Keep Calm and Carry On: How to Engage With Your Customers

We are living in troubling times fraught with uncertainty. There is no coronavirus playbook. Company leaders are facing an unprecedented crisis as the COVID-19 outbreak spreads worldwide and impacts businesses across multiple industries. There are many questions about what comes next in the COVID-19 outbreak.

Keep Calm and Carry On was a motivational poster produced by the British government in 1939 in preparation for World War II. The poster was intended to raise the morale of the British public, threatened with widely predicted mass air attacks on major cities.

 During this time of uncertainty this saying can provide some advice about dealing with what we can control. Focus solely on the here and now and the things you can control. Here are ten things you can to remain focused on customers during this challenging period.

1.      Communicate, communicate, communicate. In times of trouble, it is best to start a dialog with your customers. Moreover, it is better to over-communicate rather than under-communicate. Much of the problem in the current crisis is uncertainty. Communicating with your customers will not reduce the global uncertainty around the health crisis. Still, it will provide some small sense of certainty around how your organization will react to it. People value predictability in times of uncertainty. So, do your small part; Over-communicate and overshare.

2.      Be transparent. Be open and honest with your customers. People will understand things that are not great news when you do. I’ve had two interesting emails from Southwest Airlines and Delta explaining what they were doing to respond to the crisis. They were open and honest, and perhaps more importantly, they weren’t trying to hide or spin things. They acknowledged the issue, explained how they were changing their cleaning process to respond.

3.      Mind the tone of your communication. It is best to have a sincere tone that is authentic, empathetic, and, perhaps most importantly, confident. People want leadership. People want to believe you, and they will only accept you if you’re sincere and feel you’re authentic and empathetic to their situation.

4.      Be fair.  This time is not the time to price gouge. (I’m looking at you online hand sanitizer vendors.)

5.      Listen and be empathetic. I recommend putting yourself in your customers’ shoes (because we are, aren’t we?). Recognize that customers are going to be emotional and anxious. Empathy means that you understand where they’re coming from, but it doesn’t mean you have to give them everything they demand. Listen to your customers.

6.      Invest in the long-term with customers. People will remember the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020, and they will tell their stories. You want them to tell good stories about your company, not cautionary tales. Nobel-Prize winning Economist Professor Daniel Kahneman talks about this with the Peak-End Rule, which says that what people remember about experiences is the strongest emotion they felt (the Peak) and how they felt at the end. Moreover, people still talk about the fact that Southwest Airlines were the only airline after 9/11 that let people change flights without any additional costs. People have long memories when it comes to these things. The long and short of it is to think long term.

7.      Set proper expectations. You should give them the bad news. However, it is essential to tell them WHY you have bad news. While it may upset them at that particular moment, people will understand. (Moreover, if you go back to number two, which is about being transparent, honest and open, and number three, you’re sincere, authentic, empathetic and confident in your approach, then you know you have to tell them the bad news.) People understand the difference between bad things happening to them and how they are treated when bad things happen to them. Also, people with financial difficulties know it is terrible to have them; however, they also remember how people treated them when they had financial problems. This COVID-19 situation is not pleasant for anybody, but people will remember how they are treated by your organization when going through this “not nice” situation. People will make allowances because of that. We’re all in it together.

8.      Think of the next step. Customers feel more confident when they know you are thinking ahead. What we know is this is bad. It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. However, what happens after this? If you have those answers, it will help build a relationship with your customers.

9.      Recognize how people feel coming into the experience. People will be stressed and anxious, and it will be best to do things to mitigate their feelings and manage them to a better place. In other words, when people call into the call center who are feeling stressed and anxious, getting them off the phone as fast as you can might not be the best thing to do. However, you might have to because people are sick in the call center, and you might be understaffed. Well, guess what? You have to be open and honest with people and tell the callers if you can’t spend a lot of time talking to them. The point is, you should recognize that stress and anxiety will be on the other end of the line and react accordingly.

10.   Suggest new ways of interacting. Every cloud has a silver lining, even at times of change like this one. The silver lining here is you could potentially get people to change their habits. If you want them to move online, then maybe now is an opportunity to do that, with some support from you. Now is also a time to help meet customers’ needs by getting them to do something different. If it can coincide with what you want them to do in six months when this is over, then all the better.

