You may not have noticed but there are a lot of things that may be worrying your employees right now! Mixed messages are everywhere, and they will be impacting your teams.
The most recent ONS surveys showed that around half (47%) of adults in the UK reported they were worried about keeping warm in their home this winter and 93% said the cost of living was an important issue facing the UK today, closely followed by the NHS at 84%. For the full survey click here
It’s not surprising that people are worried, the media tells us………
We’re heading for recession – no we narrowly avoided it!
The government have extended the energy price guarantee – but your bill will still rise!
Companies can’t fill their vacancies – but I can’t find a job.
Inflation will reduce – no, it surprised us and increased.
…and that’s before you delve into the political landscape (which we won’t here!)
The point is that mixed messages lead to a lack of psychological safety, low motivation, worry, poor performance and a lack of engagement.
Whilst leaders can’t control all the messages people are receiving right now, they can offer clear communication at work, but how easy is that when they are subject to the same external and internal pressures?
Leaders who want their teams to feel safe and focused at work, need to think about how they respond to the mixed messages and uncertainty and keep their leadership tone clear, but how is that achieved? As leaders, we must be aware of how our own responses to these situations can impact the culture of trust, and tolerance of uncertainty in our organisations.
When considering how to bring a positive influence, there several things we can think about………
- Role-Modelling and consistency of behaviour – Be aware of when our in-risk responses are triggered – are we being more cautious or controlling? Have we become more withdrawn? Are we conscious of what happens to our leadership on a day when we are triggered and making sure we monitor and managing our responses to the roller coaster of news and messages?
- How does the external uncertainty impact our tone of strategic planning? Are we shifting from growth to risk management mode, or vice versa? Have we clearly explained any shifting in priorities to others, so they still feel aligned and trusted with reference to your plans? Are we translating this responsive shift in priorities in our conversations with prospective employees? Ensuring we are communicating honestly about the short-term realities of our business as well as the longer goals we still hold?
- Does the uncertainty and inconsistency make you more likely to keep more control and foresight over more detailed operation and decisions? How does this impact your deal with your teams around empowerment and involvement in decision making?
- Where is your focus, are you making sure to keep connected and listening to your people, who will have the breadth and depth of coverage across your market to provide you with insight on what is really happening past the headlines?
Knowing how you are responding and being conscious to target your response to how you want to behave, rather than a knee-jerk reaction is key to maintaining a culture of trust and connection.
The Employee Experience Project’s Culture Catalyst Map can help leaders understand what they need to do in their own organisations to foster a culture of trust, agility and connection. You learn more about our approach to this here.
New Starter and Leaver interviews from MI-Say Ltd, can help you understand how your communication is being received and perceived by people at a time when they are making the complex decision to join or leave your business. Learn more click here