News and Insights from Jo Smith Associates, January 2010

Your leadership has never been more important than now.

Many of my clients are
asking me, "How can we
keep morale up in our
firm?" If you're a leader
(and I know you are), it
starts with you.

Take care of yourself.
When people see you looking fatigued and worried, their stress and worries are heightened and they become less creative, less productive. Your diet and exercise matter more in hard times, not less. Breathe deeply - it's known to release stress, improve thinking and prolong life. Take a break during the day, whether it's to walk around the block, read something light or stare out the window. Seek sounding boards and counsel from business advisors, colleagues, family and other counselors when appropriate. Instead of trying to carry the load all by yourself, accept help when it's offered and ask for help when you need it. Smile, not because fake smiles hide worries, but because smiling changes your brain's chemistry, makes you feel better and makes those around you feel better.

Prepare for the worst and expect the best. It's an old saw, but it's nonetheless true. Study your situation thoroughly and prepare yourself and your firm for alternative courses and outcomes. Once you and your leadership team have made decisions and preparations based on your best knowledge (and educated guesses), expect the best. It isn't burying your head in the sand, it's choosing to be as confident and positive as possible in order to reassure and engage those around you.

Be visible and communicate openly. Your presence has never been more important. It's incumbent on you as a leader to convey the vision and values of your firm in both words and demeanor. If you hide in your office - something managers are prone to do in difficult times, especially if they're introverted by nature - people will become more frightened and rumors will become uglier. Instead, be visible; communicate openly, honestly and often. Acknowledge the challenges and tell people what you're doing to address them. Don't make promises you might not be able to keep, but do show your confidence in everyone's ability to weather the storm.

Engage your people. Are motivation and engagement the same thing? Not quite, but they're closely related and motivation leads to engagement, which leads to higher productivity. According to Daniel Pink, author of Drive (see recommendation elsewhere in this newsletter), people are motivated by autonomy, mastery and purpose. People are willing - perhaps even want - to be held accountable, but want some control over the way in which they do their work (autonomy). Extensive research from Gallup tells us people want the opportunity to "do what we do best every day" and Pink tells us people want to keep getting better and better every day (mastery). Pink and others remind us that we want to do something that has meaning greater than ourselves (purpose). Know your people well, know their values, their strengths and their aspirations. Replace rules with outcome accountability where possible. Even if the economy has slashed your training dollars, you can help people utilize and develop their best strengths and talents. Emphasize with words and deeds the values and purpose of your firm, its commitment to its employees, shareholders, clients and community.

These are a few of the important steps you can take to keep your firm's morale high during stressful times. Call or email me if you'd like to discuss these ideas further. I welcome your ideas and feedback.