The Tingley Advantage Inc.

Improving the Way You Do Business

Rituals for Businesspeople

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Quick Facts

  • Anxiety is always a challenge, and it may be heightened during times of uncertainty and rapid change.
  • Anxious circumstances can make stress-inducing tasks like giving presentations or having difficult conversations even more stressful.
  • Rituals can be used as a tool to create feelings of calm and control.
  • Rituals can be empathy-, exertion-, spiritual-, or mantra-based, depending on what works for your personality and preferences.

Detailed Analysis

We’ve heard again and again that anxiety levels are high, and the shift to remote work has only exacerbated the problem. Consider some scenarios: a manager who already finds giving presentations nerve-wracking now has to give them via video, adding a layer of technical difficulty and making it harder to connect with the audience; a leader has to give bad news or difficult feedback to an employee over the phone rather than in person; a businessperson whose children are now at home full-time is trying to interview for a new job with the noise of play in the background.

In the remote world, even just starting your workday in what may be a less-than-conducive work environment can be stress-inducing. Any of these scenarios would be stressful under normal circumstances; add some of the current complications to the mix, and for some they become downright daunting. How can we boost our confidence and re-claim our calm in these situations?

Science suggests that using rituals is a natural human propensity that we can consciously leverage to manage stressful situations, likely because they give us a sense of control and predictability when things feel overwhelming or scary. Although not a panacea, using rituals before stressful situations can boost confidence and calm.

What ritual you choose will depend on your personality and preferences, and there is no one-size-fits all ritual for everyone. Effective rituals can include things as different as performing vigorous jumping jacks, to sitting in stillness and breathing deeply.

The important feature seems to be that it is planned and predictable – so you do the jumping jacks or the deep breathing 10 minutes before your presentation, every time you present, for example. Again, it’s the sense of familiarity and predictability that seems to have the calming effect. An HBR report on this phenomenon suggests that there are four basic types of ritual you can try:

  1. Empathy-based rituals focus on connecting with others. Examples could include taking some time to speak with meeting or presentation attendees before your formal presentation (on a video conference, this could mean opening the call 5 or 10 minutes early for some informal chat) or visualizing things from the audience’s point of view (for example, before a difficult phone conversation, visualizing the other person’s perspective).
  2. Exertion rituals focus on moving your body and expelling some of the excess energy and tension that can build prior to a stressful conversation or event. A quick walk, jumping up and down, dancing around – anything that utilizes your body’s movement counts as an exertion ritual.
  3. Spiritual rituals can connect us with whatever it is that grounds us – our beliefs, values, or even just our connection to our breath. Prayer, meditation, and deep breathing can all be used as spiritual rituals.
  4. Mantra rituals involve repetition of a meaningful phrase or word – for example “I am present to this moment” or something as simple as “Breathe”.  There is no magic to any set of words – the repetition itself seems to be what is soothing, and the words can give you a positive focal point to direct your energy towards

Whatever ritual you choose to try, it is not a replacement for other important steps – for example, practicing your presentation and being really familiar with its content, or preparing for your difficult conversation. However, a ritual can give us a sense of calm and control in difficult situations, enabling the hard work and preparation we’ve done to shine in its best light.  

Getting People to Change their Behaviour

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Quick Facts

  • It’s natural for individuals and teams to resist behaviour change, but it’s a necessary business reality, and managers need to know how to support it.
  • Start by gaining buy in for the change, to minimize resistance and leverage your team’s capabilities.
  • Then, make the process of adopting new behaviours as manageable and sustainable as the business will allow.

Detailed Analysis

As we’ve looked at before, change is difficult. As humans, we are hard-wired to resist change, and its easy for us to perceive it as a threat. At a common-sense level, we can see this is true – it’s easier and more familiar to continue doing what we’ve always done than to do something different (ever tried to launch a new fitness regime?) Still, change is part of life, and even more so in our rapidly changing technological world. As a manager, you need strategies in your toolkit to help your team change behaviours when the business calls for it.

Gain Buy In

If changing behavior can trigger reluctance and resistance, changing behaviour because you are forced to do so can trigger downright hostility and complete refusal. This works against your employee, you, and your business. To lay the groundwork for behavioural change, you need buy in. How?

