Executive Housekeeping Today - April 2009 - (Page 6) frugal housekeeper As we look around us today, all seems to be gloom and doom. Recently, the news services have been announcing that over five million people have been laid off, factories are closing or downsizing, and it seems that for right now, we are in dark economic times. To the leaders and managers who must guide their operational units or departments, the “dark” days that we are presently in adds challenges to their leadership skills. When driving, a global positioning system (GPS) is beneficial in that it helps one to be guided to their final destination. Having used a GPS, I’ve found that it can be a wonderful tool to enable one to drive from point A to point B. The system enables the driver to concentrate on the road, and he or she doesn’t have to fiddle around with maps in the dark. The traveler can watch the guidance screen and listen to the sultry voice that advises you when to turn. Assuming that the GPS is programmed correctly and that one knows their final destination, the traveler can navigate the highways and byways with greater ease, less stress, and in a safer manner than using the standard map. The GPS is especially beneficial when it is dark outside and one is traveling strange roads to a destination that they have never visited before. The GPS guides the traveler step-bystep from the start of the trip until it politely announces, “You have a Lessons from a Global Positioning System: Motivating People During Challenging Times by Alan S. Bigger and Linda B. Bigger arrived at your final destination!” A search of the World Wide Web indicates that many leadership and management authors have been thinking about economic issues. When the economy is on a slippery slope and when spirits are down, how do we pick ourselves and others up, so that we can meet the ongoing challenges? Businesses still have to operate, and goods and services still need to be provided by employees who are working harder now than ever before just so that their organization can survive. Most of the articles highlight several points in common about motivating during hard times. Our destination for this article is “How do we motivate people during challenging times,” and hopefully provide some tips or guiding points, just like a GPS does: • Lend a listening ear: Now, more than ever before, the manager needs to listen to what employees are saying, not only to what may seem to be the surface issues, but also to the underlying issues. Roxanne Emmerich, President of The Emmerich Group, stated in an article for the Indiana Bankers Association that, “Guilt, fear, paranoia—as well as a few other destructive emotions—can freeze people’s performance during tough times. The natural response is for a leader to click his or her heels with the hopes of ending up in Kansas. Denial is the natural response when things get tough, but many leaders never move beyond that. The thought of talking about feelings openly sends shivers down the spines of many managers, and ignoring these emotions only causes greater challenges.” In the November 7, 2008, issue of The Wall Street Journal, Jim Harter co-author of “12: The Elements of Great Managing” and a researcher with Gallup, stated in an interview about motivation that, “Organizations have to put more attention into it. They have to communicate more.” This GPS point is quite clear—if we wish to motivate our staffs during tough times, we need to communicate more, not less. • Be an advocate rather than an adversary: Brian McIvor, author of “Career Detection: Funding and Managing Your Career” stated in an interview published in the The Irish Times, on February 9, 2009, “You need to be honest and realistic with people organizations are changing all bets are off.” However, while discussions with employees may have to be framed against that background, news doesn’t have to be all gloom and doom. Managers need to be advocates for their organizations and realistic about opportunities within the organization. The manager should be an advocate for the future rather than an adversary against the future, which can be an unstablizing influence in the 6 Executive Housekeeping Today/April 2009
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