 While it’s impossible to predict where we will be in the coming days or months, there are always ways to be ready for change and keep both customers and employees informed. Remember to be adaptable and emphatic. Customers and employees are looking to the government and businesses for guidance right now. Find ways of supporting your community and ask for their support in return.

We’re all in this together. That is key to this COVID-19 situation. You’re in this along with the customers, and we’re all doing our part to fight the virus. The main thing is to keep calm and carry on and just keep safe.

Six Leadership Principles for Developing Humility

Leadership is defined as ‘the process in which an individual influences the group of individuals to attain a common goal’. The goal is attained by mutual cooperation and cohesive behavior. A leader infuses a sense of positivity and directs others to reach the specified goal.

There are many characteristics that make a good and effective leader. Effective leaders should have confidence, determination, strength of character and courage. Traits like being decisive and being a good problem solver are also essential. But one very important characteristic of a leader that makes them earn respect and loyalty from their followers is: humility.

When people are given authority over others, there is a temptation or the tendency to abuse their power over others. Abusive and over-bearing leaders may be capable of making people follow them out of fear. But many employees or followers leave their companies because of arrogant and rude bosses. Ultimately, the company suffers because of this.

There is a clear difference between being a boss and being a leader. A leader provides motivation for others and inspires individuals to aim high and attain a goal. However, a boss only supervises over his subordinates. Power naturally comes to a leader but that power is not a tool of leaders.

Humble leaders get the work done and also gain the respect and love of their followers. This kind of leadership gains loyalty and results in long-term harmonious working relationships. Because of this, it is essential that every leader knows the value of humility and keeps that in mind.

To shape a formal leadership development program, the research suggests a curriculum designed around six basic principles:

1. Know what you don’t know – Resist “Master of the Universe” impulses. You may excel in many things, but as a leader, rely on those who have relevant qualifications and expertise. Know when to defer or delegate.
2. Resist falling for your own publicity – We all tend to put the best spin on our success, and then frequently forget that reality isn’t as flawless. Basking in the glory of a triumph can be energizing, but too big a dose is intoxicating and it can blur our vision and impair judgment.
3. Never underestimate the competition – You may be brilliant, ambitious, and audacious, but the world is filled with other hard-working, highly intelligent, and creative professionals. Don’t let your guard down and think that they and their innovations aren’t a serious threat.
4. Embrace and promote a spirit of service – Employees (and customers) quickly figure out which leaders are dedicated to helping them succeed, and which are scrambling for personal success at their expense.
5. Listen to the weird ideas – There’s ample evidence the most imaginative and valuable ideas tend to come from left field, or perhaps from an employee who may seem a little offbeat or may not hold an exalted position in the organization.
6. Be passionately curious – Constantly welcome and seek out new knowledge, and insist on curiosity from those around you. There are correlations between curiosity and many positive leadership attributes, including emotional and social intelligence. Take it from Albert Einstein: “I have no special talent,” he claimed, “I am only passionately curious.”

Humble leaders are the leaders of tomorrow. They do not assume they know everything. They do not assume ultimate control over everyone else. They are empowered and powerful, but this power is achieved differently than it has been in the past.

Humble leaders connect with others at a human level. They’re open-minded, collaborative and listen to others. They create an atmosphere of trust, respect and equality. Everyone and every business can succeed under humble leadership.

Lean Quote: Bigheads Can’t Improve Because They Can’t Be Wrong

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Bigheads can’t improve because they can’t be wrong."   — Dan Rockwell, Leadership Freak

Humility may be a virtue, but it’s also a competitive advantage.

7 reasons humility is a brilliant idea:

1. You’re not as smart as you think. Make room for ignorance. You don’t know what you don’t know.
2. People that seem stupid become smart as time passes. Your parents got smarter when you had your own kids.
3. Compliments are only partially true. People smile and tolerate your unattractive qualities.
4. Self-made is an arrogant myth. We all stand on the shoulders of others. You’re reaching too low if you aren’t standing on someone’s shoulders.
5. Control is illusion. You live a life of dependency.
6. You’re going to change your mind.
7. Success, in large part, is good fortune. You were at the right place at the right time.

But humility, like other virtues, can be developed. Resolve to work on your own humility and you’ll begin to notice and appreciate its power all around you.

Don’t be afraid to speak of your own failures, weaknesses, and blind spots, and how they have spurred your learning and ultimate success. Doing so will make us all better performers and more effective leaders.

