This week marked a year in the UK since we went into a full lockdown. Since then, we’ve had a bit of hokey-cokey of being in a full lockdown alongside some slightly less severe measures, but we’ve all faced restrictions to a greater or lesser degree.
We can see some hope on the horizon as more and more of us are vaccinated, but nevertheless, the strain is showing. We probably don’t need reminding that as well as a pandemic, we’ve had to face the disruption of Brexit too.
Image: Sammie Chaffin unsplash
Talking with folk, many organisations and the leaders in them are struggling with the sheer volume of change they’ve had to face so far – both positive and negative - and short-term thinking (and doing) has taken over in many cases, just to keep going. I’ve seen this at an individual organisation level in the past but we’re now seeing this played out across the board.
Based on my experience of working with organisations of all sizes through a myriad of different change scenarios, it’s those that put people first who always seem to come out better. In short, when people feel safe and a priority for the organisation, they seem to have more energy and they’re more likely to think innovatively and be more engaged.
Here’s just a few of the lessons I’ve learned form those experiences.
First things first… before you think about anyone else, think about yourself.
A term I often use when I talk about wellbeing and resilience in the context of change is to ‘Put your oxygen mask on first’. Quite simply, if you run out of oxygen yourself, you definitely can’t help anyone else with their oxygen mask. So, looking after yourself means you’ll be able to look after your team – and your organisation – better in the short and the long-term.
2. We all crave certainty
Human beings love certainty – it’s the way our brains work. We don’t like anything that could be perceived as a threat. If you like certainty and having a sense of control over what’s happening in your world, imagine what it’s like for the rest of the folk in your organisation who would love that too. So, if you can try to create more certainty through regular, meaningful updates that empower people to understand more, it will help. And don’t be afraid to say that you don’t know but you’re sharing what you do know. Be honest.
3. Feeling safe is vital
That feeling of certainty and avoiding threats that I’ve just mentioned can spill into how safe we feel (or don’t) in the work we do. At the moment, that might equate to us having the right chair or desk to work from at home or enough hand sanitisers and masks if we’re doing face-to-face work. But it’s also ‘psychological safety’ which is
“…a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.”
Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School.
The danger is that if employees don’t feel safe, they will lose trust in their leaders and the organisation overall. That quickly leads to them checking out, which impacts team resilience and so productivity. That all happens very quickly and is tricky to recover.
Ask yourself (honestly) how easy is it for your staff to openly and honestly raise concerns, challenge and ask questions?
4. Say and do matters more than ever
Remember our human fear of uncertainty and heightened awareness of threats? Well, when we’re facing big changes, that translates to us scanning our horizons even more often than usual. We spot things that seem out of kilter. So, saying one thing and doing another, sticks out like a sore thumb. A classic example is saying “we really care about our employees” and then announcing redundancies in the media before it gets to your people. A massive ‘say do’ gap.
You can find out more here.
5. There are facts to back this all up
Putting people first in change is the right thing to do but there are some facts that put this into context…
According to research from wellbeing experts Roberston Cooper, over 30% of 100,00 people said that change is a source of pressure that ‘troubles’ them.
There is extensive guidance from the Health and Safety Executive focusing specifically on organisational change and the potential risks it can bring.
And, focusing on investing time and money into resources that support mental health at work, has a direct return on investment of 5:1 (Deloitte 2020)
Although it can feel unbelievably hard, and particularly now when everyone’s low on energy, change is always an opportunity for growth and development as well as protecting and optimising performance.
Paraphrasing numerous quotes on this subject, being courageous enough to take action and focus on putting people first in change, despite the fear (and not the absence of it), will do wonders for your organisation in the long run.
If you’d like to find out how my experiences in this space could help you to put people first and support your business through change, let me know