Anton J. Gunn

There are several things I found helpful to keep employees engaged during uncertainty. If leaders do these four things, they will not only keep employees engaged they will increase their confidence regardless of the uncertainty: 1. Minimize the fear of the unknown by being transparent. 2. Turn your naysayers into believers 3. Help people to understand change is good 4. Keep people focused on the future after the uncertain period is over.

Navigating conflicting work styles in a diverse team requires three things: 1. Empathy, 2. Clear communication, and 3. Flexibility. Start by understanding each team member's strengths and preferences with open conversations. Create an inclusive environment where their perspectives are valued and respected. Most importantly, start the conversation focused on team goals without the goals, you don’t know how to elevate individual strengths towards one end point. Always address any conflict early. Focusing a culture of mutual respect and adaptability, you can harness the unique contributions of each team member, turning those conflicts into opportunities for growth.

One thing I found helpful is to build your breaks by quarter. Most people take their “vacation” in the summer and they take it for a full week. That reduces your recovery time to once a year. When I worked in high stressed environments, I made a plan to take a break every 3 months. I build those breaks by adding a vacation day or two around a quarterly holiday. For example: Q1 Break would be near Easter, Q2 Break would be near July 4, Q3 Labor Day and Q4: Thanksgiving. Taking two vacation days near the holiday, coupled with a weekend allows you four mini-vacations a year.

This might be the most important step in change management. I found it most helpful to acknowledge the concerns that people have but you should also acknowledge the resistance. Stating the obvious allows people to feel seen and heard. It also allows you to get to the core of their concerns. It might manifest as resistance but it really could be they just wanted to be included in the decision-making process that led to the change in the first place.

I actually disagree with most of this advice. If your coaching is leading your clients down a path of more risk as their companies, you probably should consider terminating the relationship and finding them another coach. I think one of the greatest responsibilities executives have is to mitigate risk. The last thing they need is a coach guiding them towards more risk.

The best way to recognize your employees is to do it publicly in front of their colleagues and co-workers. You want their peers to see their greatness just like you do.