How Company Culture Impacts Employee Morale and What Leaders can Do About It

Creating a strong company culture is a fundamental part of success. You need to invest in it to keep your employee's morale high. Ignore it and you might lose out on your momentum.

In fact, according to a survey, 66 percent of workers believe that company culture is extremely important to an organization's success.

A strong company culture ‒ both internal or external ‒ will make it clear what your organization does, how it does it, and what's expected of it.

When a company is fuzzy or chaotic, then that is where the problems arise.

What is Employee Morale?

In a nutshell, employee morale is the overall attitude, satisfaction, confidence, and outlook workers feel about their work.

When workers are positive about their work environment and feel that it could meet their vocational and career needs, then employee morale runs high.

But the thing is, you can't just give employee morale. What you can do is to control the majority of the components of the environment that workers have each day.

Employees, for instance, are a powerful contributor to whether employee morale will be positive or negative.

How Company Culture Affects Employee Morale

If your company culture is unclear, too rigid, or worse, non-existent, then you might be experiencing the following issues:

Lack of sense of purpose

In the rise of the millennial generation in the workforce, purpose becomes more important than ever. So, it doesn't come as a surprise anymore that a sense of purpose is crucial to maintain a successful work environment.

If your employees have a purpose-driven mindset each time they do their work, then they become more engaged, leading to better performance and productivity, and overall job satisfaction.

Feeling of underappreciation

Most people leave their jobs not because they're overworked or underpaid, but because they feel unappreciated and undervalued.

Remember that two of the most basic human desires are appreciation and validation. Employees need to feel that they matter, and not just merely cogs in a machine.

The good news is that when you invest your time and energy into appreciating their efforts, you’re saving yourself a lot of grief in the long run.

Stressful and toxic environment

Toxic company culture is one of the main causes of stress in the workplace. Also, the impact of a toxic and stressful working environment to your employees is real, both physically and mentally.

Some might not be so obvious or affect the person until they spend an extended period in the workplace.

The following characteristics are present in an unhealthy working environment

●       Lack of positive feedback

●       Lack of work-life balance

●       Bullying

●       Harassment

That's why employers need to find a healthy way to help their staff cope, with all the workplace pressures that come with the job.

Employee disengagement

Workers that are disengaged with their jobs are one of the main reasons why most businesses go bankrupt, and why the office culture has become increasingly toxic.

It’s also the reason why most organizations tend to lose their competitive edge, and most startups are bound to fail.

Not only disengaged employees could negatively impact a business, but it could also cost the company $2,000 for every employee per year.

The number one reason why employees feel disengaged from their jobs is that they no longer feel that their work is serving a purpose.

They're not aware that the individual tasks they're doing contribute a key role in the company's objectives. No one has taken the time to let them know of the priorities of the company, what the goals are, or a sense of recognition for a job well done.

That's why employers and leaders should understand the organization's mission and values by heart. They should behave in a way that rings true in those values. They also should take the time to appreciate their employees for their efforts, and give them the recognition that they deserve.

Over to You

When work becomes toxic, unfulfilling, and pointless, company morale will dip an all-time low.

But when employees feel great at what they do and how they do it, company morale will remain high. That’s because they feel that they belong to something bigger than themselves and will work hard to accomplish goals.

And you will see how it can have a positive impact on your business’s bottom line.

About the Author – Raymond Chiu is the Director of Operations for Maid Sailors Office Cleaning Companies NYC. Maid Sailors offers its customers unrivaled office cleaning services that can address even the toughest cleaning needs. Matched with affordable prices, Maid Sailors is your best partner in helping you turn your office into a work-friendly workplace.

Leading in a Crisis

The real test of leadership does not occur when everything is smooth sailing. Rather, leadership is oftentimes tested during a crisis. Some organizations emerge from a crisis stronger and more ready to thrive than they were before the crisis arrived. The big differentiator that separates them from companies that falter is people – how their leaders empathize, engage, motivate, and capitalize on their talents and knowledge in the face of adversity.

So what can organizations do to turn adversity into an advantage during times of unprecedented uncertainty?

