How do you motivate and engage your team during uncertain times?

Be leader that listens In uncertain times, I have found that listening to your team's concerns create a safe space for the vulnerability needed to build stronger relationships. Relationships build trust, the trust needed to sustain difficult times. Listening requires you to speak less ! When your able to take in the concerns of your team, they too will provide you with inside information that you may not be privy to. This is where you start.. the solution is in the problem.

A practical way to understand your team's needs better is to use 'Empathy Maps.' An Empathy Map, widely used in UX design, captures what a person says, thinks, does, and feels, giving a holistic understanding of their needs. For example, I once worked with a team leader who adapted this method to understand his team's experience during a transition period. This enabled him to tailor his leadership approach, meeting each team member's unique needs effectively. This technique can provide rich insights into your team's realities, helping you lead with empathy, particularly during uncertain times.

While uncertain times can be challenging, team leaders have the power to motivate, engage and inspire their teams to thrive in such circumstances. By maintaining open communication, fostering a sense of purpose, encouraging flexibility, empowering team members, providing support, fostering collaboration and recognizing achievements, you can create an environment where your team can cope and even excel during times of ambiguity, stress and change. Remember, by supporting your team, you not only build resilience but also lay the foundation for long-term success. Have a Productive Day & Stay Safe!

During times of change, members of the guiding team and the rest of the organization look to you for guidance and direction. The best way to get them to buy in and accept that change is to lead by example. You are setting the tone and the expectations for how you want this change process to go, when they see you leading from the front and being the face for change. They will be motivated and inspired to follow your lead

Here's what's funny - employees don't need you to motivate them. They were motivated before they met you and they'll be motivated in the future, even if you're not a part of their life. In fact, when employees start in a new role, they are at - or at least really close to being - 100% motivated. They're excited to contribute and do a good job. It's only through challenging times and sub-optimal experiences that motivation wanes Fostering a positive culture is primarily about removing the hurdles, frustrations and negative feedback that keeps them from being their best. Your team is full of capable, ambitious and resilient adults. Instead of trying to "fix" them, look for ways to clear their path.

People are motivated when they feel like they are part of a solution. Creating space for teams to problem solve, share best practices and give feedback will lead to a team that feels they are facing the challenges ahead arm-in-arm..

Emotions Positive behaviour and attitude are possible through positive emotions. There are positive emotions like joy, gratitude and so on. They help you stay happy from the inside and result in coping with difficult and stressful situations. It is our choice how to look at the situation. People with positive attitude can bounce back easily. However, it is not possible to remain positive and happy 100 percent of the time, but it definitely helps to deal with unexpected situation. Positive emotions create an environment where communication takes place, trust is established, people feel motivated and they become resilient. All of these factors contribute to a collaborative and positive culture that enhances productivity and well-being.

Any crisis or challenge will usually require a different set of skills. In addition to external development, holding time in team meetings where folks can share their own best practices, turnkey something they learned from a webinar or podcast, or present a challenge for the team to help them problem solve will also equip teammates to navigate uncertainty.

One of the best Managers I have seen would go into a meeting with his staff and settle everyone down by proclaiming, "OK, whatever the problems are this week, they are all my fault. Now, let's see what we can do to fix them". That may get a good laugh, but it also takes the pressure off of the team and shoulders it squarely with the Manager. It makes for a better meeting and keeps people focussed on solutions.

Building resilience prior to experiencing challenging times has been a key factor in helping teams and individuals move from surviving to thriving. Self-care is one of the key ingredients. Being connected with yourself, connecting with others through frequent check-ins, seeking out advice and encouragement, as well as being hopeful and helpful to others can promote resilience. Often in the act of helping others, our challenges become smaller or absent.

Communication is key. Share transparent updates, provide clear expectations, and encourage open dialogue. This fosters trust and keeps everyone on the same page. Focus on strengths. Appreciate each team member's unique skills and talents. Assign tasks that align with their strengths, empowering them to contribute and excel.

People are engaged, motivated, and fulfilled by having an exercising authority. And, especially in times of flux, organizations are calcified and immobilized (and sometimes put out of business) by top-down decision making. Help motivate, engage, and fulfill your people by giving them decision making authority in their area of purview. Push decision making down to the level where information and insight already exist in your company instead of trying to pull information up to the level of decision making. This will have the very valuable side effect of making your organization more nimble, responsive, and competitive -- competitive both in the market as an employer and in the market your customers are buying in.

As I look back at highly successful teams during uncertainty, we applied a problem solving matrix that included: ? empathy/compassion - understanding and feeling where the person and team have concerns or unease ? active listening - listening to hear and understand versus listening to respond ? situational awareness - identifying the root of the issue and forces adding to the challenge ? being proactive - not waiting for the issue to surface, but engaging before and consistently throughout the opportunity ? offering solutions (tools and processes) to address the concerns, if necessary. You notice that those are also the basis of outstanding customer service we simply adjusted or enhanced each needed point to assist during uncertainty.

Challenge them and then lead by example. If you have to show them it can be done then show them by doing it yourself. Roll up your sleeves and get it done and the team will follow your lead. Cut any nay sayers and the team will rise to the occasion.

Be mindful of your team members who stop contributing to the discussion or who may not voice their concerns or apprehension in a group setting. Be intentional about checking in with all your team members in the manner they feel most comfortable. Some of the best insights come from those actively listen, consider varying opinions, and then share their feedback directly.