How can managers deal with employee anxiety?

Over the past few months, managers have been facing a new problem for themselves - employee anxiety, which often not only reduces productivity, but practically paralyzes work.

And the point here is not only in the personal experiences of a particular person, but also in the mood team. Colleagues discuss negative news, exchange opinions, argue, and this raises the degree of general tension in the team.

And panic moods are often hidden, and this is much more dangerous. You may not notice that an employee has problems until it leads to negative consequences that affect his work. Therefore, a leader in difficult conditions of uncertainty must carefully observe changes in the mood in the team and do everything necessary to prevent panic.

The core of anxiety is uncertainty, lack of information and expectation of negative development of events. And it is these three factors that you should pay attention to when working with personnel.

1. Fight Uncertainty

It appears where we are faced with events, the further course of which is difficult to predict. Therefore, it is worth focusing on simple things that are always under your control. Here's what a leader needs to do.

Minimize changes in the company

In crisis situations, companies often have to rebuild some internal processes: for example, adjust the system of management and project management, strengthen some areas of activity and reduce other. And that's okay.

Such transformations are vital for businesses to successfully survive difficult times.

It is better to refuse other changes for a while. For example, you should not start reorganizing departments or moving to a new office. Employees need stability during this difficult time.

Follow corporate traditions

Traditions are one of the main mechanisms for ensuring stability. Each company has its own: joint lunches on Fridays, congratulations to employees on their birthdays, regular corporate contests. It is these activities that allow you to keep everything in the usual way and create the right atmosphere in the team.

Be sure to continue to follow the traditions even in difficult times. This will help reduce the level of anxiety in the team.

If your company does not yet have such unifying elements, then it's time to create them. There is no need to aim for something grandiose - small, but regular steps are enough that will form a common circle of interests among employees and stimulate a sense of pleasant expectation.

So, it is possible to organize joint master classes, including in a remote format. For example, yoga classes in the evenings right in the office. Another option is to create a book club and invite employees to read business literature and once a month to exchange useful ideas that we managed to glean.

Create conditions for permanent employment

Permanent employment is an important factor that affects the feeling of stability and certainty. Among the key tasks of a manager now are competent planning, task control and communication with employees.

This is necessary so that they can fully immerse themselves in the work.

If you see that it is difficult for subordinates to solve some problems, then you can temporarily turn on the micromanagement mode - control all stages of work until the situation returns to normal.

2. Provide maximum information

Management most often does not want to share information with the rest in two cases: if it is negative or if it is not clear what to do next. However, employees may feel that something is being hidden from them, and start thinking about something that is not really there. In order not to escalate the situation, it is worth discussing what is happening with them.

Openness is very important. Especially in difficult conditions, when the team is in constant tension and does not know what to expect around the next corner.

Provide employees with as much information as possible. Try to explain to them all the important points related to the current situation. If you do not have complete information, then at least tell us what you have already done and what planning do in certain circumstances.

Management and staff should have a common picture of what is happening and an understanding of what can be done.

But remember that all information must be conveyed carefully, without harsh value judgments, with respect for different positions and possible emotional reactions.

In addition, it is important to talk about what is happening around. Share news about business, partner activities, innovations, as well as the results of the work of departments with employees.

This will allow you to tune in to a productive way and rally the staff even more in the face of the challenges that the company is facing.

3. Learn to be optimistic about the future

Important task leader - to form a common positive goal for the team and lead to it, bypassing the obstacles that arise. This motivates employees and strengthens their belief that there is a way out of any difficult situation.

Always try to keep your thoughts and emotions under control.

Managers, like employees, are subject to doomscrolling, anxiety and decreased motivation due to ongoing negative events. However, the manager must be able to switch to constructive thoughts, filter out false information and go out to subordinates only with a cold mind.

The calmness of the leader - even if it is only external - is always transferred to his team. Develop stress management skills to learn how to communicate the right attitude to your subordinates.

Look for sources of positive emotions

To prevent employees from dwelling on the negative, it is necessary to provide them with the opportunity to switch to positive experiences. You can use different tools for this:

• Corporate sports. It could be morning exercises at the office. And if possible, you should consider buying subscriptions to a fitness club. Physical activity stimulates the production serotonin, the so-called hormone of happiness, and therefore this is the easiest way to get guaranteed positive emotions.
• Professional education. This is one of the key tools of non-material motivation: the employee will understand that the company values ​​him as a specialist and is ready to invest in his further professional development. In addition, learning new things often inspires change for the better - both in work and in personal affairs.
• Joint trips. Give employees new experiences: organize excursions, team building, outdoor activities. This helps to charge people with pleasant emotions and unite the team even more.

Refer to past experience

If your company has been on the market for a long time, it is useful to remember stories of successful recovery from crisis situations. Refer to past experience when communicating with employees.

Remind them that together you have already overcome a lot and achieved a lot.

Yes, the current situation may differ from the previous ones. But here it is not the case itself that is important, but how well the teamovercoming difficulties. Focus on that.

Make long term plans

Let yourself dream with your employees, talk to them about what you want to achieve together, how you see the business and yourself in it in the future. And be sure to study the market experience and apply the best options in your company.

In conditions of turbulence, it is difficult to set long-term goals for the usual 5-7 years - you have to shorten planning horizons. But this does not mean that it should be completely abandoned.

Let plans shift or change, but they must be built. This gives a sense of certainty, which the team lacks in difficult time. And at the same time, be sure to predict possible risks so that you have a ready algorithm of actions in case something goes wrong.

Talk all this over with your employees in advance, and then any deviation from the intended goal will be perceived by them as an obstacle that can be overcome.