  • Start with context. Rather than introducing a new set of behaviours (say, using a new software tool or following a new process) in isolation, give employees the big picture so they can see for themselves why new behaviours are necessary. For example, if a new process is being implemented, start with a conversation about the changing needs of the business and the ways the old process is falling short. Your team will likely formulate for themselves the idea that a new process is a necessity, even before you introduce it.
  • Help them see why the old way doesn’t work anymore (and why the new state is better). And as much as possible, coach them through this thought process rather than telling them ‘how it is’. Once they have context, ask your team why they feel the current way of doing things might not be viable anymore, or which aspects are still relevant, and which aren’t. Similarly, discuss with them the rationale behind the new processes and ask for their feedback about what might work well and what might be challenging to implement (not only does this uncover their fears and resistance to the new behaviours but can help you identify the pitfalls to manage when you get to the implementation stage).
  • Personalize the benefits. Change is driven by the business needs, but in many cases, changes can lead to benefits for your team – for example, learning a new technology can be difficult but oftentimes might be more efficient or easier to use in the long run. When possible, identify and share how your team will benefit personally from changes to increase their motivation.
  • Make it their idea. This is not always a possibility (for example, if new behaviours are being driven by regulatory change or safety requirements), but whenever possible, give your team the opportunity to provide input into what new behaviours need to happen. Present them with the business problem you are trying to solve and let them generate ideas to solve it. This gives them a feeling of empowerment and lowers resistance (it’s hard to resist a behaviour you yourself have suggested is needed). Additionally, team members can bring a frontline perspective to many issues, and they may generate even better, more efficient, or effective behaviours to support the business.

Manage the Change Process

We’ve discussed the change management process in depth here and here. In addition to these tips, consider using a slow and steady approach towards implementing the new behaviours.

  • Help them shift a little at a time. Back to the new fitness regime – ever tried to do that, and change your diet, and start waking up at 5 a.m. to meditate, all in the same week? How successful were you? How sustainable where the changes over the long term? If you’re like most people, drastic and sudden change is not only unsustainable, but it can lead to discouragement and failure
  • Whenever possible, define the most important change, and focus. Once this change has been mastered and becomes habit, then move on to the next change.
  • Provide constructive feedback. Change can take time and old habits die hard. Mistakes will be made. As much as possible, keep feedback constructive and positive, and focus on successful progress rather than perfection.
  • Set a timeline and expectations. As much as possible, we need to support our teams through the process, giving them the flexibility, they need to adapt. But ultimately, your team is responsible for doing their job in a way that delivers what the business needs. Consequences for failing to change behaviour should be a last resort, and by setting clear expectations upfront, you can minimize the chance of getting to this point.

Change isn’t easy, but it’s always possible. Try these tips to support your team whenever they need to tackle the challenges of new behaviours.        

Talking to Teams During Uncertain Times

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Quick Facts

  • Talking to teams during uncertain times may be one of the most difficult communication challenges may managers will face.
  • Teams look to leadership for reassurance, so you need to ensure adequate support for yourself so that you can support others.
  • Paint a picture of the future that teams can rally around, but avoid over-promising.
  • Be consistent, and remind your team that you are there to support them when they need it.

Detailed Analysis

Difficult conversations are daunting. Difficult conversations during times of profound uncertainty are perhaps the greatest challenge many managers have ever faced. People are scared – for their jobs, the families, and their health. And as their manager, many will look to you for leadership and guidance during this time. As a manager, you are faced with walking the line between providing reassurance and avoiding promises that you can’t possibly keep. What do you say and do when you can’t be sure that ‘everything will be ok’? Below are practical tips for dealing with this communication challenge.

Recognize that they are looking to you for reassurance. When employees share fears or concerns with you, it’s appropriate to empathize – but not to unload your own fears and issues. As the leader in the situation, it’s your responsibility to provide a sense of stability. Your team can’t lean on you when you are unstable yourself.

  • Be honest with yourself and acknowledge what is going on for you.
  • Reach out to the appropriate supports for yourself – your own manager perhaps, or other employee support resources.
  • Once you have met your own needs, you are in a far better position to support the needs of your team.

Paint a picture of the future that people can rally towards. Uncertain times might mean that the future is unclear, or that you need to be prepared to pivot or adapt unexpectedly. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a plan. In fact, imagining and planning for your future state can provide a focal point for team struggling to find balance.