1. Don’t ignore the anxiety people feel. This only magnifies it. It’s important to acknowledge and validate how people feel, as they’re often operating in survival mode – a natural “fight or flight” response. But fight (anger) of flight (escape) reactions keep us from acting on our opportunities. Empathize with how your people think and feel. Bring it out into the open and make them feel safe talking about it. Have managers invite people to write down their feelings in thought bubbles on pieces of paper. Then, as a team, discuss what’s in our control and what’s not. For the things that are within our control, look at them with fresh eyes and outline new ways to approach them in the current environment.
2. Don’t go into hiding. In times of crisis, whether internal or external, the best leaders make themselves highly visible. When employees are uneasy, nervous, or upset, they want to see and hear from their leader. Leaders should remain highly visible and attempt to add some perspective to what’s going on inside or outside of the organization. Visibility and simply showing up go a long way toward building trust and fostering relationships across your team.
3. Actively define reality. People are amazingly able to deal with reality even if it has a significant downside. It’s the unknown that is paralyzing. A leader’s job is to bring the facts about “exactly where we are” to their organization and teams. In times of economic trouble, not only can most people handle it, they crave it. Be truthful about job security. If there are no guarantees, tell them. Uncertainty and ambiguity can be more harmful than the bad news itself. That’s why accurate “big picture” news is an important tool. Providing context for actions – the “whys,” – is essential.
4. Create a new starting line with your people. During times of crisis, people at all levels of an organization can become fixated on what we lose. It could be a vacation, a bonus, equity or 401(k) value, or even a promotion. Now all bets are off. Spending too much time on what people have lost prevents us from creating a new starting line, focusing our energy on the “new normal” and what we can start over with under the new conditions. Letting go of what could have been is a key first step to being focused on success in the new environment.
5. Use urgency as an alignment ally. Instead of looking at change as a crisis lurking just around the corner, accelerate your efforts to analyze and act on problems instead of wandering around them. Urgency can better frame the challenges, engage people in a deeper understanding of the issues, and equip them with the responses necessary to be successful. Urgency is a powerful unifying force. Use it to your advantage!
6. Establish new check-in routines. Staying in touch with your people is more important than ever. Setting a new routine of 15–30-minute check-ins every other day may be more important than ever. These brief interactions can be opportunities to share updates with the team, highlight the latest critical information, and identify adjustments that need to be made for business continuation. These check-ins become a powerful social experience to reinforce that we’re not alone in responding to the challenges we face.
7. Celebrate all victories, large and small. This means even more recognition of the adaptive actions that get positive results. Don’t over-hype the small gains. To use some baseball lingo, it’s the singles and doubles that allow you to emerge stronger and persevere throughout the game.
8. Scout the possibilities. Deputize your people as “opportunity scouts.” Doing so means tapping into what your people know about the current challenges and getting them involved in imagining a response and a recovery plan that creates value in the current environment. No matter how intensive past productivity efforts have been, people can always see more opportunities when they’re engaged in the essential threats we’re facing. Their ideas for weathering the storm on both the cost and revenue sides of the business are often better than what most leaders could implement on their own.
9. Communicate the score. More than ever, people are interested knowing the costs, sales, and financial strength as measures of “how we’re doing.” Pay attention to their curiosity and interest and use it to immerse people in the metrics of the business. In most cases, you’ll institute a new set of targets during times of crisis. “How we’re doing” on these new metrics is essential information to share. Leaders need to balance the tension of “what’s real” with “what’s possible.”
10. Stay positive and highlight the rays of light. Remain as optimistic as possible. How you show up in a crisis has a significant impact. Positive thoughts and actions focus on strengths, successes, opportunities and collaboration. Leaders radiate trust, hope and optimism that leads to positive energy, confidence and purpose. Rays of light exist and should be as much a part of the narrative as any losses we experience.

We are truly in uncharted territory right now, but we are navigating it together. This moment is calling forth the grace in all of us, especially those of us who lead. No matter how effective you are as a leader or how strong your work is, crises are inevitable. However, you can weather nearly any storm by facilitating communication, taking responsibility, acting decisively, practicing self-care, and taking advantage of the unexpected opportunities that a crisis can create. The more centered we are and the more we help our employees feel anchored and valued, the more grace we will collectively have to extend to others. As leaders, we need to ask ourselves are we taking the opportunity to lead – to rise above the chaos and crisis when everything seems impossible.

Lean Quote: Stop Worrying and Start Problem Solving With Six Steps

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy."   — Leo Buscaglia

Feeling worried and anxious? Find some comfort in knowing you're not alone and that these feelings are completely normal. Fear and panic relating to the coronavirus are spreading faster than the virus itself.

