April 01, 2009

Platinum Principle Training & Development; Topic: Effective Internal Communications

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Rallying the Troops:  Focusing Your Internal Communications Effectively in the 2009 Work Environment

Communication breakdowns and conflicts exist naturally even in the most optimal of work environments.  Throw on the tension of restructuring and the magnification of economic stressors and you get a recipe for lowered morale and a drop in organizational effectiveness.  Believe it or not, that moment can be a turning point, as things can either accelerate further into a downward spiral or the opportunities unique to a crisis situation can be harnessed positively and effectively. 

 

The Psychology of This Crisis

Signs of downward spiraling include people having more of a tendency to "look out for #1" while disconnecting from the mission and heart of the organization.  One indication that this is happening is employees interpreting the behaviors of others and maybe even the organization as a whole with greater mistrust.  Also, conflicts increase---some get loud while others result in withdrawal and communication shut down.  These all ensure a drop in productivity and job satisfaction, not just for the employee but often for those that are interdependent on him/her.  In a good economy, these people are more than likely to leave.  Right now, they may just be planning their future escape.  This can and does happen to the best and most valuable of employees.  It's a phenomenon that may offer feedback about how well the company is maintaining its end of the bargain to its own workforce.  It speaks to the idea that maybe the leadership itself is also straying from honoring the organization's heart and mission, especially in regard to its commitment to its own people. 

Turning it Around

As mentioned above, crisis can also shift people into working together. This happens when people realize they absolutely need each other "to get through ok". Here, fear transforms into group resolve. This scenario will happen when employees are engaged, which is simply defined as when they feel valued and see their impact on the big picture. 

But what if everyone is in a downward spiral state of mind, how can you turn it around?  The key is perception, which is something that leadership and management can impact profoundly.  Keep in mind the negative feelings that arise originate from the recognition that things as we know them are coming to an end, so in a sense it is the onset of mourning.  That mourning is compounded by the basic human condition that speaks to the fear of the unknown.  These feelings can lead to a need to "predict" the future in order to survive.  Even preparing for the worst while hoping for the best still leaves you in a state of scarcity and scarcity leads again to downward spiral mentality.  So it is important for leadership to grow their consciousness about this dynamic and then decide where the focus needs to land.  Will the communication be that the glass is half full or half empty...and are we going to focus on how it might start leaking any minute now or are we going to put our attention on ways we can help each other fill the glass?

Positive shifts within an organization start with the messages that are shared from the top down but it is maintained in the daily exchanges of communication that happen between managers and their departments as well co-worker to co-worker.

In fact, the research overwhelmingly shows that the biggest factor related to employee engagement is the quality of that employee's relationship with his/her manager.

Practical Strategies for Employee Engagement

 

• Recognition:  Start with a shift in focus---place attention on what is going right and then express appreciation on a consistent basis.  By modeling appreciation, a positive chain reaction can occur. The psychological impact of this is significant as it can shift the "feel" of an environment away from fear and negativity.  Do take note that praise should be specific and timely. Telling employees that they are doing a "good job" may be too vague. Telling them that they handled a customer complaint with professionalism and in reflection of the company's value of enhanced customer satisfaction is much more effective. Why? Because you let them know exactly what behaviors are appreciated and how what they do, impacts the whole of the company, therefore increasing the likelihood of repeating that level of performance in the future.

 

• Telling the Truth:  Some organizations choose to not disclose much of what's going on while others promote projects that are touted as one thing when employees can see the true writing on the wall.  Being straight about possible threats to an organization's bottom line can actually work to unify people when it is also followed by solutions that are clearly explained in terms of how they consider the interests of the whole.  Giving employees or departments input into how to implement solutions or even coming in at the level of generating ideas to create solutions deepens buy-in and connection.

 

• Honoring The Rules of a 2-Way Street:  Recognizing positive effort and giving employees a stake in decision-making both show them that they are cared about, which is another crucial ingredient to employee engagement.  If you want your employees to come together, they need to see that their needs and efforts matter.  While this may sound like fluff, it is anything but as research has shown these "softer" less tangible pieces show up profoundly in the hard numbers in everything from retention to absenteeism to productive output.

 

• Providing Manager Supports:  For employees to be engaged, they first need to see that their managers are engaged.  Managers are also the ones who will be providing employee recognition, hearing out ideas and directly meeting needs.  But, these managers need to receive support in order for any of this to be implemented effectively and efficiently.  Mentoring and training on delivering recognition, working with different personality types and understanding group dynamics are investments that can make all the difference when we talk about truly rallying your troops.

Debra holds masters' degrees in both clinical and applied psychology and earned her doctorate in applied psychology from Rutgers University in 1998. She is a licensed psychologist in New Hampshire as well as a certified life coach and Peoplemap trainer.

 

Based on her commitment to human potential, Debra co-founded Full Spectrum Wellness LLC, a holistic health and learning center that has thrived since opening in 2002 by offering services and classes to the public along with workplace wellness programming to local organizations.  She has served on the board of directors for the Women's Business Center and on the business committee for the Manchester Young Professionals Network. In 2007, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) awarded Debra the NH Women in Business Champion of the Year.

