What can you do to stay focused and upbeat during this uncertain time? - 7 minute read.
If you are someone who is leading a team, how often do you find yourself inundated with information, or pressed for time, or surrounded by risk? Do you feel overwhelmed when there is a lack of clarity in how to approach a critical issue?
We are living in a time of unprecedented changes in lifestyle, work patterns, and geopolitical events. There are pandemics and wars raging and this has changed even how we greet people, where we meet our friends.
Do you find yourself trying to figure out how to navigate through these changes and make progress in the middle of chaos?
Do you feel like everyone looks up to you for answers, yet you feel alone as the one who makes the toughest decisions without much of a playbook. The buck stops with you and all gains can be wiped out by a single mistake.
“As a manager, you aren’t sure what you’re supposed to do and how how’re supposed to do it."
There is no playbook for leaders. To weather a crisis you have to come up with your set of rules of behavior? But there are a few precepts that you can draw inspiration from.
Here are 4 ways you can navigate uncertainty with poise and turn upheaval into opportunity.
Tip #1 - Quieten the mind.
Managing emotions should always be a part of your strategy.
Take your worries off your mind and into a collection tool.
When encountering new information, do something with it. Write it down. Read it aloud. Formulate questions. Put it to a small test. Ask others "Did you know that…?" Most new information is really unfamiliar information.
The very act of physically putting the worrying into something that is external to you, even if it is just a piece of paper, can bring about noticeable relief. This method acts as an "Anxiety Kill Switch".
If you want to learn more about the theory of "open loops and overwhelm", read "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity" by David Allen. Its a critically acclaimed book that gives you valuable insights on how to reduce stress and increase productivity.
As wikipedia states, "The Getting Things Done (GTD) method rests on the idea of moving all items of interest, relevant information, issues, tasks and projects out of one's mind by recording them externally and then breaking them into actionable work items with known time limits."
While you can use a piece of paper or a notebook as a collecting tool for your thoughts, carrying it around might soon become a burden. Instead you can use an online tool such as The Toot App's Worktable that is accessible from anywhere. The Worktable is designed to make it easy for you to collect thoughts, to-do's and anything else you may be worried about in a neat easy-to-use collection platform, which you can overwrite as much as you want as you go along.
Tip #2 - Work On Your Vision.
You can be the greatest manager in the world… but that wont do you a bit of good if you cannot get your team to buy in to your vision.
In fact, the clearer and simpler the vision is, the more portable it is, and the easier people can understand it and believe in it. And the easier it is for them to spread it! And make it viral!
And there is nothing in this world that is more powerful than a vision that becomes VIRAL !
For this is how the Berlin Wall came tumbling down at the end of the last Cold War. Or for that matter, how the Beatles became famous. It all started with a vision !
But first, you need to simplify the vision to make it portable. So that it can evolve into something viral. But how do you simplify the vision? How do you turn it into something compelling and portable? What process can you use to do this consistently?
You have to hold the vision in your eyes.
Give it form.
Chisel away at it.
Prune it.
Distill the essence of it.
To make it much purer and stronger than before.
Until it goes on to inspire and persuade millions of people - your team today and your future customers tomorrow.
Ask yourself this...
What is the value of having a vision that is SO compelling, that it becomes "viral", and goes on to inspire millions around the world.
PRICELESS ?
Tip #3 - Engage With Your Team Like Never Before.
The keys to leading change are trust and clear communication. Build trust with your teams by creating avenues for open, two-way communication, not only about the change itself but also the timing and impact.
Communicate constantly the vision and engage your teams in both the excitement of creation as well as the dedication to providing results.
Tip #4 - Brainstorm Regularly With Your Team.
The more you brainstorm with your team, the more you give shape to your vision.
And the more your team see themselves as having contributed towards your vision, the more faith they will have in it.
And when you have set up a process to do this regularly, you have taken the first steps towards building a GREAT team.
A team that believes in themselves, and rallies around a compelling vision, with faith in the roadmap they sketch together.
And I can promise you this…. When you finally have a team that believes in your vision, they will figure things out for you on a day-to-day basis. Far more effectively without you needing to push them. They will chase their managers around to solve your problems. Your investors will chase you to give you money to realize your vision which is now also THEIR vision. And you will no longer spend sleepless nights.
The Toot App Will Help You Give Form To Your Vision.
If you would like to know more about how you can build a Rock Star team that will help you achieve your vision, you can try The Toot App.
The Toot App is an entirely new and exciting way to:
create a compelling vision and a roadmap together with your team,
build trust and belief in your journey together,
lay the foundation of a strong company culture.
and by doing all the above, build you a great team.
Its a new SaaS app that works on the cloud, and if you want a motivated workforce that is fully aligned with your vision and is 100% invested in your success without you needing to chase them around to get things done..... Then This Is For You.
Try The Toot App today to find out how you can
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