Employees will remember the way a leader behaves during a crisis, so keeping your team’s trust and loyalty during uncertain times is crucial.
Fast Company shares the following mistakes leaders should avoid when handling a crisis.
- Panicking. When a leader panics, everyone panics. You can show concern and be honest when you do not have the answers, but you should avoid catastrophizing the situation.
- Withholding information. It can be difficult to communicate bad news, but it is important your team understands what is happening so they can help.
- Making unilateral decisions. Although it can be tempting to be the hero and make big decisions on your own, it is important to consult your team. They can use their experience to offer ideas and potential solutions, as well as identify blind spots.
- Burying your head in the sand. When you are in denial, you are not taking action. Identifying and addressing challenges is crucial to building trust with your team. If you are overwhelmed, use the Boy Scout acronym STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan.
- Playing the blame game. Blaming others during a crisis creates a culture of fear. You must accept the situation, take responsibility and move toward solutions.
- Shutting down ideas. Leaders often try to move quickly to address a crisis and shut down necessary discussions that can lead to an effective solution. Brainstorming can help align everyone regarding a plan.
- Flip-flopping. Constantly changing direction is frustrating for employees and can make leaders appear incompetent. Commit to a direction and see it through. Collect data so you can provide a good reason to pivot if needed.
- Forgetting to listen. Leaders handling a crisis must do a lot of listening. Get feedback from team members and circle back with them to let them know you heard their input and share how it has informed your plan moving forward.
