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Since September 11, people are talking more—in the workplace; in their
homes; with their friends; and with strangers.
I fly a lot—I’m one of those road warriors who routinely logs in excess of
100,000 miles each year and working on my second million miles with United
Airlines. Since the 11th, I’ve been to Paris, New York, San Francisco and
Portland via the airlines, not to mention driving from Orlando and to Sioux
Falls and Kansas City. Friends routinely ask me, “Are you afraid to fly
now?” My answer is no.
One captain on a recent flight welcomed passengers on board and preceeded to
say that the FAA was still working on “policy” as how to handle any
problems, i.e.—future hijackings. He said that until something was handed
down, he had a few suggestions. First of all, there are usually 200
passengers on a plane, a far greater number than one to four terrorists.
With that in mind, if anything . . . anyone, begins to act out, be
disruptive or threatening, he wanted all the passengers to immediately start
tossing pillows, blankets, purses, briefcases, you name it . . .if it can be
lifted, heave it at the person(s).
He felt certain that that actively alone would pretty much squelch an
aggressive posturing and enable a few of the passengers to knock down or
restrain the antagonist until the pilots could notify the control towers and
land.
With that said, he asked everyone to look around, introduce themselves to
their immediate seat neighbors. We would be a quasi-family for the next few
hours and we needed to make the best of it. Everyone understood what he
said, and why he said it.
A New Challenge
Today more than ever, crises abound. Our nation faces a challenge like none
other. And so do many companies. The events of September 11th have bred fear
into the very fabric of us all.
How should you respond? What should you say not only to rally people around
a common cause, but also to quell fears, ease concerns, and bring employees
together? The captain on the plane eased apprehension and brought the
passengers together. When President Bush addressed the world, he said,
“Either you are with America or you are with the terrorists.”
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke at the United Nations and said, “In your
heart, you can’t be neutral on terrorism. You are either for it, or against
it.”
Each communicated a vision, and effectively motivated others—passengers,
citizens—Congress, and the world—to come together for the common good. The
words that you elect to choose to covey your message can make you or break
you. They can make the difference between advancing and retreating, between
motivation and stalling, and between growth and prosperity or decline and
possibility going out of business.
Credibility Counts
Trust is not created overnight. There are a few things that you can do to
kick start it:
Admit what you don’t know. No one knows everything. If you don’t know the
answer when queried, say so—and tell the questioner that you will seek an
answer and get back to him or her.
Accept responsibility and be accountable for your decisions and actions. If
you have bad news, believe me, most know—they have a feeling—that it’s
coming. Don’t shirk around it, people get more upset. Hard decisions are
hard because they impact others, sometimes negatively. If you have control
over a decision, say so.
Be complete. Statements that are incomplete only fuel the rumor mill. Tell
the truth, the whole truth. Anything else will lead to false conclusions.
Show compassion and concern. We are all in the same boat. Let your employees
and co-workers know that you share their fears and concerns and that you
understand their feelings. If others don’t feel your concern, they won’t
hear your words.
What’s Your Specifics?
Before September 11th, too many people practiced the art of vagueness—no
commitments if at all possible and dodging any type of specific in the form
of self-protection. In the speech of his life, President Bush laid out
specifics—the creation of a Homeland Security Office that will lead, oversee
and coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to safeguard the country;
air marshals on domestic flights, and he asked us all to hug our kids and
stay calm and resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat.
What happens when you don’t know what your actions will be in a crisis (or
have a speech writer to help you outline them)? Your employees and
co-workers will applaud you for being upfront that you don’t have a
clear-cut solution or plan—yet. You must, though, be clear about the steps
that you are taking, and will take, to determine your plans.
Credibility counts: yours. When the rumor mill and grapevine are in high
gear, it says that there is a lack of trust. Employees question the
“official word” and begin to probe and dig until they find the “real story.”
If trust and credibility doesn’t exist between you and your employees,
communications—in the good and not-so-good time—won’t be effective. Everyone
loses.
# # #
© 2001-2005 The Briles Group, Inc. All
Rights Reserved.
Dr. Judith Briles is a Denver based award winning author, keynote speaker
and consultant. Her books, The Confidence Factor, Woman to Woman 2000:
Becoming Sabotage Savvy in the New Millennium, Money Smarts and
Zapping Conflict in the Workplace have all won business awards. Dr.
Briles website is www.Briles.com
and blog at
http://DrJBriles.blogspot.com. She can be reached at 800-594-0800
or e-mailed at Judith@Briles.com.
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