Ask Marcia - Leadership Q&A

Week of March 26, 2020 / From her column in the Silicon Valley Business Journal

Q. What makes some leaders and organizations fail and others survive? I need to survive!

A. Leaders and organizations may fail due to many variables outside of their control.  Yet, some leaders will emerge through difficult times because they think differently.  It all begins with the mindset. Through a crisis, they tap in on all the courage they probably didn’t know they had, and they pivot! They see what they cannot control and let it go; they don’t stay stuck there.  They see what they can control and start to create new building blocks to pursue new opportunities.  They plan and adapt. They look for new answers, try new things, and make mistakes, but are resilient and keep moving forward.  They move toward a new future. They make decisions, solve problems, but keep progressing toward a new vision. Those who are curious and are open to rapid learning will prioritize their efforts so their resources and energy are not diluted. In a time of disruption and crisis, pivot and transform—and don’t stop.

Q. My company is full of fear. For weeks, the conversation has been about the coronavirus and its impact on our lives, our families, our communities, and on our society and economy. How do we grapple with the fear?

A. Everyone deals with fear differently. Some people freak out. Others are fearful and hold it inside (but it will show up in behaviors), and others roll with life and keep adapting and seeing opportunities. First, it’s important to identify the fears. They range in intensity and in reality. There’s the fear of failure (of the business) or losing one’s job, fear of the unknown and uncertainty, fear of speaking up or making mistakes. There are over 100 fears. The best way to understand fear and your way through them is to talk about them, share your concerns and anxieties, and discuss what options and possibilities can emerge on the other side of fear.  Fear becomes expansive when people feel they have no control or no options. The most important thing is to not get stuck in pessimistic language.  Leaders need to be centered in reality and also possibility.  If immediately they think about cost cutting and layoffs and failure they will accelerate in that direction.  Instead, gather people to tap in on ideas!  The people who create new ideas, pivot to apply them, think about helping their customers, prioritize and focus, are more likely to survive and come out of the crisis.  Great leaders may even suspend their current business and pivot to produce different products. We’re seeing that today as auto manufacturers like Tesla and GM are shifting their production to produce ventilators. Breweries are shifting to produce hand sanitizers. Some businesses will close temporarily or permanently. New companies will start-up and blossom. 

Q. My staff and I have shifted to working at home. How do we effectively communicate?

A. There are multiple ways to communicate, and there’s no one right way. Try different methods, and discover what works best for your staff. Depending on the size of your company, you might be able to gather all staff on a Zoom or GoToMeeting call for video or audio calls. Or if your company is large, have multiple meetings with or departments or teams. Other technologies can support you during this time such as Slack or Teams to capture your conversations and documents so you have a shared view of your progress. Use the phone to connect with people periodically and see how people are adjusting and transitioning to the new norm and how you can support them.

Q. As a business owner, I’m finding that without my staff in meetings in the office, I feel isolated and am struggling. It was lonely at the top for years, but now’s it’s just lonely. 

A. There’s variety in people, and their workstyles and need for engagement vary. Introverts may relish the remote work environment (if they have a quiet space and no distractions.) Their productivity may skyrocket. For extroverts who get their energy from interacting with people, they may struggle without the freedom to connect with people personally, travel, and engage with customers. Check in regularly to understand what people need, identify how they’re doing, and ask what questions they have. Make sure people understand what needs to get done, but don’t micro-manage people.

Q. What questions can I ask my remote staff to ensure we continue to collaborate and don’t drift apart?

A. If you have a collaborative culture that was in place before the Remote working began, the team will find a way to adapt to carry on the culture. A culture comes out of the leadership and values; that isn’t changing. Here are a few questions to support your transition: What kind of communication and frequency would you like to have? What are your strengths that will be beneficial to you now? How are you feeling and adjusting? Are you clear about what you can   contribute to the team and the timeline? What challenges can we help with? Can you share a small Win that you have had since working remote (it may be work, family, or setting up a workspace related)? What are you doing to take breaks and take care of yourself and separate work and home time? Supporting your staff and each other during the transition is important as they adjust. Everyone may be out of their comfort zone, and over time a new one will emerge.

Send your business leadership questions to Marcia Daszko at md@mdaszko.com. 

Call Marcia to discuss your challenges for insights during this crisis. Marcia is welcoming leaders to reach out for help. She has been an inspiring strategic advisor to executive teams for 25+ years and is the provocative book author of “Pivot Disrupt Transform” and co-author of “Turning Ideas Into Impact: Insights from 16 Silicon Valley Consultants.” Invite her to speak (virtually now) and see her resources for you at www.mdaszko.com