5 Principles for Guiding Your Team Through Uncertainty

Change and turbulent times can be unsettling for you and for those who work for you. However, this uncertainty can also manifest in opportunities for growth and resilience. 

During these evolving conditions, use these principles to help your staff navigate.

1. Over-communicate

Be transparent, consistent, and accessible as you present information to your staff.

People who are afraid of the future often resort to speculation, relying on rumors as fact. In this environment, you need to combat these tendencies by over-communicating.

If you know something, share it. If you yourself are still in the dark, be honest about that as well. Your transparency will help to build trust.

Additionally, consistency is vital. No matter who you are talking to, deliver the same message. That should include via every channel and across all levels of your organization.

Finally, don’t hide in your office. Hold regular meetings, making yourself available for private conferences with individuals who have questions. Doing so allows team members to express their concerns while giving you a clear view of each person’s opinions and worries. 

In situations when you want to learn about a staff member’s strengths and challenges, harness the power of employee management tools and data analytics to dive into the details.

2. Redirect the team towards the controllable

Guide the team toward issues and tasks that they can affect. Define the next priority, maintain core operations, and empower individual action.

Loss of control is one of the most disturbing facets of uncertainty. As a team leader, it’s your job to redirect your team away from external factors that they cannot influence and toward those that they can affect.

A good leader does this by identifying important tasks that can be completed in the near future. Achieving these smaller goals helps to boost confidence and aid staff in renewing their commitment to your business’s success.

Grounding and stability can also be bolstered when you identify your company’s core priorities and functions. Maintaining them in spite of external uncertainty can furnish your team with a common goal that everyone can embrace.

Finally, an increased sense of control can be found when people have autonomy over their specific job responsibilities. 

As the person in charge, you can make this happen by identifying each member’s gifts and talents so that you can harness them in a way that helps both your company and the individual involved.

3. Be ready to experiment

You may need to find a new way forward during times of upheaval. Be ready to pivot and experiment, seeking varied input.

Adaptation proved essential to survive the recent pandemic, and future uncertain times will be no different. Prepare your team by fostering a culture that encourages curiosity, learning, testing, and changing course when necessary.

Minimize risk by giving permission to your team to run small test experiments. Your entire team can benefit from a diverse set of perspectives. Feedback from a wide cross-section of roles and experiences can enrich the discourse, often acting as a catalyst for growth and innovation.

4. Demonstrate financial stability

Financial stability is the bedrock of team confidence and morale. When employees aren't worried about the company's ability to make payroll, they can remain focused and productive, even when external pressures mount. 

Maintaining consistent cash flow is paramount for effective leadership. Same-day funding from your merchant service provider directly addresses the challenge of lagging funds by depositing your daily sales revenue into your account within hours instead of days. 

This immediate access to capital ensures you can reliably meet payroll, pay suppliers on time, and cover unexpected expenses without hesitation, providing a crucial buffer against financial volatility.

This sense of security is invaluable, fostering loyalty and allowing you to guide your team with confidence through any period of uncertainty.

5. Take care of your needs

Eat and sleep well, finding healthy ways to cope with the pressure that everyone is feeling. You will be amazed at how quickly other members of the team begin to model your positive behaviors.

Work to project calm and self-assuredness amidst uncertainty. This can be fostered by celebrating successes, projecting a positive vision of the future, and coping with your own stress.