Try not to show your frustration; employees are watching
By Bud Gayhart
Meetings of business owners/managers that I have attended lately have frequently been punctuated with four-letter words. There has been disdain for government action, upset with government inaction and general blame for current conditions on everyone but themselves. That certainly is a normal reaction as we respond from our human perspective to the environment around us. The rhetoric swirling about us often does little to change the circumstances, and many four letter words, while they add color to the dialogue, do little to alter the facts.
Are you frustrated? YES! And your feelings are justified. That doesn’t mean we like the situation. As a business owner/manager your employees look to you for direction and leadership. This is the time to provide both. Your customers and suppliers, likewise, will be looking for signs of courage or timidity. You are now in the “fight or flight” zone and you need to make a choice. Which option will you select?
Flight is an easy choice. We can toss in our cards and step away but that leaves our stakeholders without support. If you choose to fight, then it’s time to gather the troops (employees) and discuss your options. You’re in this together; you’re not alone. You also need to have a conversation with your suppliers and, if possible, some of your customers. As stakeholders, they have a vested interest in your success and the more input you receive the better your options will be. Some very creative ideas can be spawned through these types of discussions. Through all of this you need to remain hopeful….hope is also a four-letter word.
Hope means you are optimistic about the outcome of this economic adventure and you are looking for creative solutions that will provide a pathway to success, now and for the future. Hope means things will get better and you plan to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Hope means you are the encourager to yourself and others who depend on your leadership. Hope brings positive energy to help you get through each day expecting the promise of tomorrow.
You need to surround yourself with hopeful people and not those who are forecasting more doom and gloom. The naysayers will drain you of energy and sap your creative juices. People with a positive outlook will bolster your morale and encourage you. Find those upbeat people and become connected to them. If you are not part of a business discussion group, join one. There are a variety of “tables” that you can join and that is where ideas are birthed. If you can’t find a table group in your area, start one. Have a discussion with economic development people in your region; speak with your banker, accountant, and attorney. They will know who may be a good candidate for this forum so develop a list of potentials.
Most table groups meet monthly; some for four hours others for eight. Find a format that works for you and use this as your recharging station. Take the energy generated from the group and bring it back to your place of business and then plug your employees into the source. Your job is to channel that energy from the table group to the workplace. People are depending on you now more than they ever have.
Hope can be infectious and you need to spread the disease. As the leader of your organization you have the ability to make a difference in your company, the lives of your employees, and the economy. Take that responsibility seriously and share the hope of a better tomorrow that will result from your efforts today. Now go slay another dragon! n
