The Calm Before The Storm

The country has suddenly gotten very quiet given all the tumultuous events of the last year. Oh, there’s the usual suspects pounding away on the keys of social media, but the general population has become very quiet. Eerily quiet. Politicians may think this is a good thing. That people have adapted and grown to accept all the change and turmoil. But they’re probably misreading the silence.

The same applies to companies. When the CEO arrives at the office, and everyone is quietly working on their tasks he may take great satisfaction in how smooth things are running. When he attends the next meeting, everyone sits around the conference table or in their Zoom window quietly listening as the CEO provides updates and orders. When asked if there are any questions, there are none. Good, thinks the CEO, everyone is on board and understands what to do.

Sounds great, right? Well, not really.

When an office is dead quiet or a Zoom meeting is like looking at still photos that’s not either human, or healthy. In fact, when employees (or a country’s citizens) go quiet it usually means one or more of the following are probably happening behind the scenes:

• They’ve given up. They’ve collectively decided that no one in a position of authority is really listening (or has no real power or willingness to change) and it’s a waste of time to bring issues up anymore. They’ve spoken up before and nothing ever changes. No one believes in the mission anymore. Worse, no one believes in the company. Situation hopeless. Better to save your breath and keep a low profile while looking for opportunities elsewhere.
• They don’t trust you. People don’t speak up or offer new ideas because they know that if it wasn’t your idea, it’s going nowhere. Even worse, it suddenly becomes your idea. They also know that you are defensive. Any criticism or suggestion, no matter how constructive, is met with an immediate barrage of reasons why that’s not the case. Worse, you can be punitive. You take new ideas and suggestions as a personal affront to your capability. If it was a good idea, you wouldn’t you have already thought of it?
• The culture is toxic. No one really trusts anyone, so they shut down all unnecessary communication. Everyone stays in their foxhole cranking out their tasks and waiting for the end of another day. Better to keep quiet and leave on their terms than speak to the wrong person and wind up on your wrong side.
• They’re plotting your demise. They’re working behind the scenes with corporate HR or senior executives or Board members raising the alarm bell on how the company is being mismanaged. You’ll some day look back and realize that those surprise calls from your boss or the Board asking how things are going weren’t just random inquiries. Maybe you’ll get a surprise site visit by a Board member or senior corporate executive who just happened to be ‘in the area’.

So, how do you prevent this from happening.

First, remember, Silence Is Not Golden.

If your workforce is suddenly too quiet assume there is a reason.

A healthy workplace, even in this era of partial and full time WFH should have lots of communication. And healthy, positive communication, not just ass covering. This may be a few people in the hallway or a spirited discussion taking place in a meeting room. There should be occasional laughter. People who genuinely enjoy working with each other and believe in the company they work for show it. How many times have you heard someone say, ‘I thought of looking around, but I love the people I work with’?

So, if you’re the CEO or the department manager and your employees ‘go quiet’ what should you do? Here’s some suggestions:

• Be aware. Pay acute attention to the dynamic of your company. Know what it sounds like when it’s healthy. Think like it’s your car. You know it immediately when it makes a ‘funny’ sound. You also know that turning the radio up to mask the sound will only make the repair more expensive. Be proactive.
• Be visible. The more people see you the more comfortable they’ll be around you. I loved getting in early and meeting my technicians or assembly people first thing. I often helped them load equipment. If a piece of equipment was broken or not operating correctly, I made sure to get it fixed quickly. It built trust and showed I care. I also got great input and feedback on things inside and outside the company. Same in the office. Get out from behind your desk and be visible and alert. Don’t just communicate to give instructions. Ask questions. Listen.
• When was the last time you received constructive criticism or suggestions from anyone in the company? If you can’t remember, you’ve either lost trust or need to show you’re open to ideas and constructive criticism. You’re not perfect. They’re not communicating with you for a reason. Find out what it is.
• Hold a company meeting and acknowledge the silence and your concern about it. Tell people you will be meeting with them one on one to understand what the concerns are. Be sincere and show that you are open to making things better. Stress that you’re looking for solutions, not fault.?
• Own it. I have never once seen a leader from professional athletes to Presidents of the United States stand up and acknowledge they screwed up and pledge to fix it and do better and not have everyone rally around them. It is the ones who offer blame and excuses that lose the people.?
• LISTEN. LISTEN. LISTEN. Talking produces more quiet. Listening starts the healthy noise.?

I suspect our politicians are going to be in for quite a surprise come November, 2024. Don’t you be in for a similar surprise.

Get out of the chair, get engaged, own it, and listen.

Your employees will tell you exactly the way back to a healthy and motivated company.

After all, isn’t that why you hired them in the first place?

Bill Gately is President of G-Storm Strategies, LLC, a management consulting firm that helps business leaders, managers and their companies successfully navigate today's increasingly stormy economic environment. He can be reached at [email protected].