Managing in difficult times

Tough times separate great leaders from the rest. What do leaders do to manage effectively in difficult times? It's as much about what they do to prepare as it is about how they react. Some important tools for you and the team that keeps you going are staying focused, inspired, and effective during times of change or crisis. By building self-awareness, one achieves clarity and focus, by innovating despite volatility and developing a committed team that is resilient in the face of change. Innovative strategies to cut costs, and reframe challenges as opportunities for teams are crucial too.

Changes at work can be emotionally intense. It often leads to stress and anxiety. At the organisational level, many changes are incorporated. These changes are very intense, giving rise to fear, anxiety, frustration. Emotions play a key role in understanding the situation or people responsible for a particular emotional experience. Being self-aware, one can make a self evaluation of their own behaviour. Mindfulness will help in understanding our feelings.

By being positive, one can adhere to changes which could be difficult at the start but opens up new vistas. Adapting to change is a big advantage for a leader especially at the psychological level which enhances and builds energy way up. So, indeed changes are good to be accepted.

Successfully implementing change requires effort and having support from across various sources can make a big difference with measurable results. The first step for a successful transformation is effective communication for change. From timing to messaging, communicating with purpose is essential. Some steps of creating a change communication plan designed to increase stakeholder buy-in and promote successful transformation are important. Messaging that resonates with stakeholders is key be it writing a communication plan, identifying and knowing stakeholders, and timing are a critical component.

Change communications is a crucial strategy. The way communication is conducted before a crisis speaks volumes of the contingency plans of an organisation. Before and after a crisis a plan has to be devised to meet the demands of the audiences. Business transformation takes place because of effective communication flows and this brings about a change in the perceptions of the people. Change management addresses the unique demands that crop up and the way the key constituents incorporate the new modules is the essence of change.

Leadership communication is never more important than during times of change. Coming up with a communication strategy that helps make a change initiative successful regardless of whether they are the ones instigating the change or not. One has to address the who, why, when, how, and what of change. These elements together encapsulated makes leadership unique and strong with a connect across all platforms.

Whether an organisation or a professional, one has to be prepared for change at various stages. With a strong acceptance of change, one is able to navigate tough pathways and challenges. Evading change invites many problems. By accepting with least resistance, one can build greater momentum. This will make the way ahead more positive. Difficult paths are not permanent, it makes one stronger with a crystallized direction.

Let's accept change with all positivity. Difficulties, be it situations or experiences, don't last. It's a way of dealing more practically and intelligently by evading a crisis. By toning and bracing against all odds, lets redefine the pathway by accepting change. By being an agent of change, one has a better direction of the way ahead.

Skills

♦ Importance of communications

♦ Talent management

♦ Leading during change

♦ Self-awareness in difficult times

♦ Looking through employees' eyes

♦ Revisiting past performance

♦ Eliminating multi-tasking

♦ Adopting a growth mindset

♦ Eliminating crisis

♦ Staging for innovation

Strategies to develop a committed team

♦ Balanced scorecard

♦ Mapping strategy

♦ Group team-ups

♦ Addressing cost reductions

♦ Becoming a change agent

♦ Turning adversity into opportunity

♦ Messaging

♦ Communication during change

♦ Pathway for leaders