  • Given the information you have now, paint a picture of what could be.
  • Consider what opportunities are being presented by the current challenge, and what does a positive outcome looks like.
  • Communicate this vision with your team, and use it to re-frame their current issues and challenges. For example, if they are struggling with working remotely, help them to envision what success in this area looks like and define steps to move in that direction. Not only does this create a positive shift in focus, but it lets your team members feel empowered and like they have at least some control in unpredictable times.

Do not over-promise or make commitments you can’t or aren’t certain you can keep. Optimism is good. But honestly is essential. The sweet spot is a sense of optimism based in the realities of the situation. If your industry has been upended, it’s optimistic but dishonest to say results won’t be affected and jobs are completely safe. An honest optimist would acknowledge the threat, and then focus on tangible actions that can be taken to mitigate it. Making promises you can’t keep might feel easy in the moment, since you are telling people what they want to hear.  Ultimately, though, your team members will realize sooner or later that you haven’t been frank with them which will erode trust for the long-term.  Instead, for example, you can reassure them that their jobs are likely safe, even though some cuts will be inevitable. But what can we say when the honest news is not good news?

  • Trust that your teams are adults who can deal with difficult information.
  • Provide just the facts that they need to know and avoid speculation or unconfirmed information.
  • Emphasize what’s being done to mitigate potential negative turns of events and what supports are available to them.
  • Reassure them that you will share accurate information with them as soon as you are able to do so.

Try to be consistent. When things change, explain why, and what the new course will be. This can be a challenge in dynamic and changeable situations. As we’ve seen in recent weeks, things can change quickly and unpredictably. How can we create a sense of consistency under these circumstances? By focusing on the items that are under our control, such as:

  • Consistent updates let our team know when they can expect information, so that they feel up to date on the situation. This might take the form of a daily update email or weekly team meeting – whatever is appropriate to your context.
  • Consistent expectations help the team to feel in control of their performance and efforts. This means that expectations are clearly communicated and ideally documented, so that teams don’t feel they are aiming at a moving target.
  • Consistent availability means your team knows when and how to reach out to you. This doesn’t mean you are available 24/7 – it might look like set ‘office hours’ when they know you’ll be available for a quick call or text conversation, or an assurance that you’ll answer emails from the team by the end of the day.

Of course, the problem with change is that it often comes without warning. When this is the case, communicate. Let your team know what has changed, and why. Explain to them how it affects their daily efforts, including the updates and expectations above. Encourage them to use your availability to discuss specific concerns and map their new course.

Make sure your team knows you’re available for them. Ultimately, the actions outlined above let your team know that you are a trusted source of information and reassurance during difficult times. Simple, frequent reminders that you are available to answer questions and address confusion or concern can go a long way towards mitigating your team’s fears and keeping them focused and productive.  

Managing Change – Part 2

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  • In the last post, we looked at the first three stages of the Satir Change Model: Late Status Quo, Resistance and Chaos. In this article, we investigate Integration and the New Status Quo.
  • These phases represent the opportunity for your team to create positive change.
  • This article will outline the practical strategies you can implement to maximize the benefits of constructive change.

Detailed Analysis

The Satir Change Model outlines the process individuals and teams for through when faced with change.  The Chaos phase represents a low point, with measurable performance plummeting to a low point. However, at the end of the chaos phase, a transforming idea emerges. As mentioned last time, this may be a new process, marketing strategy or way of doing business.

It’s the idea that transforms the change from a threat into an opportunity, and precedes the final two stages of change.

Phase 4 – The Integration Phase The integration phase is when the transforming idea is integrated into your business, so that it can become part of ‘business as usual’. This can be both invigorating and frustrating, as details are ironed out, problems arise, and tweaks must be made. During the integration phase, leaders need to:

  • Be open to constructive criticism and willing to alter the way things are done, as the new way forward is tested and refined.
  • Recognize that integration involves learning and practicing new skills, and thus mistakes and missteps should be expected, and perhaps even encouraged, so that employees feel safe in their efforts to master the new way forward.

Once changes are integrated, Phase 5, the new status quo, begins. If the change process was effectively managed, as the model shows, performance can increase, sometimes significantly, from where it was prior to the change. During the new status quo phase, leaders can maximize the positive effects of change, by:

  • Celebrate your success! Chances are it’s been a bumpy road as you’ve navigated the process of change. Take time to recognize your team for what they have achieved.
  • Remember that the status quo is not forever – continue to encourage innovation, improvement, and proactive change, to continue strengthening your team’s change management muscle.

