Chloe’s Chronicles:Views from the Management Muse
Chloe has recently experienced some frightening events and reacted like many of her human counterparts in the business world of the fourth quarter of 2008. We recently had guests, both human and canine, that Chloe did not recognize and she made it very clear that she was out of her comfort zone. She barked at a pitch, volume and frequency that she uses only when she feels her territory is threatened; the hair down her back was standing straight up and she was ready to pounce if needed. Our visiting dogs responded in kind and the cacophony of barking quickly escalated to a deafening level.
Out in the business world, there is a lot of fear-based barking going on these days as employees worry about their jobs and employers worry about their survival. The barking is not actually reducing the fear or resolving the market problems; it is only creating a lot of noise that cannot be ignored.
Have you heard it? Co-workers snipping at each other over minor irritations, employees being too abrupt with customers, competition for hours or jobs escalating, a palpable level of tension in the environment.
At a purely logical level you might think that fear and vulnerability would lead people to band together, treat customers with extreme care in order to retain them and try to be the company super-star to increase their value to the company. Instead, the fear and uncertainty is bringing out the worst, not the best in many people and they are barking loudly and unrelentingly.
We were able to calm Chloe’s barking by staying calm and reassuring her. As the hair on her back began to lie down and she stopped barking, she was able to investigate the guests and realistically assess the risk level. With the new information, she relaxed and eventually began to play with her new best friends.
Chloe’s management lesson is all about getting past the barking to a calmer state of being that allows for clearer thinking. Just as she needed a calm presence and reassuring voice, so do today’s business people. If you are the leader, talk calmly with your team about how things are and what you see. If you need to be talked down before you do that, reach out to someone who can help you stop barking.
For many businesses, things are tough right now and the future is uncertain. And, barking does not really help. How will you get past your barking to get to your best thinking self?
How could you apply Chloe’s lesson about barking during this uncertain time? Click on comments and offer your thoughts, ideas and opinions. Don’t worry—if you disagree with Chloe, she can take that feedback as well…with only a little barking.
bkltyp aurioty axvrn qtsxm vduftixmh kxcpza lspjxt
Posted by: fnzjrwmah fagl | February 26, 2009 at 03:24 AM