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Tuesday, November 5th, is an inflection point. It is the eye of this election season’s storm, a moment of individual action (voting or not) and relative calm amidst the swirling chaos leading up to this election and the lack of closure that will likely follow. Whatever the outcome, this election represents change, and managing change is hard.
It won’t come as a surprise that both productivity and a feeling of well-being have declined over the past few months. BetterUp’s workforce analysis and survey project, The Centered Organization: From Polarization to Performance, quantifies dips in productivity, well-being, focus, belonging, and team cohesion because of political tension in the workplace. The attendant cost of lost productivity due to political tension is quantifiable, with a run rate of between tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars each week, depending on the size of your organization.
The BetterUp report summarizes the big picture. Now, let’s focus on you. As a manager and leader, your team will look to you to manage this moment, connect your team, and serve as a role model for the future. Prioritizing your actions in three focus areas, Nourish, Nurture, and Nudge will help you remain organized and address your and your team’s well-being and productivity in this time of change.
Before delving into tactics, a word about communication. In times of uncertainty, we crave reassurance and space to process how macro events affect us personally. As a leader, take time to be deliberate and available; these actions support your reliability as a leader. Overcommunication will pay off, even if there is little to say. Hold 5–10-minute daily check-in bursts to take your team’s temperature and offer support.
Connect with what’s good. Reinforce the positive outcomes you and your team can control. Connect your work with specific and positive customer or constituent experiences and recognize team members for their part in creating that outcome.
NOURISH
Humans, even introverts, are inherently social beings. For a day or two after the election, slow down the pace by scheduling a group breakfast or lunch. Providing a place and space, virtually or in person, to gather and share a meal connects us and helps dispel loneliness.
Nourish also means creating space for connection and conversation. Focus efforts with time-specific open-ended questions: How are we feeling today? What do you want to accomplish today? Up the energy level with a quick improvisational theater exercise to get people laughing and release stress. Confetti has easy and fun team games.
NURTURE
The day of and the days after the election will likely be low-productivity days for your team. Repurpose this time for collaborative group work to occur. A one-day team ideation session is a good vehicle for creating deeper team connections and getting work done. Identify a business challenge and gather the team to generate ideas that will have a high impact and are doable with the available resources. During uncertain times, generating ideas and action plans creates control, a feeling of ownership, and a path forward.
This exercise serves two purposes: first, to ramp up productivity during a lull time, and second, to shift your team members into a future-focused mindset.
NUDGE
The return to productivity may require a different approach. In your 1-1 or team meetings, narrow the focus to micro goals; what needs to happen before the end of November? What are the specific end-of-year deliverables, and who owns which delivery piece? How can you support each team member?
Focus team meetings on what each person will accomplish that day and who can help them rather than on report outs and project status. Your team will likely need a jumpstart, and this approach will help create momentum out of stasis.
Finally, as you make space for your team, do the same for yourself. As a role model, be as transparent as is comfortable and appropriate about where you are and what you expect. The bottom line is that in uncertain times, stability is created when we come together and forge a shared path forward.
There may be no facts about the future, but we can create a stable and supportive work environment focused on improving the day-to-day lives of our employees, clients and constituents.
And the beat goes on…
If you know or have a young person starting out in their career, or if you hire them, this book is for you.
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