How can you build team confidence and productivity during times of uncertainty?

Years ago, I worked as a doorman at a hotel. Most of the sales people acted so superior to the rest of us. They never made any effort to communicate with the bell staff. Yet, they were working very hard to bring more business to the hotel. Unfortunately, their lack of constant communication caused the hotel to lose a million-dollar contract. One brilliant sales lady flew to New York to negotiate a deal. The prospects decided to visit the hotel before making a decision. The sales people knew when they were coming. They didn't tell us. A doorman who was having a bad day killed the deal. He had a nasty attitude while dealing with the key decision maker. The lesson is very simple: Lack of constant communication costs companies a lot of money.

This is the time when you need to lead, be open, and trust your community. It doesn't matter if you sugarcoat it with promises of paradise, people need to know what's going on and what actions are being developed or put in place to address uncertainties. Developing a clear and concise communication strategy is necessary to keep everyone on the same page. If this is not done, assumptions will prevail, and different opinions may undermine your actions if you don't communicate consistently and remain open to feedback.

To the best degree possible be transparent. If you cannot give specifics, then focus on what the team has done well recently and positively highlight top teams, work cells and performers. Often in times of stress, the team will respond positively if they seem leadership engaged with the team. Lead from the front always and keep them posted with consistent and frequent communication to share what you can and be sure to reinforce that tough times will pass.

During times of uncertainty trust is the glue that keeps teams at a high level. According to Stephen Covey, it is the one thing that changes everything. A low trust team is characterized as hostile, negative, suppressive, withdrawn, and intolerant which feeds uncertainty and low productivity. Whereas a high trust team is characterized as positive, cooperative, inspiring, and tolerant and that brings collaboration. innovation, creativity, and vastly more productivity. Work to build trust and good things result!

During times of uncertainty, fostering open communication, emphasizing adaptability, and acknowledging team contributions are crucial. Encourage collaboration, provide clear goals, and offer support to enhance team morale. Regular check-ins and recognizing achievements contribute to building confidence and sustaining productivity!

Emotional well-being drives productivity. Know your team and be supportive in good time and bad. If a team is only as strong as our weakest member, we need to make a point of building up everyone, and especially those in need of more care and support. Caring about people in any and all positions in our organization is what makes a team that the skilled individuals want to join.

Be transparent and open about what is going on. Uncertainty creates a lot of noise and misunderstanding. Answer questions, address their concerns, listen with intention and make sure to be present, available and reachable so they know they are not alone.

When Covid first closed down Maryland, we needed to take a team of 60 out of the office and into a fully functioning WFH scenario, over the weekend. We succeeded because we admitted it would be hard and uncomfortable, but we agreed as a team that the alternatives to success were unacceptable. It’s a leaders job to say the hard things and define reality. Allowing the team to rise to the occasion and fill the chinks in the wall was a defining moment, and saved the company hard dollars.

I’ve the following things work well: be empathetic, telling the truth, show that I am with them to help through the tough times has been instrumental. I ask myself questions like: If I were in my teams shoes how would I be processing this information? If I’m not performing well right now, what type of message would I like to hear from my boss? For me, balancing empathy and telling the truth has landed really well with my teams. While it can be challenging, it is possible to take care of the business and to take care of the human.

Normalize uncertainty, worry, and the emotions associated with work, life, and the imbalances of priorities. As a leader, be the first to state items that might not be so sound or "perfect" so that others know that there are some consistencies in what feels like an inconsistent environment. This humanizes our worries and anxieties. We are all routine seekers.

Team members need to be reminded of when they are doing well, and a quick recognition of this can work wonders. make it specific, as well. A generic 'well done' is good, but they also need to know what they are being praised for, so it can be repeated. If they know what you are looking for, and show them how they are good at doing it, it will strengthen their resolve and get them to seek opportunities to repeat them

It’s important to realize that every one learns at their own pace and in their own way. Celebrate each person’s accomplishments and support challenges. Reward both strengths and assist challenges. Always lead and live with compassion and kindness.

In times of uncertainty, celebrating your team's successes and strengths is a vital strategy. Uncertainty can undermine self-esteem and achievement, making it essential to reinforce their worth and potential. Acknowledge and reward their achievements, regardless of size, and emphasize their contributions and influence. Recognize their skills, talents, and attributes, and assist them in identifying and enhancing areas for growth. Facilitate platforms for your team to exhibit their work and learn from one another, like presentations, peer reviews, or mentoring. This approach nurtures a resilient and empowered team.

