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Linkedin Blog Post Ghost Written for Talent Dev Consultant Karen Hinds

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/three-ways-calm-spooked-team-karen-hinds/

 

·        Published on October 31, 2018

   

The pace of production slows, minor team conflicts suddenly spike, simple tasks remain undone, absenteeism and tardiness increase, complaints become edgier, simple projects stall, faces appear anxious.  Work teams only get spooked when something is amiss and it’s your job as a leader to find out what it is and confront it head on before your employees flee to another employer!  

Changes in team activity can be the best barometer for detecting employee stress, unhappiness or uneasiness.  Perhaps, someone leaked the news of imminent change, or a specter of job cuts is feared, or a rumor of a merger is floating around, but whatever the cause, good leaders address shadows before they turn into a real threat to results.  This takes an open approach to discover the problem quickly by personally communicating with your team.

1.    Gather Intel:  Set up a ten-minute meeting with each member of your team inviting them to share any of their recent worries with you.  If not one-on-one, then consider a group meeting where you invite team members to voice concerns. Even if you simply listen and understand team fears without giving any real answers, this can be enough to calm the team temporarily until you have time to get more satisfying answers.

2.    Address Misperceptions:  Clear up any unfounded apprehensions flying around by directly addressing them with your team and then listen.  Teams will accept uncertainty, and even forgive a lack of answers, if they feel they have been heard and they’ve received facts.

3.    Tell the Truth:  Assume that misleading your team in any way will be discovered and it will damage trust. When you have no answers yet or perhaps have bad news, just say so and be as tactful as possible in your approach.

Karen Hinds is President and CEO of Workplace Success Group, a strategic talent development company.  www.workplacesuccess.com Twitter: KarenHindsWSG