Bill Nelson

This month's question is:

As a leader when things get tough, what are some of the things I should be focussing on?

I will answer this from three different perspectives:

1. As an Organisation



a. Don't tread water
When tough times come the usual focus and talk is to - batten down the hatches' and ride through the tough times. Great organisations show their true point of difference in times where others struggle.

Their attitude, beliefs and preparedness show they are not prepared to be a victim of uncertain times and are willing and prepared to take on the responsibility to be a master of their own destiny.

They continue to market themselves, their product or services, what they do and how they do it. They, whilst watching the budget, continue to look at product development, market and product research, staff training and up-skilling, organisational productivity and efficiency.

In tough times great organisations have a desire and preparedness to continue to move forward and upward.

b. Know the opposition
Your focus should always be on your team or organisation, however it is in tough times when you really should know what the opposition are doing.

In tough times some will flourish, some will survive, and others will perish. Without trying to sound like a vulture waiting to feast on the carcase of those that perish, however the reality is there are opportunities to be taken if you know what is going on around you.

As others struggle there will be (without being totally ruthless) opportunities for you to prosper. As times change and things become more difficult some of your competitors will be looking to retain their best clients and their best staff, and although what is left in their mind might not be the best, this does not mean that what isn't their best cannot be of benefit to you and your team or organisation.

c. Show loyalty
Tough times demand tough decisions. Usually in a business sense, some of these tough decisions are of a financial nature and without sounding like I am saying - go against sound financial judgements', don't just make your future and tenure secure by cutting back on everything and anything.

As tough as it is for you, remember there are others that are relying on you, your team or your organisation.

Show some loyalty and help others through these tough times as well. Show loyalty to your customers; show loyalty to your staff, team members and those around you. Show loyalty to your suppliers, sponsors and the like.

But the key to loyalty in tough times is to pay it forward. Don't wait for others to show it to you, show it to them first and enjoy every moment of doing it. This level and timing of loyalty more than any marketing that you can ever do will show what you are really about.

And although it should not be your primary reason for doing it, your loyalty will be noticed by others and in doing so, your loyalty will be repaid in many different ways.

d. Misery loves company
Just because things are getting tough and everyone around you thinks the sky is falling, doesn't mean that you have to join in and share their point of view. But on the other hand don't see the world through rose coloured glasses either.

Things are the way they are and the most important consideration here is how you are going to deal with what is going on around you. You as an organisation can chose to believe things are either good or bad. You as an organisation can choose to have either a positive or a negative outlook. You as an organisation through your thinking, choices and action will choose whether in these tough times you are going to flourish, survive, or perish.

But as you are deciding remember misery loves company.

e. Use the mirror rather than the window
Many times when things get tough there is a preparedness to sit inside and look out the window and think that the reasons why as an organisation you are struggling is because of what you see outside.

Great organisations have a philosophy when things are tough to look in the mirror before they ever even consider looking out the window.

Don't ever take responsibility for that which is not yours to take, however the more you realise that you as an organisation have a role to play in why things are the way they are, then you will continue to not only survive in tough times but you will undoubtedly flourish.

f. Awareness and adaptability
One of the key aspects to getting through tough times is the ability to recognise what is actually going on around you and why. Factual evidence, experienced based insight, accurate qualified awareness.

Once you are aware as an organisation of what is actually taking place around you, you will then know how, where and why you will need to adapt and make changes to allow you to continue progressing through the tough times.

The type, level and accuracy of the read will be a paramount to what success you can hope to expect. However on the other hand, your ability to recognise where, why and how you will need to change and adapt will also have a huge influence on that desired success.

Once again great teams, organisations and individuals all have that ability to recognise where they need to adapt but also share in the skill of not procrastinating and hoping things around them will change, therefore removing the need for them to change. They have that innate ability to adapt and change in a timely manner and as they do, they leave behind both the opposition and the stress associated with tough times.