At any time (including uncertainty), like 6-year-olds around a soccer ball (football), we tend to focus only on the ball, those given special assignments. We easily recognize the "biggest producer," "heaviest lifter" or the "diving catches." However, we need to remember and recognize those who've stepped up in other ways. Those who are covering the responsibilities of people you pulled for projects. Those that maintain the operation are as important, if not more so, than the "diving catches." These are the employees who have consistent superior performance and are the backbone of your operation. Take the time to categorize and recognize with gratitude those who have leaned in, stayed focused and created business stability in uncertainty.

We had a practice of celebrating the birthdays of the team members on a designated day, as falling in a particular month. On that occasion, the team leader and the reporting officer of the worker would publicly acknowledge the contribution made by such team members, leaving them beaming with joy. Also, my task as departmental head included lots of troubleshooting - and each time I would form a cross-functional team. Upon their accomplishment, they were publicly acknowledged or even rewarded - interestingly, team members never shied from rising to any occasion. I found the above practices, amongst others, made the team members want to perform at their peak.

Just like a family, great teams back each other up. Their support is unconditional. The foundation of mutual support is respect, and mutual respect breeds trust. We are there for each other all day, every day, without question or hesitation. This is mission essential. There are too many variables beyond our control for anyone to handle alone. No matter how senior, seasoned, or experienced we are, we all make well-intentioned mistakes. We value, respect, and trust our teammates’ insight and intuition especially when they point out our errors.

Trust is something hard to win and easy to lose. Give people the clear direction, share the vision and the goals and make them trust in you. This is the recipe to succes which keep the people around the leaders.

Trust becomes a cornerstone in uncertain times, providing a stable foundation when the path ahead is unclear. By fostering a culture of trust, leaders can create an environment where team members feel secure to voice concerns, explore new ideas, and embrace change. This trust is built and maintained through transparency, open communication, and a willingness to show vulnerability. When leaders are candid about challenges and uncertainties, it encourages a similar openness within the team, leading to more collaborative and resilient problem-solving. Ultimately, this trust empowers teams to grow and prosper amidst uncertainty.

Leaders create an impact that lasts in their absence. This comes through mentoring, training, entrusting and delegating. Leaders promote a culture of empathy, mutual respect, trust and harmony. When you connect with your team on a personal level, you earn the trust and respect, the team will stand behind you through thick and thin.

Whenever I had to deliver information that might be unpopular or present a change in direction, I created an environment for candid conversations. I called it opening the "whine" cellar, and we had clear expectations: - Everyone could speak freely. - We kept the feelings in the room. - If team members wanted to offer feedback to senior leaders, I would present it report back to them. - When the session was over, we followed our directions. Even if it didn't change anything, everyone was at least afforded the time and space to be heard. I didn't try to "sell" them anything, nor did I taint their opinions by speaking negatively about the situation. The time was for the team.

I would often benchmark against the best industry standards and as a team, we would vie to better them. This worked! We always had a vision of becoming a large conglomerate, with rewards likely to accrue to each team member; I found this to keep them going to create benchmarks and endeavoring growth!

Operational leadership is the gritty, often unglamorous, and difficult work necessary to integrate all functions and leaders across the organization who move forward together in harmony, achieving unity of effort. It synthesizes goals and vision with strategy and tactics. Great teams do this, every day because it’s who they are.

In uncertain times, it is crucial to emphasize the organization's mission and vision, clearly communicating to employees how they contribute to the broader goals. Clearly define their roles and the significance of their contributions within the bigger picture. Open discussions and addressing their concerns are essential for maintaining and building trust within the team.

Goals maintain engagement, while vision paves the way for the journey. Without clear goals or with an excessive number of goals, we become lost, juggling too many tasks in the air. We become so distracted or focused on keeping these 'balls' (projects) going that we forget to look ahead and realize that some of these projects hold no value. People require guidance, a compelling narrative to believe in, and leaders with a vision to lead them there. Goals should not be mere metrics to check off a list, and vision should not be self-serving aspirations. Set the tone of the narrative, envision what needs to be accomplished, and allow your community to collaboratively determine the path to reach those goals.

Take the three most important KPIS, drill down, and post them everywhere. Then gamify them. Switch the game up, the TEAMS up, and connect it back to the TEAMS interests.

