are employees angry? take time to listen.
by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals
there should be trust among individuals, trust among teams and finally, trust within an organization. the first two have their particular challenges, but when you consider establishing trust across an entire organization, you have to address issues that have been wider impact such as how to communicate pending layoffs, changes in employee benefit packages, or the sale or merger of the firm or organization.
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a firm or company must explain the how as well as the what and the why when informing employees. change can be shocking, it can be demoralizing and it can raise stress to unhealthy levels. it can also increase feelings of hurt and betrayal. we are in a state of flux because of the covid-19 pandemic, which has only added to the tough challenges of globalization, technology and competition. these and other change agents have long been a source of angst well before the pandemic appeared on our radar screens.
observe. acknowledge. support.
what happened and why? this is a question employees at all levels ask when their professional lives are upended. they remember the work environment and business philosophy when they first started in the organization. what began as a business impact becomes more of an emotional impact. leaders feel uncomfortable witnessing their employees’ grief. they never considered or prepared for the “human” side of running a business. “it’s just the cost of doing business,” they tell their people. this hardened (some say ruthless) approach is what they feel most comfortable with. it’s what they trained and were hired for. leaders are oblivious to the damage done to employees’ psyche. morale and motivation are depleted, and employees start to feel they are responsible for the continued decline of the firm or company. in all, they feel betrayed.
betrayal is an overwhelming feeling. it leads to an air of resignation and diminished trust in the organization’s leaders. if leaders do not address betrayal, then they will lose the support and trust of all employees. while leadership does not communicate fully and completely, you can be sure that employees congregating around the water cooler (or a zoom after-hour cocktail gathering) will fully express their feelings. if this is the case, then leaders need to raise their own level of awareness. the key point for leaders is not to think that once a major issue disappears “all will be good.”
in many cases, this is just being delusional.
leaders must really listen to the anger and despair employees feel and find out what is important to their people.
if your organization’s values statement claims that openness and honesty are at the top of the list, then encourage and allow employees to express their feelings in a constructive way. it will enable them to reduce their level of negative feelings and pent-up frustration. as a leader, however you choose to do this – whether by zoom or in-person meeting with direct reports or even through the use of an outside consultant/facilitator – it must send a message that you actually care. if you allow employees to verbalize their distress, you in turn have to pay close attention to what they are feeling and respond accordingly; specifically, that you can empathize and respect their hurt.
as i mentioned, this dynamic may be too tough for some leaders because they either never had the necessary training or their my-way-or-the-highway approach has been the organization’s guiding principle. so, if the leader can guide the discussion on healing – first with key employees and then with the entire organization – this will begin to right the ship.
“contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don’t; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create.” – stephen m.r. covey
leaders should be taking the temperature within their organization. listen to what is being said from the common areas and shop floors to the cafeteria and c-suites. besides listening to the expressed feelings of concern, doubt, frustration and anger, among other emotions, look at the behaviors of the employees. as a leader, don’t stop at listening to what is being said;
- acknowledge employees’ feelings,
- respond to them with sincere empathy and
- avoid being defensive about decisions that were made.
so, listen carefully, understand and acknowledge employees’ true feelings without a throwaway line like “i get it.” no one wants to feel dismissed or disregarded. a lack of sincerity can easily be sensed, and because of this, trust will surely be damaged.
the best outcome is when employees not only share their true feelings and the leader understands but also asks insightful and meaningful questions. this may not result in immediate changes or modifications, but it does lay the groundwork for a more open work environment. this is especially crucial in an organization going through a major transformation. leaders must believe their employees understand the new direction being taken along with the plans to get there. equally as important, the leader should explain how the employees’ skills, abilities and talents will play a role in helping the organization achieve its objectives.
to close the loop on this, leaders should ensure that their people will receive the necessary support and resources to fulfill their responsibilities at the highest levels. this, too, will help to regain some necessary trust.
it’s a two-way street
as in any two-way relationship, employees should also understand what top leadership is going through. if a leader inadvertently commits a mistake, this should not immediately mean that he or she cannot be trusted. it simply shows that the leader is also making adjustments and has to navigate the learning curve. here, too, is a perfect opportunity for leaders to admit mistakes and take responsibility, and give something back to employees that is more far-reaching than what was initially taken away from them.
finally, a promise has such an intangible value. make a promise, keep a promise. trust results from promises kept – for both leaders and employees. do not make promises you cannot keep. if you cannot keep a promise, let it be known and try to agree on a modified commitment.
anything can be achieved; it is just a matter of whether trust serves as an organizational foundation.