How Could You Inject Some Certainty Into Uncertainty?
So, it’s 2021. Have you seen anything different so far this week than you experienced in 2020? Does anything that didn’t make sense last month make more sense to you this month?
Like what, you might ask.
The unemployment rate in February 2020 was 3.5%. In November 2020 it was 6.7%. It’s almost doubled. But, on your way to work, you probably saw “Now Hiring” signs. Maybe even at your place of work. Why? How can that be? And, what are you hearing from the employees themselves? In no ranked order:
· “Well, Unemployment payments were extended. I don’t have to work.” Really?
· “Covered-unemployed was expanded. Do I really want to go back?”
· “I can’t rely on “those benefits”, I have to make more than that. Maybe I’ll go back, but do just enough to get by.”
· “I didn’t like what I was doing before the pandemic. Maybe I ought to look for something different.” : I have been wondering why so many people aren’t going back.”
· “Social unrest issues say things MUST change, WILL change and I should be part of that change, but I don’t know what that will look like.”
And at the Supervisory levels, have the communication lines deteriorated instead of improved? For example, if there are staffing shortages in any department, might the Supervisors determine to share manpower among themselves? Do they appreciate the “operational efficiency and consequences” of recognizing the need and acting? And, is there a mechanism for “recording and remembering” the “sharing” if the redirected manpower had a negative “consequence” to the “lending” dept.; but less of a negative if no action was taken? (It’s called “working together”…one effort at a time?
Studies show that most workers (and Supervisory level employees) prefer structure and discipline…if they are clearly communicated expectations and measures and they are consistently implemented. (That’s the CERTAINTY factor injected.) What workers “question”, is the “UNCERTAINTY” or abruptness of change…with no explanation. What can make line and management employees alike question “Do I really need this?” What adds to the uncertainty level is the feeling of not being respected enough to have the knowledge of “what Good looks like” shared by all.
In this time of uncertainty be confident enough to inject some certainty.
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