We Got This! by Cindy Stradling CSL, CPC
Every business experiences challenges and trying times. These challenges help your business to grow and improve, but they can cause anxiety and uncertainty for you and your employees. As a leader or business owner, it is up to you to ensure your team is prepared for uncertain times and that they have confidence that you will come through the time as a team. Here are some things you can do to reassure your team when the going is tough.
- Tell the truth. If there are hard times ahead for your business, it is important, to be honest with your employees. While you simply may be trying to avoid having them worry, you risk losing their confidence and trust if they find out about the problem in some other way. So, as hard as it might be, tell the truth.
- Have a plan and share it. If there are problems, it is important that you present yourself as prepared to handle the issues. You may need to solicit ideas from the team to help work through the problems, but you should also present yourself as having a handle on the problem.
- Work the plan and update everyone regularly. Set metrics for measuring progress toward your goals, and ensure that these are regularly communicated with the team. Seeing progress and openly discussing setbacks will help keep everyone motivated and reassured.
- Be confident. Your confidence and positive attitude are your best tools for keeping your team motivated and bought into the plan. If you appear to lack buy in or have doubts, these will be contagious within the team.
- Celebrate wins. It’s important, to be honest about setbacks, but it is also important to celebrate victories. Taking time to notice these little wins along the way will help build the confidence and momentum needed to reach the big goals.
Whenever there is a hill to climb, someone needs to take the lead and scope the territory ahead of everyone else. As the business leader or owner, it is your responsibility to develop the plan and monitor the progress. With the right time and attention to the problem and the plan for improvement, you and your team will be ready to take on any challenge without hesitation.