Emotional Sustainability: How you, as a leader, can turn the tide

There's an elephant?in the room.?Sadly, we got used to it.??It's a transactional approach to people change that overlooks our emotions.?

In this issue, I explore the emotional consequences of people change. Read on and share your comments.

Unexpected departure, layoffs and organizational?change are part of business.??I'm referring to people changes?that leave open questions about your future and stability.??

In this issue, I will explore how companies deal with the emotional consequences.?

There's a certain numbness to change that we tolerate in companies.? "Oh well, so and so moved on.....let's suck it up and do our jobs."?

But the reality is people and leadership changes can be very emotional.?

Fear, anxiety and other base emotions could be?flowing under the veneer.?Should we expect people to put on the mask, and say all the right things while they process matters on their own????

A Simple Use Case

Let's take an example.?

Your boss left.?She was good for you.?She invested in your success.?A new one enters the picture.?The?change came out of nowhere.??You're ready to build bridges?with the new leader but it's not clear how that will go.

Does the new leader want to bring in new people??Will you get time to elaborate on the "why" behind your role and responsibilities???

A new leader can seem aloof in the early days.?She needs time to absorb?and assess.??A mature leader will be comfortable building rapport while going through the process of drawing conclusions.?Many leaders do not take this route because they do not know how to navigate it.??They don't invest emotionally in periods of transition, which is exactly?when they need to do it.??

A New Frontier of Leadership

This is a new frontier of leadership because we are not taught how to humanize periods of uncertainty.??New leaders can be skittish to send signals about how the organization will operate (e.g., who fits where).?

Only when they have "the answer" in mind, do they make effort to secure people who will be part of the equation.??

We are not taught how to humanize periods of uncertainty. Read on for some ideas and share yours in comments :)

As I said before, for many leaders, the intent is not to leave people in the lurch; it’s just unfamiliar territory. ?

For other leaders, we cannot chalk it up to inexperience.?Old school leadership is so pervasive in our society.?It only invests in the emotional security of people on the path to results.?If there is ROI in dealing with the emotions, then it happens.??

For example, a new leader has come to the conclusion that you are an important ingredient. Attention begins to flow your way.??But let's say the?leader doesn't know if someone will be part of the equation.??This person may feel like she’s getting a cold shoulder.?

Why invest when there’s not a clear answer to where people fit?

Because it says a lot about you and your organization.?If you only invest on the path to results, it's clear what kind of culture is operating.?And everyone in the organization will know.?It’s purely transactional.?How you're treated will depend on how you fit into someone's plan for results.?

This is the lowest level of performance and motivation.?As a leader you can do much better.?

If we only invest in people on the path to results, we're creating a purely transactional culture.

Emotional Emissions

Some people get the short end of the stick.?Let's say someone is exited from the company.?Are they cut loose and left?to carry the emotions on their own???It's the human equivalent of carbon emissions.?And it's?damaging the human psyche and contributing to unprecedented levels of mental stress.

I'm talking about the human equivalent of carbon emissions. How severe are your company's emotional emissions??

How severe are your company's emotional emissions??The answer depends on how well your company treats people it no longer views necessary.

Solutions

What kind of solutions should we be considering to humanize uncertainty???

I am inclined toward the term "allowance."??How are you as a leader creating space where people are invited and allowed to place their real emotions about change?

"Allowing" doesn't create the obligation to fix what surfaces.?That is not always possible.?

When a new leader enters, especially a progressive one who is charged with up-leveling things, there will be a high dose of change.?It may require new roles, talent or structure.??

I have developed new organizational models that modernized companies by 10 years, and put them in motion within my first year on the job.?A?ton of change was required in a short amount of time.??Board expectations were high.?The relevance of the company was at stake. I get that scenario.?

Being more than a transactional leader is hard work, but worth it.

But as a leader you need to work extra hard to be more than a transactional leader.?Put effort into reducing the potential emotional impact of necessary change.

Creating Allowance

Let’s say you’re a new leader.?There could be real change necessary to modernize the approach and you haven’t figured out what the organization will look like yet. ?Don’t be stuck in the ivory tower in the midst of figuring it out.

Read on for 6 tips that create allowance. Share your comments about this issue.

Here are some things you can do in parallel with people who work for you:

• Take them out to dinner or lunch; get to know their personal interests and family life. ?
• Demonstrate curiosity about their work; learn something you did not know.?You can learn something interesting and new from virtually anyone. ?
• Continue to gather people as a team and conduct business as usual updates while informing them that you don’t have the “answer” yet.? Keep communication flat amongst the team.

And if the time comes for people change (like exits), here are some practices to promote allowance and still move forward:

• Celebrate their work through a team lunch or dinner; call out specific accomplishments?
• Be willing to extend your relationship to a human, non career oriented level.?
• Encourage their peers to be a support structure; a person who’s been impacted by a decision you’ve made may be more comfortable opening up to a peer.

Sometimes an employee doesn’t respond in kind to the olive branch.?Life is a two way street, and the effectiveness of these techniques depends on the maturity of both employee and manager.?

How it Works in the C Suite?

As I acquired more experience in the C Suite, I was intentional about making people feel secure.??

I developed a strong dislike for "regime" change whereby a new leader brings in her own people?just for convenience.?It was important to win over people who had been in their roles long before I arrived.?

Good leaders avoid creating camps.?This is not about the regime of the new leader versus the regime of the previous leader.?Only an insecure leader will view your connection to the prior leader as a threat.??

Let's say you're the CEO and you're?hiring a?CMO,?CDO or CFO.?Coach them hard on this matter.?Set the right expectations about how people?in their organization will be treated.??I don't believe in the mantra: "we hired you and now you do what is necessary to produce results."??

Carte blanche is too much leash.?

Inevitably, carte blanche makes it all too easy for a new leader to surround herself with "her own people".??Yes to a fresh look at strategy and how to get there, including changes to structure and talent. ?But it has to come from the right intent and motivations.?

An organization is not a personal fiefdom of yes-men and proven order takers. ?

As CEO make sure you call out it out.?An organization is not a personal fiefdom of yes-men and proven order takers. ?

The Upshot

Let’s be honest.?In business, there will be winners and losers. Sometimes we find people on the short end of the stick.?We have to deal with loss in a more collective way.?Don't sweep it under someone else’s rug.?

Emotional emissions are our responsibility as leaders. Take account for them.?

Any Other Business (AOB)

I recently completed a manuscript for a book McGraw Hill is publishing. I'm incredibly excited about the book, and will be sharing more details in upcoming issues of Re:wire. Like any product manager, I feel like it's a never done exercise. That said, it's nice to ship.