Worry is not productive. It’s not helping us problem solve. It’s not helping to motivate us.

And it’s pretty easy to tell the difference between worrying and problem solving. With problem solving, you find solutions. With worry, you just find more worries.

Today, I’m going to tell you the six steps you can take to start problem solving right now.

1.     Figure out a solvable problem. This can be harder than it sounds. First, you have to ask yourself “Is this really a problem?” So many times our problems are actually just worries in disguise. A solvable problem is one that you have control over, and that is happening right now. Solvable problem: I can’t pay both my phone bill and my car insurance. Unsolvable problem: The person I’m dating likes me less than I like them. In the solvable problem, you’re in control of what happens. In the unsolvable problem, you aren’t.

2.     Brainstorm solutions. Try to come up with at least ten. There are no bad ideas when brainstorming. It’s important to push yourself to come up with more than a few because that’s when you’re most likely to have a new idea. Something you haven’t thought of before.

3.     List the Pros and Cons. Pick your favorite two solutions and write out the pros and cons of each solution. Doing so will help you decide which solution to try first.

4.     Decide on a plan. Decide between your solutions. We recommend picking the one you can get started on right away, if possible. Then flesh out your plan. Who is involved? What will happen? When will it happen? Why are you doing it? Where will you do it? How will you do it?

5.     Do your plan. Hopefully you’ve picked something you can do right away.

6.     Evaluate it. How’d it go? Did it work? If not, reflect on why not and consider starting this process over again.

Uncertainty is a fact of life, so try to accept that you will always have to live with and tolerate some uncertainty. Unexpected things happen and accepting this in the longer term will make your life easier and reduce your anxieties.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that your worry will always be helpful. Worrying is normally a very inefficient attempt to problem-solve. So when you worry, try to turn this into useful problem solving by considering what you need to do now to deal with the problem.

Lean Tips Edition #152 (#2491 - 2505)

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey.  Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook.

Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.

Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #2491 – Share Elements of Your Vision in Team and One-On-One Meetings. 

These settings provide a great opportunity to talk more at length about your purpose, core values, and mission as a company. Consider taking one core value and have everyone identify the types of behaviors and actions that demonstrate this core value. Setup one-on-one meetings with your team members to share your vision and how you see them being a key part of that vision.

Lean Tip #2492 – Set Up a Recognition and Reward System for Specific Behaviors That Exemplify Your Vision.

Most employees are worried that their boss will catch them making a mistake on the job. Instead of focusing on the negative, make it a practice for people to call out specific behaviors others are doing that align with your vision. Allow coworkers to recognize each other in meetings. Reward both of them for their efforts to build teamwork and live your vision.

Lean Tip #2493 – Act Consistently With The Vision

It is not enough to communicate vision verbally. Leaders and managers must role model the behaviors that they expect their people to perform. Without this consistency between words and action, credible leadership and the change project will dissipate rapidly, and resistance will grow.

Lean Tip #2494 – Celebrate Milestones and Small Wins in the Process.

In today's organizational environment, change is a constant. Even though the vision may be communicated clearly, it is still "out there." If one waits until the vision is achieved before celebrating, then the recognition of success may always be just out of reach. Leaders celebrate small wins and steps in the right direction. This recognition shows that the change is worth the effort and motivates employees to continue striving toward the vision.

Lean Tip #2495 – Your Vision Should Begin With Your Customers

The long-term survival of an organization depends on how well the organization stays aligned with and serves its internal and external customers. Functional units and the colleagues that comprise them must understand and apply the vision of greatness as they interact with customers and co-workers. 

Lean Tip #2496 – Use a Team to Create the Value Stream Maps and a Plan

Having one person create the map means you used only one brain and two hands. The information gathered may be biased or, even worse, incorrect. Decisions need to be made for what is best for the entire value stream, and that’s hard to do with only one person. Make sure you use a good cross-functional team to walk the shop floor, analyze part flow, gather the information, and then draw the map.

Ideally, someone with experience in VSM should lead the initial meetings. A person who has drawn several maps can help determine the process families with the team, teach the team the correct way to collect data and information, show how to draw the maps, coach toward a better future state, and facilitate a successful event.

