The economy isn't in the best shape. Maybe you've noticed. Your employees certainly have. The bad news—job losses, home foreclosures, bankruptcies and a tanking stock market— comes, in the words of Shakespeare, not single file but in battalions. And prognostications by economists (How bad will it get? How long will it last?) provide little comfort. "This has translated into less productivity at work," according to a CNN report, "because of anxieties about salary, heavy workload and job security."
There is no easy answer, no quick fix, no one solution. But wood flooring industry managers at every level—from manufacturers to distributors to installers—can do something to address their employees' worries and to rekindle their motivation: communicate.
This action can come in a number of forms. If time is tight, you might try simply giving a company-wide speech. Otherwise, try a more personal approach. Try addressing each department regarding their particular concerns. Almost everyone will be worried about furloughs or even layoffs. Workers will want to know if they'll have to take on more responsibilities after other employees are let go. If you have the time, try speaking to each individual employee. You don't have to answer every question right then; be attentive, but be sure you eventually (sooner rather than later) answer all of the questions. As you talk, keep the following in mind:
How to Communicate
Lead with the facts. Be as open, honest and forthcoming as possible. Give a complete account of the situation as objectively as you can. If you hold anything back or if you are evasive, you feed your employees' fear and compromise your credibility.
Acknowledge people's feelings. You don't want to turn your speech into a therapy session, handing out Kleenex and encouraging people to have a good cry. But if you ignore your employees' feelings, they think you're out of touch, or worse, that you don't care. Acknowledge their feelings in a general way, using broadly applicable words like difficulties, worries, concerns, anxieties or fears. Acknowledge what people are feeling and move on. Say, if not in words, then by your empathy, "I care."
Interpret the facts. In spite of what is often said, the facts don't speak for themselves. It's your responsibility as a leader to gather all the facts, come to some understanding of what they mean and share your understanding with your employees. Don't simply tell them sales have declined 30 percent; tell them what a 30 percent drop means. Help them understand what's going on.
Create a positive metaphor. "Yes, these are tough times," the manager at a defense contracting company told his employees, "but we've been through tough times before. We're battletested veterans. We don't give up. And we leave no one behind." That metaphor resonated with his employees and renewed their determination.
Make hope sensible. You can't counteract concrete negative images—homes being foreclosed, people losing jobs—with abstract positive concepts like perseverance and dedication. If you want people to believe in hope, you have to make it sensible. The best way to show people images of hope is by telling them true stories.
Be action-oriented. It's counterproductive at best to say, "You're wrong to think like that," or, "You shouldn't feel that way." You can't change how people think or feel—only they can do that—but you can change how they act. And by changing how they act, you create the possibility that they'll change their thoughts and feelings.
"Be the change you wish to see." The words of Gandhi are as true today in the business world as they were 50 years ago in India. Your employees don't simply listen to your words. They filter everything you say through their experience of you. Your actions, attitude, and interactions with them are the lasting message people will take away from your talk.
Say what you want and explain why they want it, too. Tell your employees in a short, simple sentence exactly what you want them to do. Then show them how it will achieve what they want. If you want them to work longer or harder or in a different way, you have to figure out how they will benefit. What's in it for them?
Tell the truth. You have to prove your trustworthiness. If you say anything that your listeners doubt, they doubt everything you say.
Don't go overboard. This isn't the time for pep rallies and rah-rah-isn't-everything-great celebrations—people aren't in the mood. Tell anxious people to cheer up and put on a happy face, and they'll be less, not more, likely to do so. As a leader, it's part of your job to rally your employees in trying times and point them toward a better future. There's no better way to do that than with wellexecuted communication, for better or for worse.
