Like many of you, we are adjusting to a new normal here at Spectacular at Work as Chicago is a “shelter in place” locale since the start of the week. As we deal with the ramifications, we are also dealing with the professional fall-out. Being spectacular at work has rarely been so important
Many of our clients are fortunate and can continue to run their business remotely, but the transition to fully remote does not happen simply. Leaders and managers are looked-to more than ever, in ways clear and explicit and also implicitly. Your colleagues may need help developing new ways of working and new processes. They may tell you this, or they may not. They may not know that things need to change or how to ask.
Your team members may also need help managing the influx of new feelings and stressors that all of this may bring. Ask how they are doing. Check-in with them. Share something about how things have changed for you and what you are concerned about. Let them know it is ok to be concerned and that you get it. Many of them will be concerned that they are going to lose their job soon. It’s hard to be productive when you are worried about losing your job and teaching your child common core math. (Yes, despite other prevailing opinions, part of a leader’s job is to support their people and hold space for their humanity, as well as their productivity.)
To help our clients lead through what can safely be called an unprecedented situation, we have been sharing something that has helped us – a managerial acronym coined by the U.S. Army in the 1990s to describe the post-Cold War world: VUCA.
Volatility
Uncertainty
Complexity
Ambiguity
This concept outlines the four distinct challenges we face because we often confuse them. Complexity is actually different than volatility, and uncertainty different than ambiguity even though we tend to use the terms interchangeably. But beyond that, VUCA helps us recognize and name the appropriate response to the specific challenges we face. Each word matches to a type of response that will help us navigate through these waters.
Thanks to Nate Bennett and G. James Lemoine for this graphic and HBR article from 2014.
Volatility is best responded to with VISION. Uncertainty with UNDERSTANDING. Complexity is best managed with CLARITY, and Ambiguity with AGILITY. Think of VUCA as a compass that determines what general direction to go.
We are talking to leaders every day and the conversations are all different, but the nature of each is the same: how can I help my people through these unfamiliar challenges? As a leader, there is much you can do. We have been recommending that you create some new (short-term) goals that allow you and your team to accomplish something immediately.
Paint a picture of what good looks like today, acknowledging the current situation and that your goals have changed for now. Give your team something that they can feel good about accomplishing and that also moves you toward those larger goals, even if you aren’t going to make that year-end goal. Help your folks overcome complacency that can develop when your team knows that the major goals are out of reach (and so is their bonus).
This means you’ll likely have to take a step back, gain a sense of perspective, and re-evaluate your business plan. This is a good place to have a sounding board as you get ready to engage your leadership team in shaping the plan and message about what we can get done now and activating it across your organization. Doing this work with your leadership team helps them commit to the updated plan that they will take out to the entire company.
Be optimistic. Painting a picture through clear communication of how you and your team can make a difference will make a very big difference right now. Talk about what you can achieve. Help people feel proud of those things they can achieve.
As you set these new short-term goals, try and make some of them things that can be tracked and reported. Setting goals that allow your teams to track progress, especially as they adjust to new norms, will build confidence in the face of so much complexity. Consider setting a goal that tracks one of your company values. One of our clients has a value around caring for the health and fitness of their employees. They are working on tracking the percentage of employees who get exercise each day. Maybe your system allows you to easily track the number of distinct connections made via slack, email, or zoom, and you can reinforce the importance of being in this crisis together, supporting one another. Measuring the way that you care about your employees today reminds them how important they are to your company.
All this is to say, be prepared. Leadership is more important in a crisis. More will be asked of you in the coming weeks and months. If you need some help getting your thoughts together, reach out to us. We are here to help.