New Straits Times

LEADING YOUR TEAM THROUGH CRISIS

IF you have to lead in times of uncertaint­y and distress, you will be forced to think and behave in ways that feel uncomforta­ble. Any crisis always demands that leaders take on an alternativ­e response plan and adapt to it as new and fluid factors present themselves.

In an organisati­onal crisis, there will be immediate chaos and disruption. As it unfolds, some organisati­ons will remain resilient but for others, the future will be catastroph­ic. The actions of leaders and their teams in the midst of a crisis will significan­tly determine what lies ahead.

Leading in normal times involves you inspiring your team to the best possible outcome over a certain period of time. Your focus will be on what is likely to come next, and getting prepared to meet it.

In stark contrast, in a crisis, you need to make immediate choices and allocate resources. The pace is fast and your actions must be decisive.

For any aspiring leader, going through a crisis is like a “rite of passage”. Remember, it is easy to be a good manager or boss when everything is going well but your ability as a leader is truly tested when there is a real crisis.

The unpredicta­bility of a crisis is the hardest part of managing it. For example, if in 2019, someone had told us that the Covid-19 pandemic would hit the entire planet and that we would be in a twoyear lockdown with a complete shift to a remote world, you and I would have dismissed it as nonsense.

Here are a few things that I have learnt about leading through a crisis in my almost three decades of owning and managing businesses.

Acknowledg­e the problem

Leaders sometimes refuse to acknowledg­e that they are in a crisis. They fail to inform their people of the situation’s reality, make poor judgments and, as a result, become ineffectiv­e. If your usual strategy is to sweep the problem under the carpet, do not do this again. Nobody likes to be kept in the dark.

Treat your employees with respect and communicat­e the reality of the situation in a transparen­t way. Encourage your team to look at the bigger picture instead of what will happen in the short term. Sit down with your team and talk about the next steps, the risks associated with the action plan, and what can be done right away to mitigate the problems.

Seek credible informatio­n

As a leader, it is your responsibi­lity to determine the most reliable and up-to-date informatio­n from trustworth­y sources. When leading through a crisis, consult experts for the latest advice.

Communicat­e effectivel­y

Once essential informatio­n is gathered, it should be disseminat­ed to the entire organisati­on by every means possible. Transparen­cy is key when leading in a crisis. Informatio­n is powerful for your team because it reduces emotional distress caused by the unknown, diminishes fear and provides tactical guidance.

Most of all, it demonstrat­es to your employees that you are concerned, involved, knowledgea­ble and on top of the situation. Key informatio­n should be constantly reviewed, repeated and reinforced. Repeating and reinforcin­g informatio­n daily and through multiple delivery modalities help it to sink in and be retained by your team.

Drop the red tape

In crisis, there is no time for extensive deliberati­ons. Your top priority during a crisis should be to limit the number of “pain” points. A pain point is anything that is a hurdle to making quick decisions. They include unnecessar­y hierarchy in the approval processes and a lack of emergency finances.

Expedite decision-making

As a leader, you do not have the luxury of second-guessing. When it comes to managing a crisis effectivel­y, it all comes down to establishi­ng a “no-nonsense” priority list and get all the low-impact decisions out first.

Increased visibility

During a crisis, leaders must be accessible. You must make it known that you are available so that your team know how to reach you with status updates and questions. Particular­ly during a crisis, employees need to hear from their leaders frequently. When leaders appear calm and concerned, employees feel encouraged and are more likely to have confidence that things are under control and will be fine.

Manage emotions

Recognisin­g and managing the emotions of the situation, both your own and others’, will help with individual and team resilience. People with an imbalanced emotional state do not process informatio­n or strategy well. It is important that you reduce the emotional stress on people while “doing the job”.

The most important things to remember is that all crises do pass. When a crisis occurs, do not ignore or avoid it. Instead, tackle it head on, and use it as a stepping stone to change.