2. As A Leader:



a. Be visible
One of the worst mistakes you can make at a time like this is not to be seen. Now it doesn't really matter why. You can justify this by saying you are in a strategy meeting or you are doing this or that or you are attending to something urgent.

When things slow down, the people that are with you and around you, want to see and hear their leader every single day and, in most cases, more than once a day.

An unreasonable request? Absolutely not!

b. Control outer emotions and deal with inner ones
When things slow down and are not going the way you would like, there is usually a corresponding set of emotions that comes into play.

Anguish, nervousness, lack of confidence, anger, frustration, and resentment - all of these and many more are quite common at these times.

The key is to deal with these internal emotions. Get some advice, another perspective, new information; create opportunities and methodology to deal with your inner emotions and make sure you do it away from the scene that is causing them.

Do what you have to do, but make sure you do not just leave these emotions be. Deal with your inner emotions and make sure they do not transform themselves into outer emotions.

You know, the outer emotions that are represented by the snappy reply, the over-reaction to little things, the body language of a stressed individual, and the facial expressions of a worried person.

Silently deal with your inner emotions and outwardly you show the emotion and body language of a leader who knows how to deal with adversity.

c. Be relentless in going back to the basics
Whatever you do, don't try and rectify the situation by making the solution look difficult. It is at these times that simplicity is your greatest ally.

Many times a situation will look as though it requires an intricate solution; but in reality, it is the basic steps everyone knows that will usually lead you to where you need to be. Don't fall for the trap of believing that details and intricacy means success.

Once you have looked at all the basic steps, and you realise that no matter how you look at it, this situation calls for a solution that is a little more intricate, then break it down and make it look basic.

If you can't make it simple then make it easy to understand.

d. Don't let pride get in the way of making the right decisions
Of course when the tough times come, there will be a level of both responsibility and accountability directed your way. That is the way it should be. But don't let you get in the way of the best way to go forward.

Make decisions that are in the best interest of all and not about what is in your best interests. Those that you lead will respect you a whole lot more when they see you put your pride away and make a decision that is there to benefit others.

e. Communicate more
Keep people informed as to what is going on and why. Continue to let people know what you are doing and why. Remember when the though times come, it brings with it a great deal of uncertainty.

That uncertainty can be about many things:
>> Future direction
>> Survival strategy
>> Security of tenure
>> Element and degree of change

It is at these times as a leader you can bring great relief and security to those that you lead. Communication is a great way to clarify direction, alleviate fear and revive and redirect motivation.

3. As A Team:



a. Redefine purpose, goals and standards
Without dropping the standard or compromising the expectation taking the team through the exercise of redefining purpose, goals, standards and the like can be a very beneficial exercise.

For one reason it should help get everyone back on the same page and heading in the same direction. I said should, but not always; so do expect this exercise to come with a level of work if you really want it to make a difference.

Second advantage in redefining purpose, goals, and standards is that it gives everyone in the team and opportunity to see what the future will be like and why they are heading in the direction they are.

b. Clarify roles, responsibilities & expectations
For similar reasons as above clarifying roles and standards lets each individual once again understand what they are about and what is expected of them.

So we have brought clarity to the team through redefining purpose, goals and standards and them through working with the individual, we have helped them see what their role is in all of this and then what is expected of them.

c. Communicate more and better
When things get tough it is not unusual to withdraw into our own world and to start to think irrationally. As a team you do the complete opposite, by communicating more often. Don't sit around and whine about how things are sit down and communicate how things will be. Use the communication process to provide clarity, sense of belonging and an air of confidence.

d. Recognise understand and respect difference
People deal with adversity in different ways. As a team understand this and work to help each other in the way that is required to get everyone through the adversity. Difference does not mean that you grow apart as the tough times come. Difference will be, if you allow it to and drive it in the correct manner will be the thing that brings your team together.

e. Show what being a team mate is all about
As hard as it is for you, chances are someone is struggling with things more than you. Don't make it about you at this time, make it about them.

The Journey Continues!