WORRIED WORKERS
under anyone like Anita and Robert who seems to have exhausted their inner resources. Let’s examine why so many workers feel a slump in enthusiasm.
Curing Anxiety
“Employees everywhere are feeling a high level of anxiety because of the COVID-19 outbreak,” says Jack Altschuler, president of Fully Alive Leadership in Northbrook, Ill. “Anxiety makes people see everything in the light of their fear.” And fearful people, he says, perform poorly. The energy that would normally go to their work goes instead toward worrying about the health and financial survival of their families and themselves. Much of this worry takes the form of unanswered questions. “Employees are concerned about many unknowns caused by the virus,” says Dr. Karlyn Borysenko, principal at Zen Workplace, a consulting firm outside of Boston. “They are asking questions such as, ‘Is my job safe? Will the business survive? How will the pandemic affect the economy? Can I believe what the bosses are saying?’ These questions and others reflect a good deal of uncertainty, and uncertainty is always a challenge to motivation.” The problem is made worse by the insecurity of supervisors themselves. “Because managers in many cases do not know what’s going on, they do not have a way to comfort the employees with information,” says Borysenko. Winging it, while tempting, can only make matters worse. “If you are not sure about something, you should communicate that fact,” says Borysenko. “Don’t hesitate to say you don’t know. Then follow up that statement with something like, ‘As soon as I do know, I will tell you.’” The goal of all of the above is to assure people that management will respond quickly and conscientiously to new information as it is discov- ered. In the meantime, people should know the business will reduce the risk of harm by taking extraordinary safety measures.
October 2022
Personal Connections If anxiety is a highly individualized phenomenon, so is its cure: Supervisors must renew connections with their charges and retool the environment in response to individual needs. “Everything that happens right now in the workplace must revolve around the needs of each employee,” says Altschuler. “That is the starting point and the overarching message.” The launching pad for this initiative is the expression of a genuine concern for the staff’s well-being. “People want to feel cared about,” says
concerned about many unknowns caused by the virus.”
- DR. KARLYN BORYSENKO, PRINCIPAL AT ZEN WORKPLACE
Altschuler. “When someone cares about me, the last thing I want to do is let that person down.” Consider the case of Anita from our
story’s opening. Although she has expressed some good feelings about returning to the workplace, much of her current malaise likely derives from her concern about the safety of that very environment. Management must convince her that everything possible has been done to reduce risk. “The source of anxiety for people
like Anita is often fear of the un- known,” says Martha Forlines, presi- dent of Belief System Institute in Ellijay, Ga. “Employers need to continually remind their charges about the safety precautions taken to keep everyone safe. These can include disinfection of the office, assuring the availability of face masks, and the alteration of seating arrangements to maintain social distancing.” While some of the COVID-19 fears are obvious, others may not be.
23 “Employees are
Supervisors should encourage two-way communications with employees to uncover unanticipated fears. “Ask employees what they need to make them feel motivated and good about their working conditions,” says Forlines. “Their answers will take the guess work out of the equation.”
Remote Workers Now, how about Robert, who is still working from home? Re-charging his batteries may prove more challeng- ing than the same task with Anita. The absence of any face-to-face contact beyond the cold stare of the computer screen is likely the root of the problem. Isolation can mean a deprivation of the usual personal stimulation gained from interac- tion with colleagues. Not only is there a joy in working together that goes missing in a remote environ- ment, but solitude can also magnify COVID-19 fears. “A lack of face-to- face contact does have an effect on people,” says Altschuler. “They start to feel more uncertain and fearful.” Employees unmoored from the traditional working environment can also experience a loss of purpose. “Remote workers can lose clarity about why they are doing what they are doing, about the so-called vision statement,” says Altschuler. “It’s easy to forget they are engaged in some- thing noble and helpful.” Millennials can be especially sensitive to such a moral vacuum, he adds. “More than previous generations, millennials put more value on meaningful work.” Finally, people separated from their colleagues can miss the satisfaction of performance feedback. “One of the things that motivate people is a feeling of mastery over their work,” says Altschuler. “And that feeling fails to grow when they are not working closely with the other members of their team.” The solution to these problems starts with more frequent engage- ment. “Establish a shorter communica- tion cycle time,” says Altschuler. “If you scheduled a weekly check-in
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