Times of change and uncertainty can breed anxiety and stress, and how we manage change, can make a difference. Here are a few simple tips: 1. Acknowledge the change 2. Identify the ways the change can impact the team 3. Focus on the positive outcomes of the change 4. Do not minimize the emotions of team members. Schedule time to address them at the individual and team level 5. Model the right behaviors. In times of change, how you act as a leader about the change can have a profound impact on your team. 6. Challenge the team to come up with one thing they can do to help adjust to the change. 7. Many of the things we worry about do not happen, so control what you can!

I have witnessed companies falling apart due to lack of transparency, communication, strategy and growth prospects. Empower your team, delegate authority to the right talent, keep the focus on the end goal. Use storytelling techniques to keep the team engaged, praise and encourage them. Appreciation goes a long way. Lead from the front and show how its done. Teams follow you when they trust your leadership.

Uncertainty is universally disliked, companies prefer certainty because it offers assurance. However, there are times when we must venture down uncharted paths to address challenges or achieve our goals. Promote critical thinking, encourage cross-collaboration, and incorporate learning into your regular business activities. Allow the community to explore its own way, offering guidelines on what is acceptable and what is not. Mistakes are bound to occur, and people dislike making them. However, they certainly don't appreciate being treated like children when they do. Diversity plays a significant role in reducing the fear of uncertainty. Ensure that your team is diverse. Negotiate and establish working methods that accommodate diversity.

Uncertainty can be scary; however, it's amidst uncertain times when people learn and grow the most. As a leader, this is the time to double down on clear and frequent communication to bring your team together and build resilience. It's also the perfect time to model the behavior you desire to see in others by leaning into the fear, being flexible and nimble with your decision-making, and welcoming feedback and collaboration from others.

It's important to acknowledge that you are impacted by uncertainty and not immune to it. Ignoring your own reactions will delay your responding to it. I was part of a small team tasked with planning a virtual event during Covid. Our first iteration was a success, and we knew that the next one would be better. As we started working, we began missing communication and didn't feel the same synergy. What we finally figured out was enlightening. During that time, one of our team members was promoted from our peer to our supervisor. The change in roles made us a different team. We figured out that the team dynamic was undergoing the Tuckman "forming, storming, norming" stages. Once we realized we weren't immune to it, we embraced it and thrived.

Involve team members. No matter how minimal or important the task, I involve colleagues to keep them learning and excited about the future. I work hard at helping my teammates see the excitement in the future. A crucial part of my job is to look for and seize opportunities. I nurture relationships and redesign the course as needed. When a team member becomes disillusioned or starts to doubt their abilities, I refresh the big picture of all that is possible and their importance in achieving big goals.

When the world shut down in March of 2020 we collectively lost our innocence. We realized just how vulnerable and co-dependent we are with our colleagues. Incredible efforts were made to stay connected and support each other. People were patient, kind, and empathetic. As a facilitator I'm sad to see people forget those qualities. I'm witnessing a greater degree of distraction and a lack of awareness of the needs of others. Today I challenge you to flip the script. You don't have to be living through times of uncertainty to consistently show up, care about, and support each other.

Here are some bare minimums that will keep the team energy and confidence at high: 1. Let your team know the whole situation - this shows them their efforts being counted. 2. Another is to tell them what went wrong and how it can be cured. This might open up their vision to get the shit done. 3. Actions speak louder than words. Only empathetic words aren't enough. As a leader, you must reach out to your team, and be approachable. This builds the trust and eventually the productivity. 4. Be strict when needed so the boundaries are respected as well. A team that feel inclusive and comfortable to co-ordinate and connect is way more confident, productive and accountable.

As a retired Marine Officer, please find some of my key insights: 1.Lead by Example: Demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and a strong work ethic. 2.Training: Equip your team with skills and knowledge for uncertainty. 3.Mission-Centric Approach: Maintain focus on your mission and objectives. 4.Marine-Style Debrief: Conduct after-action reviews for continuous improvement. 5.Discipline: Instill accountability, meeting deadlines, and responsibility. 6.Mentorship: Encourage mentoring and sharing experiences. 7.Risk Management: Develop contingency plans to reduce anxiety and provide thoughtful options. 8.Team Cohesion: Foster unity and strong team bonds. I hope these help you with building team confidence during uncertain times.

It might be useful to get used to the thought that certainty doesn't exist. We do not have experience of tomorrow. Being open to whatever comes next and knowing you will manage could be a wise approach.