Brain Basics for Business
How to motivate your team in times of uncertainty
How to motivate your team in times of uncertainty.
The problem:
The theme this time is similar to the last post. It continues to be top of mind for everyone, it seems. So we’re adding additional tools and science-based lessons to help solve the same problem.
That problem is that all the uncertainty is causing a lot of stress and distraction. With price variations, funding changes, recession fears, and the threat of much more to come, many people are understandably worried about whether their projects, roles, or even businesses will be able to survive into next quarter or beyond.
But work still needs to get done for anyone to have a chance at short or long-term success.
How do you motivate your team when they are distracted and distressed by all this uncertainty?
What to do:
SBLI has a new piece in FastCompany out today that goes into more detail about what to do, what to avoid, and why, but here’s the core message:
Meet people where they are mentally and emotionally before you try to motivate them to go in a new direction.
If you try to motivate them without taking this step there’s a good chance it will harm trust, by making you seem like you don’t understand their plight.
With such an uncertain work environment, people have reason to worry that they or their projects or roles are in jeopardy. As a leader you must earn their trust all over again, each time the ground shifts. They need to know you get it. Show that you hear and see them. Ask questions to ensure you understand their perspectives about whatever new challenge has come up. Once they feel heard and seen, that (re)builds trust, and opens them to following you.
The science:
When people can’t control an outcome that is important to them, they care deeply about whether they can trust the process that their leaders will follow. Research shows that this happens when people feel heard and seen. If you want to read more about the research, we go into it more in the article.
No matter how much trust you may have built up, every time the landscape shifts, the people on your team need to know you get it if they are to trust you to lead.
So… how can you meet your team where they are mentally and emotionally before you try to motivate them?
Register your interest in the Brain Basics for Business webinar series.
To inquire about keynotes, workshops, and group or individual coaching for leaders in your organization, contact: josh@sciencebasedleadership.com
Brain Basics for Business
Leading in times of financial and regulatory uncertainty.
Leading in times of financial and regulatory uncertainty.
Here’s one simple question that can make a world of difference.
The problem:
Across many industries, there’s a common theme I’m hearing from clients. With so much up in the air about prices, regulations, and government funding, it’s very hard to lead.
For example, Alana, a VP at an organization involved in scientific research leads a team whose entire business function could be disrupted or defunded depending on the changing prices of imports and changes to regulations. People on the team know that it’s possible, too, and are notably concerned. Walking away from their years of hard work would be heartbreaking. She knows that people on the team are losing morale, and are distracted, affecting productivity.
But it also may be that her team will weather the storm and stay the course, or may just need to be nimble and find new ways to make progress. With so much uncertainty, she privately feels she can’t even put a reasonable percentage chance on the different potential outcomes.
Somehow, she needs to guide her team to focus, lift morale, be adaptive, and pursue their purpose. Failing to do so will make their success harder under any circumstances.
What to do:
Here’s one psychological tool that can be valuable in any situation in which you are facing anxiety and stress due to uncertainty.
To step out of the distracting anxiety and stress from uncertainty, answer this question:
“What do I want to do now that is within my control?”
You might find it helps to substitute “build” “develop” or “solve” for “do” in your particular case.
Of course, it is within your control to binge watch TV :). So, just to be clear - we’re talking doing things that pertain to your and your teams’ professional success.
Alana, and you, can ask yourself this question when uncertainty is causing anxiety, stress, or distraction. You can also ask this question of your team members to help them in times of major uncertainty.
By no means are we suggesting this is all that is needed to lead in uncertain times, but it is one simple step that can make an important difference.
The science:
As SBLI’s Josh Davis explains in his recent FastCompany piece, anxiety and stress can be useful when applied to something specific in the future that you can meaningfully do something about. They help you prepare, plan, and show up with the right level of focus and intensity. But when anxiety and stress get applied to a vague and broadly uncertain future, they often lose their utility, and spiral into distracting negative feelings and thoughts. In that article, Josh applies the science and this question to the specific uncertainty around how AI may affect our jobs. But the principle holds for all forms of major uncertainty.
Anxiety and stress tend to be about the future. With major uncertainty, that is a future that is not meaningfully in your control. Feeling as though you do not have much control over important things in your life can be a major additional source of anxiety and stress. The question “What do I want to do now that is within my control?” refocuses the mind quickly onto the present and onto those things that are within your control. This tends to reduce anxiety, stress, and mental distraction, and helps you be more productive. By attending to what you want it also tends to shift the mind from what you are avoiding to what you seek to gain, also often helpful for productivity and boosting morale.
So… what do you want to do now that is within your control?