I suspect there are a number of studies which prove the title of this post to be true, but I will save you from reading these (and me from researching). Seriously, I believe we can all agree that uncertainty causes stress, anxiety and frustration among our employees.
The past 4-5 months have been filled with uncertainty about jobs, offices, masks, schools, summer camps, daycares, restaurants, etc. and the list goes on and on.
Your People are Stressed! (Which means their productivity is diminished….again, I am sure there are studies out there which prove me correct).
So as a leader [Contact First Name] what can you do?
Create certainty!
How?
By making decisions!
“A decision some will not like is better than no decision at all.” – Michael Corley
Here are a few decisions my clients have made which are bringing some certainty to the lives of their employees:
- Picking a specific date when remote working will end. “We will continue working remotely until September 1, 2020.” (You can always push the date back, but if you do, give your people enough notice so that they can make proper arrangements.)
- Creating rules for staff, visitors and vendors coming into the office. Make it absolutely clear the expectations related to masks, social distancing, taking temperatures, etc.
- Clearly stating that all meetings will be virtual until __________.
- Outlining specific actions being taken to preserve jobs (furloughs until _________, stopping 401k contributions until _____________, etc.) Again, be specific.
Sure, not every one will like the decisions you make. (That’s why you get paid the “big bucks”.) However, by making decisions you will minimize the unknown and reduce your employees’ anxiety.