. If you don’t, use this tool to get clear on your unique value proposition. When you learn how to identify yours, you’ll know how to assess theirs.
And are you clear on the current strategy? I’d rather err on the side of caution and ask the question.
Your confidence as a Manager and leader informs the message, words, and the style you use to communicate with your team.
To propagate more certainty among your team and help them connect the dots between the work they perform and the “big picture” of the organization, you must understand how their work fits in and share it generously with them.
What is your take on the importance of this strategy, communicating clearly? Please leave a comment and let me know.
If you enjoyed it, please also share this article with your network by clicking the three dots to the right at the top.
Don't hesitate to reach out for support! info@executivebound.com or www.callwithginny.com.
With love and appreciation,
Ginny
Are you struggling to communicate powerfully with your team and drive the results you want in your career as a leader? Book a complimentary strategy call today. I will give you my undivided attention and use my unique value proposition to help you strategize on the right plan of action that will support your specific needs and desires.
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About Dr. Ginny A. Baro
Dr. Ginny Baro is an international speaker & executive coach, and the #1 bestselling author of Fearless Women at Work. She is the CEO and founder of ExecutiveBound™ and Fearless Women @Work™ and the creator of the innovative and proven method, C.A.R.E.S. Leadership Success System™.
Ginny specializes in helping executives develop great leaders. As a career strategist, she partners with talented individuals who are navigating a corporate hierarchy or transitioning into an entirely new phase of their professional careers.
She has successfully facilitated leadership training and coaching programs for global companies with over 140,000 employees and delivered keynotes impacting international audiences larger than 7,000 people.
For over two decades, Ginny held multiple Director and senior leadership roles in financial services and technology. Her academic degrees include a Ph.D. in Information Systems, an MS in Computer Science, an MBA in Management, and a BA in Computer Science and Economics. She's a Mastermind Professional and Certified Professional Coach (CPC), accredited by the International Coach Federation. For more information, visit www.executivebound.com.
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