How to help employees stay productive in the cutthroat world of SHIVA

In just two years, we jumped from the world of BANI, which was characterized by fragility, anxiety and non-linearity, to the split and merciless world of SHIVA. How can a manager manage employees in it,

In 2020, we all find ourselves in a new world called BANI. It was characterized by fragility, anxiety, non-linearity and incomprehensibility. Life in this world was like swimming in the water: the collapse of the European Union and the global dollar system began, and, finally, the COVID-19 pandemic flared up .

Only two years have passed, and the world has changed beyond recognition again. Now it can be designated by the acronym SHIVA - split, terrible, merciless and preparing for an unknown future. Our ship drifts on the open ocean, the waves of which break everything that was fragile and inflexible. External supports are destroyed, chaos and uncertainty reign around.

Employees of companies are the crew of the ship, which must maintain its course towards the goal. How can a manager help them stay healthy and productive in the new environment?

1. Review the criteria for success - your own and teams. Tie global company goals to individual ones

It is difficult to find a leader who does not aim to increase profits. This approach is correct, because a business is created for the sake of profit. That is what success is associated with. However, the pursuit of profits breeds a passion for key performance indicators (KPIs) among executives. In fact, these are “carrots” that should stimulate people to work efficiently. Focusing on them often leads to negative results. People are starting to work on the principle of "the main thing is numbers." The rest, including human capital, environmental friendliness, relationships, ceases to be important to them. Can such an attitude be considered, for example, by a client? Or an employee who has just joined the company? Certainly yes.

Under the current conditions, success can be considered not only the achievement of KPI, but even the fact of retaining the team and maintaining a productive environment. So, in addition to achieving financial and other indicators, why not make the growth and development of the team your goal? How will this affect the overall result?

The Soviet educator Anton Makarenko proposed a theory of prospects, the essence of which was to have both global and local goals. Global goals are like dreams - they inspire and set a general direction, while local goals are easier to achieve and make it possible to enjoy the results more often.

For example, you can set one global goal - to become a market leader - and several local ones: to make the internal environment productive, increase employee loyalty and devotion, and create an atmosphere of mutual support. Thus, you will give the team a vector, and it will take part in achieving the goals.

2. Create channels for informing about what is happening

According to the research of B. Shlenker, the creator of the Responsibility Triangle, the sense of responsibility has four important components:

a clear purpose of the company; a clear understanding of the personal role in achieving this goal; confidence that there is a path to success; the opportunity to see our results and understand how well we did.

Thus, responsibility is a feeling of control over the situation, a “feeling of the steering wheel” in the hands. If this feeling is absent, uncertainty and stress arise, followed by a desire to focus on only your area of ​​work and act in isolation from other team members. To instill a sense of responsibility in employees, regularly communicate to them on four issues: