What’s the climate like on your team? Sometimes the answer depends on which day you ask me this question.
What do you do when your organization turns up the heat with a heavy workload and tons of conflicting deadlines. Stress can be a tricky thing to navigate through.
The older and wiser I become, the calmer I am in front of my staff. I do believe that calm breeds more calm.
Remember that deodorant commercial, “Never let them see you sweat”. Well I think there’s something to be said about that statement. The last thing your staff needs to see is a blown-out, aggravated leader.
- Keep it positive, even when you’re doubting everything.
- Jump in and get your hands dirty if your staff is drowning.
- Host a lunch to allow everyone to take a break and step away for an hour.
- Ask each person individually what their number-one pain point of the moment is and help them relieve it.
- Keep stressors away. Meet with difficult clients, so your staff doesn’t have to feel the negativity.
- Remember to say please and thank you.
- Complimenting your staff’s work is huge and so often forgotten and overlooked. If someone does good work, let them know. Letting them know in front of others is an added bonus.
By Robin Colangelo,
Global Director of Creative Services at White & Case and VP on the Board of InSource
