What a difference a week makes! In just the past few days….we have seen the cancellation of March Madness, The Players Championship, along with several other tournaments, MLB Spring Training games….the postponement of the NBA and The Masters. Along with that, Disney is closing its parks and the cruise line, along with Universal Studios for the next couple of weeks……and the list continues to grow. Locally our church will be offering services on line rather than a traditional gathering of the congregation. All this is being done in an overabundance of caution in hopes of minimizing the spread or potential spread of COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus. Maybe your organization, has begun taking steps to help and encourage people on how to deal with what is now being called a pandemic. And with all these announcements, which seem to be coming hourly, also comes a sense of anxiety and even fear that develop within your staff and their families. So…..how do you as a business owner or leader project calm, confidence and reality in these days. Well…I want to take just a few minutes to discuss some ways we can be proactive in helping our employees through this difficult time.
Now…depending on who you, your staff and family are listening to….we are sure of one thing…..there’s a whole lot of information to consume both online and via the cable news channels. The first word that many are leading with is this…..pandemic! Just the sound of the word can produce fear. It’s defined as a disease prevalent over a whole country or the world; an outbreak. And we’ve seen enough movies and TV shows over the years to bring about all kinds of images in our minds as to what that can look like. Even as political leaders, scientists, doctors and others describe the virus…its symptoms and more…they end with words like….remain calm…don’t worry…and take precautions. Unfortunately….we as humans tend to go for that worst case scenario, no matter how calm someone may tell us to be.
So as you develop plans and strategies…or desire to speak with your staff or teams…you may want to consider these thoughts and ideas.
First….always tell the truth! Yep….the truth….the whole truth….and nothing but the truth. Do not be afraid to look them in the eye and speak the truth. But take time to think about exactly what you need to say and how you are going to communicate. Practice the speech several times..in front of a mirror or with your leadership team. Look carefully at your body language and the expressions on your face. These can show fear, uncertainty and panic….or a sense of calm and authority. But whatever you tell them……first and foremost….you must believe what comes out of your mouth….. beginning deep down in your own heart and soul. Most people have zero problem spotting fake…empty talk or lies. This must be a genuine conversation that is prepared and well thought out. And speak with a clear…calm…and direct voice…a direct voice that exudes empathy. People really do want to know the truth…even if they don’t like what they hear. Truth helps settle fears and allows them to prepare for what may be coming. Also…don’t soft sell it…don’t try and put a sugar coating on it…..or worse yet decide to say nothing. When you do that…or say nothing, people start to decide their version of the truth…or do what they think is right in their own eyes. And neither of these leads to a good outcome.
Second….allow them to respond. After you have spoken to the group, even if it must be done by a conference call, ZOOM, Microsoft Teams or email….give them the opportunity to ask questions…to make a comment or even pose a suggestion or two. Sometimes the “boots on the ground” may have a better grasp of how to handle some things than those in the C Suite. If you are doing this live….as they speak…look them directly in the eye….listen with your whole face….again watch the body language….and then think….think hard before offering a response. And again respond with that same clear…calm….and direct style. It goes a long way.
Third….”I don’t know”, can sometimes be the best answer. If you’re not sure….or you don’t know….say so! We in leadership, at times think we must have all the answers….right then and there. And when we think that way…..we tend to make up answers or soften the truth in order to help people feel better. Remember…as a leader….the words coming out of your mouth to their ears….well to them, its the gospel….its the truth….and can at times….un-intentionally become policy. Yes you want to be the one with all the answers….all the time….but sometimes…..and especially now…words like, “I’m not sure….I don’t know….but I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible with the answer”, go a long way. Even as a leader….it is more than ok to also be human.
Forth…..It’s ok to be afraid, but….courage is better. It is very possible to be calm…clear….direct…..empathic and bring peace to a situation….it’s possible for you to separate reasonable process and personal concern… even when you may be just as afraid as they are. There is a phrase that goes something like this…Courage is NOT the absence of fear…its pressing forward when you are afraid…the judgement that something else is more important than fear. In your position…you do know more about operations and the future. You do know more about the finances and posture of the company for both the short and long term. So….if they ask questions like…are you concerned….are you afraid? This is the point at which to express your conviction….”I, like you am feeling a lot of things right now…but we need to focus on things more important than how we feel…. we need to allow our gaze to be on what we can and should do….and let our glance be on our situation…..do this with assurance, empathy and confidence.
And finally…..the message must be consistent. Leadership begins with you…..but it is also expressed at many other levels within an organization. Make sure your message is clear….then make sure your leadership team understands exactly what you said and what you mean. Make sure they speak the same message consistently to all involved. And all involved includes staff, clients and suppliers. A solid…thoughtful….clear….and well communicated plan goes a long way to instill confidence and belay fear at the same time.
As a business owner for over 30 years, I can tell you first hand the advantages of responding properly…and the negative consequences of waiting too long or saying nothing. So…I hope this information has given you some food for thought and perhaps helped you make decisions now and in the future.