Lean Tip #2497 – Draw Your VSM by Hand First

Some VSM software programs help you draw maps and perform many data manipulations. In my opinion, you should learn to draw it by hand first, because it will help you better understand the methodology (see Figure 1). By putting pencil to paper, you emerge yourself in the mapping process, and that’s how it becomes real. Yes, it may seem like a struggle at first, but with practice it becomes easier. The day you can grab a piece of paper, start discussing a problem with a colleague, and draw a map is the day you really start to understand the power of VSM.

Also, maps should be temporary. Once you reach your future state, that becomes the current state and you repeat the process of continuous improvement. Paper and pencil allow you to update maps easily, with no overprocessing waste.

By drawing value streams by hand and sticking to the standard symbols, anyone trained in VSM should be able to read your maps.

If you decide to use software instead of paper and pencil, make sure you are using it for the right reasons, such as for the ability to send a map electronically, and not just to make your maps look prettier.

Lean Tip #2498 – Start With Basic Building Blocks

If you’re trying to create a manufacturing cell when basic concepts such as 5S, standard work, or teamwork are not even present in an organization, good luck. I’m not saying that you can’t jump to a more complex technique or practice right away, but you will have a higher probability for success if you have a start on the basic concepts. This also goes for lean concepts like pull systems and kanban as well as total productive maintenance. Start with some of the basic principles and tools first before you try to implement something more complex.

  

Lean Tip #2499 – Don’t Expect Everything to Show up on the Value Stream Map

Even though the maps will give you great information and insights for improvement, they typically do not have other enterprise wide initiatives that an organization should undertake during its lean journey, such as 5S workplace organization and standardization. A company needs to have 5S everywhere, and VSMs may show only an area or process that needs 5S, not the entire facility. Also, other important functions like communication and training do not usually show up as an action item on a VSM, but these functions are extremely important while implementing lean concepts.

Lean Tip #2500 – Post Maps Where People Will See Them

Don’t hide your maps. A key benefit of displaying your value stream maps is to communicate what is going to happen at your organization over the next few months or during the next year. Many people resist change because they fear the unknown. Posting the maps with the plan removes or eliminates this fear. It’s also a way to start discussions and obtain buy-in and ideas for improvement. Don’t hide your maps; be proud of them!

Lean Tip #2501 – Listen and Observe to Help Employees Overcome Anxiety.

If you know changes are coming, take time to watch and listen carefully to your employees. Whether it's a major restructuring or a modification to a well-established procedure, change or even the anxiety over impending change can unsettle your employees and negatively impact the workplace. Sometimes employees will express their anxiety directly to you, but other times their apprehension becomes apparent through changes in their performance or behavior. This is especially true when change threatens their normal routine. Take the pulse of your organization. Then take steps to deal with the anxiety that you detect.

Lean Tip #2502 – Fix Things if You Can.

After hearing concerns and gathering input, address the issues you have control over. Often, uncertainty results from miscommunication or misunderstandings. If, after listening, you discover an easy way to dispel angst, take the initiative to fix whatever you can as quickly as possible. A reassuring word or guidance from management can have a positive impact on employees in uncertain times. If you find the problems caused by change are beyond your scope, avoid promising things you cannot deliver.

Lean Tip #2503 – Be Positive.

Remain optimistic. Encourage employees to seek out solutions, new ideas or cost savings. Look at procedures and policies and rework them, or propose alternatives with the bottom line in mind. When times are unsettled, it may appear to employees their efforts are not appreciated. By encouraging them to take the initiative you help them to keep moving forward and focused on what can or might be done, rather than fixating on events over which they have no control. As a group, craft creative solutions.

Lean Tip #2504 – Focusing on Things Which You Can Do

It is often a good idea to look forward at good things rather than focusing on something very big. It would always be a good solution to stop complaining on any issue and focus on short term solutions. Take time and help to handle the present situation rather than going in for broader ideas. This is one way to handle and overcome uncertainty.

Lean Tip #2505 – Demonstrate Your Concern.

Effective leaders know they can't achieve their goals if their people aren't performing at their best. Employees, especially in times of stress and challenge, look to management for solutions. They seek guidance when they feel uncertain and isolated from organizational decisions that are out of their control. As a first step, be an example of transparency and honesty. Open the lines of communication between management and employees. Talk openly and regularly about what you know, and encourage input. Show you care about your people's welfare by understanding their concerns and by doing whatever you can to help them.