Set the foundation
Whether you realize it or not, you’re pretty much being watched and analyzed with every word you speak and every action you take.
“Those things have implications and ramifications throughout an organization,” Elwood says. “The higher you get in an organization, the more people are listening and the more impactful your actions and words can be. I do think you have to be thoughtful. I wouldn’t describe it as going out of your way, but you want to be deliberate.”
So if you have a major plan or a big change to announce, be sure you have responses in mind to the questions that might come up or data to back up your decision.
“You have to explain to people where you’re going in order for them to jump on and buy in and act with that same enthusiasm and what not,” Elwood says. “But there has to be some regular care and feeding that goes along with it. When a leader sets a vision or direction or even goals and objectives, they must be understandable and they have to be believable.”
So share the financial numbers that support your decision to cut employees or to make some new hires.
“If I called my employees together today and I said, ‘We’re really struggling as a company,’ and I hadn’t shared any sales or profit information with them and then I’m driving a brand-new nice car to work, that may not be very believable,” Elwood says. “But if every week or month, I’m sharing financial information and providing the supporting documentation, then when I say we need to cut back, it’s not a surprise. It’s very believable.
“Employees need to see leaders as being understanding and being in touch with issues at the ground level. The leader has to be visible and perceived as really knowing what’s going on at all levels of the organization.”
When you meet with your employees to talk, make sure you approach the conversation with an air of friendliness.
“If I ask a question and somebody doesn’t know the answer, my first thought is, ‘How can we help them get the answer?’” Elwood says. “And if they ask me a question and I don’t know the answer, I’m not afraid to say, ‘Hey, I’m really not sure of the answer to that question. Maybe we can try to find out.’”
Before you go out to meet with people, don’t overlook the value of giving them a preview of what you’d like to talk about.
“If I’m going to see an office, I let them know in advance — here’s when I’m coming, why I’m coming and what I hope to accomplish,” Elwood says. “If you go in and your mission or your intention is to scare or intimidate, you can do that. But why would you ever intend to do that to your own people that you want feeling good and working hard for you?”
When you make a conscious effort to be welcoming, you’ll find that employees will be a lot more willing to step up and help you.
“If I have a reputation for being approachable and accessible and willing to hear the truth, when I go for those visits, people aren’t afraid,” Elwood says. “They aren’t thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, he’s going to do the white glove test and someone is going to get fired.’ They’re thinking, ‘He’s coming in and he’s going to be honest with us about the state of the company and how we’re doing and what he sees. But he also expects us to be exactly the same with him.’”
