Some call it faith or hope or maybe even magic, but ultimately trust is a key factor in the role of the optimistic individual. We are most definitely in uncertain times. As a phenomenological researcher, I have been fascinated with watching leaders in all capacities react to the pandemic taking place. The reactions have been on a wide pendulum of great to “holy s($(t, you should really step out of that role.”
In our organizational exit research, the number one theme that is revealed is the betrayal of trust. Sometimes that betrayal of trust is instant, a crucible moment. Most of the time, the betrayal of trust is a crucible momentum. A momentum is much harder to overcome because trust is eaten away, little by little.
Trust, and thus optimism, can be built with great communication. Unfortunately, when times are uncertain, communication is slow, obscure and secretive, in your face lying, lacking compassion, and more. Why do you think people make up stories during uncertain times (gossip is on the rise)? Uncertainty creates fear and fear makes people want to self-protect. It’s incredibly hard to be optimistic when you can’t trust the people around you and leading you. I did recently ask a leader a pretty blunt question about a situation. His response was, “I have no idea” with hands in the air, a bit of a giggle, and a shake of the head. Was it the answer I wanted? No. It was an honest and human answer, and THAT made my trust in him more solid. Even better, I felt respected. I wasn’t being fed a line of crap or being appeased.
Leaders, uncertainty creates fear, and your strong communication skills are needed more than ever. You’ll never please everyone in how or what you communicate, and people-pleasing is not your first priority right now. Be honest. Overcommunicate. Say “I don’t know.” Say “I can’t tell you right, but I will.” Be compassionate. Be transparent. Stop being selfish, this isn’t all about you. And PLEASE, for the love of all that is sacred, stop creating web pages that take 45823 clicks to get to the important stuff.
Team members, you have a huge responsibility here too. Your leaders are human, and don’t always know the answer. Help support each other. Stop being selfish, it’s not all about you. Ask questions, respectfully. Think outside the box. Work to make things as fair as possible (we may not always be able to do this, but we can sure as hell try). Support your organization. Michael Jordan did not win championships on his own. It took the support and work of the ENTIRE team.
Optimism requires a bit of trust. We all play a role in building strong relationships that are respectful and provide the ability to trust in each other. This isn’t all about one person. It’s about teams, organization, and community. I am a little worried about the level of selfishness I see taking place and how it is eating at optimism. How about we tap into some compassion for a while? Uncertain times can create some incredible results…when we tackle the issues…with compassion…and optimism!
What will you do this week to tap into your optimism? Please share.