Wednesday, October 10, 2001
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Wednesday, October 10, 2001 |
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Leading your employees in times of crisis By GREGORY SMITH In the days and weeks since the terrorist attacks, the American work force has been on an emotional roller coaster. People have fallen to terrible lows of fear, grief and depression, risen to mountain top experiences of national patriotism, and fallen again. How can business leaders lead in the wake of this tragedy? No two people will respond to these events in exactly the same way. Some may seem unaffected, others may exhibit out-of-the-ordinary behavior, still others may react in dramatic ways. In offices across the United States, employees have walked off the job out of fear. One person e-mailed me and said his employer fired him because he failed to show up for work the day after the attack. The employee's excuse? He was depressed. What a terrible thing for an employer to do. Managers have a critical role to play in these uncertain times; indeed, how managers treat their employees today will continue to resonate tomorrow. Just as the United States is forming a strategy to combat terrorism, managers need a strategy for helping their companies get through the current crisis. I offer the following 10 steps, organized under the acronym TAKE CHARGE for managing, motivating and leading your employees in a radically changed work environment: T Target fears and anxiety. Employers who act appropriately and provide a supportive workplace will go a long way to improve retention and loyalty after work life begins to return to normal. A Accept the fact performance and productivity will drop. People respond differently in crisis situations. Expect to see lower attendance, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and requests for sick leave and increased absenteeism all normal responses. People will need to talk more, a natural aspect of dealing with tragedy. The more they talk the healthier the organization becomes. K Keep communication open. Information is powerful as an energy source. Meet with staff members at all levels to express grief, as well as to promote available resources and other services. E Educate managers and supervisors. Frontline supervisors and middle management are the backbone and the first line of defense. They should be equipped with the resources, information and authority to assist employees as close to the front line as possible. C Calm, confident and reassuring leadership style. Don't underestimate the importance of your personal leadership style. In times of crisis a heroic style leadership becomes important. Managers should attempt to compartmentalize their own personal fears and feelings. H Help those in need first. First and foremost, make no assumptions on how people feel in time of crisis. Some individuals may need professional assistance so insure they understand how to access the employee assistance program. A Allow people to display their emotions. People are as diverse as their emotions and they display them in different ways. Allow them to display flags, mementoes and other forms of patriotism. R Restrict negative behavior. Even though anger is part of this process, make sure you draw the line to prevent actual abuse, harassment and verbal venting of their anger on other people. G Get people to focus on a higher calling. The purpose of terrorism is to impact on the greatest number of people. When people go through terrorism it creates psychological damage on people's self-worth; it violates them and attempts to rob them of control over their lives. E Expect and plan for recurrences. With military deployments and the possibility of war facing Americans and forthcoming media sensationalism will further heighten the psychological trauma. Remember, in the opening scene of the movie "Gladiator," how Maximus rallies his soldiers with the words, 'What we do in life echoes in eternity?'" Well, the same is true in the work place. Your employees will remember how you treated them during this highly emotional time. If you want your organization to be a place the best and the brightest will want to work in the future, you must be very careful what you do in the here and now. Gregory P. Smith is the author of the book "Here Today Here Tomorrow: Transforming Your Workforce from High-Turnover to High-Retention." He is formerly a lieutenant colonel in the Army. He speaks at conferences, conducts management training and is the president of a management consulting firm called Chart Your Course International in Conyers, Ga. Phone him at 770-860-9464 or visit his Web site at http://www.ChartCourse.com .
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