Leading a business in an economic downturn requires the ability to keep your staff upbeat and hopeful. Fortunately, motivational speaker Joel Zeff has twelve ways you can reduce stress, have more fun, and ultimately deal with all of the negativity of today’s economy.
It’s hard to have fun at work during stressful times. Your stress builds after each media report about the recession. You start hearing whispers of a merger, layoff or the all encompassing “restructuring.” Your manager does not listen. Your customers don’t listen. It’s incredibly difficult to deal with a recession at work with so much negativity.
We are all facing challenges. Today, the economy is our main concern. Tomorrow, there will be other obstacles. How do we continue to motivate and energize our employees during difficult times?
First, we need to stop worrying and relax. Give yourself a break. Stop letting the media feed your fears with the dreaded “r” word. Even during an “r” people work. Companies manufacture, transport, distribute, sell, market, advertise, produce, grow, research, develop, entertain, build and purchase. We have to figure out a way to do it without being cranky and stressed. Yes, we need to have more fun. More importantly, we need to motivate and energize our employees to have more fun and increase their passion.
Here are a few ideas to help you deal with a recession at work, help motivate your employees and create a foundation to have more fun.
1. Be patient and positive in your tone of voice. Sounds simple, but a reassuring and patient tone in your voice will do wonders for teamwork and for helping reduce stress. You will rarely see a stressed, impatient person having fun. As a manager, your employees will take their cues from you. If you are stressed and worried, they will be stressed and worried. Be positive. Be happy.
2. Take a break. Again, a simple idea but something that has very real results. Stop, take a break, and then reassess. Just a few moments away will give you the energy to move forward. Your employees need a break just like you. Take a minute out of the day and recognize a manager or employee for having fun and creating spirit. Give them a funny spirit trophy. Even a break that lasts only a minute will refresh our minds and give us the energy and motivation to take on the next task.
3. Think about what makes a great day at work. The next time you have fun at work, take a moment to reflect. Write down what happened that made the day so great. What did you do? What did you say? You now have your “great day” list. You know what you need. Work toward it. Fun is different for everyone. Take a few moments each day, gather your team, and ask your employees to share something on their “fun” list. Not only will the group enjoy the experience, but will gain appreciation for each other.
These tips are necessary if you are looking for innovative ways of leading a business in an economic downturn. You can also visit Joel’s blog to read more advice about leading a business in an economic downturn. Joel Zeff is a national workplace expert, speaker, author and humorist. He shares his experience and insight on creativity, communication, work/life balance, leadership, teamwork, passion, and fun in his book, Make the Right Choice.
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