Change is inevitable – and hard – but it needn’t be negative. Change represents uncertainty and risk, but also opportunity and growth. As a leader, you have a huge influence of what the experience of change looks like for your team. By proactively understanding and managing the change process, you can guide your team through change in a beneficial way.

Managing Change – Part 1

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Quick Facts

  • Change is an inherent part of life, as is resistance to change. Learning to manage change is a key business and life skill.
  • The Satir Change Model breaks change into five stages: Late Status Quo, Resistance, Chaos, Integration and the New Status Quo.
  • Each stage requires particular change management strategies to navigate it effectively.
  • This article will outline the practical strategies you can implement in the first three phases, and my next article will outline strategies for the final two.

Detailed Analysis

It’s an age-old adage that is perhaps more relevant in our time (and particularly in recent weeks) than it has ever been – change is inevitable, whether it be in our industry, our career, our team, or our lives. While change is an inherent part of the human condition, so is resistance to change. Change increases uncertainty, threatens standing, and raises self-doubt as we wonder whether we can meet new expectations – all things humans are naturally resistant to dealing with. Additionally, personality traits such as risk-aversion mean that individuals will react to change very differently. While some might enjoy the stimulation that change brings (even seek it out), others will cling tenaciously to the status quo.

As leaders, how can we facilitate the change process? Every change may be different, but the process of change was effectively mapped by author and therapist Virginia Satir, who pioneered the Satir Model of Change. This map can help us understand what is happening during each phase of the change process, and what we as leaders can do to make that phase smoother, easier and more productive.

 

Phase 1 – Late Status Quo. During this phase of change (or what may be called ‘pre-change’), business is as usual. Performance is relatively stable and adequate. This is a comfortable phase for our team to be in – remember, humans generally like safety and stability. As a leader during the late status quo phase, we can already support change:

  • Encourage your team to maintain a growth mindset and remain open to new ideas and new thinking.
  • Remember: change is a given. Only the specific type and timeline of changes may be a surprise.
  • Keep abreast of what’s happening in your industry, your organization, your political landscape – any factors which might necessitate change for your team. Staying informed can minimize the risk of being completely surprised by a disruption.
  • Encourage education, innovation and new ideas. A team that is open to change during stable periods can hone their change management skills so they are better able to cope.

The late status quo phase ends with a foreign element being introduced – this can be a new competitor, changing regulatory environment, or unexpected massive shift in how we work. Whatever it is, it catalyzes change by disrupting the status quo.

Phase 2 – Resistance. Change is usually first met with resistance. This can take different forms: underestimation of the change’s importance, refusal to adapt, or flat-out denial. Resistance is generally born of fear and is a dangerous place to stay stuck, as it makes adaptation impossible. As a leader during the resistance phase:

  • Encourage open communication. Give your team the opportunity to process their reactions. Discuss why change is necessary. This may help the team accept the reality of the situation and shift their thinking towards risk mitigation and solutions.
  • Look for change-positive team members – this is their moment. As we mentioned, some individuals with more risk-tolerant and adventurous personalities (or just more experience dealing with change) may embrace the opportunity for newness that change brings. Seek these individuals on your team and leverage their attitude to positively influence the rest of the team.

Phase 3 – Chaos. When change hits, chaos can emerge. At this point, there is no ‘normal’, and teams may be at a loss to know what to do. Reactivity can kick in, and tried and true methods may be tossed. The chaos phase can be truly disconcerting (and as the model illustrates, productivity drops). But it can also be an invigorating and creative moment for your team. The door is open to a fresh start and a new way of doing business. As a leader, you can make the most of the chaos phase by:

  • Encouraging your team to brainstorm, discuss and test out new ideas. Generate lots of ideas; eventually one will be the transforming idea (more on this later).
  • Keeping an eye on the big picture, knowing that the chaos phase is temporary, and reassure team members that this is the case.
  • Creating as much stability and support as possible for your team.

Out of chaos comes the transforming idea – this idea enables you to find your way forward in the new world. It may be a new process, marketing strategy or way of doing business. It’s the idea that transforms the change from a threat into an opportunity. The transforming idea drives the next phase: the integration phase. We’ll look at the integration phase and the new status quo in the next article.