One of the most critical actions that leaders of organizations take during critical times that significantly impacts their fortunes is their communications practices. The two common approaches have often been referred to as those of open versus closed cultures. In both cases what leaders do in this regard is overwhelmingly within their control—though this choice has dramatically different consequences!
The first key leadership action is to focus all employees at all levels on understanding and accepting the new reality by becoming aware of this changed situation as well as your game plan for successfully overcoming this serious threat to all. During the current crisis-like atmosphere, businesses withstanding the recession openly discuss this new reality and changes it requires to involve employees as a key part of the solution. They do this by listening to employee concerns and responding to them face-to-face in honest, productive ways. By contrast, other organizations (including very large ones) have responded through secretive meetings, f
ollowed by downsizing announcements, without any opportunity for employee involvement as part of the solution. The result of this closed approach is reduced trust and confidence in its leadership-- resulting in lower organizational commitment levels and a divisive culture of self-protection at all levels (including its “leadership”). By contrast, in winning organizations leadership is demonstrated in the higher ranks by voluntarily reducing their own compensation, genuinely considering and adopting employee suggestions, and strengthening shared commitment by such genuinely inspiring actions. And, I’ve seen first-hand this open, collaborative approach strengthen accountability even in strong, unionized organizations where all provide ideas to minimize one another’s pain and persevere!
The second key leadership action is to respond by an ongoing, intensely disciplined approach through practical action plans focused on the immediate goal of business survival that builds toward sustained success. Such plans must be executed quickly, thoroughly and correctly—that is, monitored tightly and adjusted in ways that strengthen success. Continually communicating along the way both formally and especially informally about what is being done and achieved are essential for building genuine hope and a “success-driven” culture across levels and functions.
Long ago President Franklin D. Roosevelt proved during the USA’s darkest financial crisis that “all we have to fear is fear itself.” By accepting uncertainty and focusing on how we can capitalize on the opportunities it provides through different or new solutions we, too, can experience personal and organizational breakthroughs in our changing world. Adaptive individuals and organizations have always persevered and end up stronger by far than competitors faced with the same challenges. This is one reason why more enlightened large corporations are increasingly turning to small, flexible ones for innovative solutions that work in this new reality rather than seeking to break through their own internal resistance by those set in their ways who also lack a sense of urgency, reality in this new world order. And, in the process it also affords organizations an opportunity to discover informal leaders and potential ones for building a stronger, re-energized workforce along with those already in place who show their true leadership metal that is much easier to spot during such times when strong leaders differentiate themselves from the rest of the field!