 

Through Platinum Principle Training and Development, LLC, Debra provides training, coaching and consultation to business leaders, corporations, nonprofit agencies, and public schools.  Debra specializes in communication skills and leadership training to improve employee retention, morale, teamwork and the interpersonal aspects that impact productivity. She can be reached at 603-391-2395 or mailto:info@platinumprinciple.com.

QUESTION: Our research has identified 5 "universal" drivers of employee engagement -- recognition/appreciation, personal accomplishment, career development, compensation, and confidence in the company. So your emphasis on recognition is "spot on" in my view. What suggestions do you have for what leaders (aided by corporate communications as appropriate) can/should do to help bolster confidence in these "times of crisis"?

 

ANSWER: Good question. The context and organizational culture are always factors whenever you are talking about changing the "feeling" around a workplace.  Given that, there are some definite ways for leaders to build confidence.
 
If possible, I believe that leaders at all levels should become and/or remain visible.  One significant way that confidence is built stems from the knowing that you (or your department) are capable of performing well.  That knowing can arise from positive acknowledgement of your recent past or current level of performance.   While circulating and spending some face time with the employees, leaders can give that acknowledgement in a very powerful way because they hold a bigger picture (presumably) and so their assessments and opinions carry true weight.
 
Now obviously, face-to-face time is not always feasible in an organization, especially for senior leadership.  In that case "visibility" can be defined as a CEO placing purposeful messages into company e-newsletters or inter-office websites that again highlight what is going well---this can be anything from hard numbers such as those related to a challenge that the company is at least starting to meet (e.g. growth in a specific market) to the observation that a team is working very cohesively on a project. The focus should be on both small wins as well as the larger achievements.
 
To this point it's also important, especially in larger organizations for all levels of leadership to be on the same page. This means that efforts to emphasize the positive should be done systematically and by all levels of management.  This is easier said than done but can be accomplished effectively through ongoing communications in the form of providing rationale, instructions, modeling and including a simple method of accountability.
 
Another way leaders can build confidence is to survey and address at least the small but persistent problems that affect employees on a daily basis.  This requires communication to flow back and forth between employees and leadership. It also works to build faith in the leader themselves as it raises morale and sets the table for employees to feel that they have more of conditions they need to perform well.

 

QUESTION: I am a member of a team that is suffering from extreme lack of engagement and morale accompanied by an ineffective manager. Your analysis of employee engagement focuses primarily from the management/leadership perspective. What are some suggestions that I can do as just a member of the team to turn things around? Do the engagement strategies you discussed perform on the ground levels of the hierarchy?

 

ANSWER: Thanks for sharing your experience. Here are some suggestions you could try to turn things around, keeping in mind, others may not jump on board. At the very least, practicing some of these may help you feel less frustrated because the focus of these strategies is on what you personally have control over, which is yourself and the perspective you bring to the team. You can't control other's reactions, actions, perspectives, etc, but you may influence them just by bringing a positive attitude to the group dynamics.  

Be part of the solution, not the problem

Here, I'm talking in general about adopting a mindset. This is a mindset that can have a ripple effect when put into daily practice. In stagnant teams, the group norm can be to focus on what we can't do, what we don't have, and all the negatives. As a team member, ask, "How can we be part of the solution?" or "Let's think about this from a different angle," shifting the focus to what the team can impact. This is more empowering than focusing on problems.

Discourage bonding over wounds

If the group norm is to "bond over our wounds," choose not to. Choose to not engage, as this in itself promotes the "it's us against them" mentality, usually management vs. the employee. This isn't to say never acknowledge the issues; once they are named, it's counterproductive to keep rehashing them, and certainly will spiral morale downward.

Foster appreciation

You can also foster appreciation for the differences each person brings to your team. Don't buy in to critical comments team member say of each other: instead, if you agree with the criticism, acknowledge it then add something neutral or positive about the individual being sized up, or your own philosophy about other's "negatives."  An illustration would be: "Yeah, I know Phyllis can slow up the project by getting too precise and picky about the details, but we also need a detail person on our team. Maybe we can brainstorm with her about how we can help her feel comfortable that all the bases have been covered."

Everyone on your team has strengths and weaknesses. Maybe through your role modeling, others may see that capitalizing on individual strengths benefits the team as a whole.

Although your goal is admirable, to turn things around with your team, you may find that the power structure or the team culture is too ingrained to follow your lead. Keep in mind that any change won't happen overnight; it will take time. At the very least, you will have given it your best shot, and you will probably be taking better care of yourself within a low morale environment.  Best of luck.

 

QUESTION: Can you provide any additional tips/thoughts on how to make an employee feel valued?

ANSWER: Some employees may need something more tangible than acknowledgment via praise.  In an informal survey our company did across some of the organizations we work with, employees said they felt highly appreciated when they received "items" that speak to making their job/life easier.  A few of these included, designated parking spots close to the company's entrance, a special (and free) lunch, gas cards and even a few extra hours of time off.