Let’s face it: As a US government leader, you are facing unprecedented change. The speed, depth, and widespread nature of the current change in the US government is dramatic, and you are uniquely challenged at this moment in helping your people stay engaged to deliver great outcomes while under significant mental stress.
Our research shows that government workers who see how their work contributes to their organization’s overall success are four times more likely to put effort into their growth and development. They’re also three times more likely to be productive at work than those who do not see how their work contributes. Consider further that 41% of employees who remain after a layoff experience a 36% decline in organizational commitment and a 20% decline in job performance.
When you pair both factors together, it is easy to see the importance of keeping your employees engaged and connected to their work after a layoff, when motivation is a challenge. Even if it is a deliberate strategy by executive leadership to further reduce headcount in response to continued uncertainty, you, as the directly aligned manager of your people, need to assume that they will stay for the long term. Forrester can help you navigate this uncertainty with some practical guidance.
Go Beyond Surface-Level Conversations And Tactics
This is not a time for leaning too heavily on team lunches, “How are you?” statements in a one-on-one, or other surface-level approaches. Colleagues losing their jobs around you can trigger deeply rooted psychological fears and emotions. Consider that many of your employees might be the sole or primary earner of a household. Many may be concerned about feeding their family if they are “next.” How do you, as their leader, respond to this moment of strong emotion? You respond by leaning into it and doing the uncomfortable work of connecting with your people on a deeper level:
- Open the door to deep sharing of how your people are feeling by telling a relatable story from your past (along with how you currently feel about the environment). Share the immense impact it had on you, how you navigated it, and what the end result was. If you do not have this story or are uncomfortable with this approach, find someone in your network who is willing and ensure that this employee is fully open to this type of dialogue before beginning.
- Focus on what you can control by continuing the dialog. Stay committed to it; not every conversation needs to be deep and painful, but your employees should know that this door is always open to them. Check in on them regularly after your initial deep work to let them know that you are there for them any time they need. As with any organizational change, you cannot control every variable. Focus on what you can control with your teams to stay focused on the task at hand. Delivering outcomes while change swirls around you will build resilience both within your team and in yourself as a leader.
- After you cover the personal side of the conversation, keep a sharp focus on how their work drives meaningful outcomes for overall goals. Make a plan that establishes a strong and purposeful line of communication between you and your team. Employees who have a strong understanding of how their work ties to organizational goals are much more likely to deliver strong results because they can see a tangible impact. Failure to establish this linkage will result in a precipitous decline in results.
Do Not Forget To Practice Self-Care
It is imperative as a leader to routinely practice self-care. If you are not in the best mental state, you will not be able to optimally support your employees and the aforementioned tactics will not succeed at achieving high engagement in your teams.
Self-care takes many forms and is highly individualized. Some people exercise, read, or sit on a riding lawn mower for 3 hours. Our guidance is to deploy any techniques that bring about mental calm and help reduce stressors so that you can bring absolute clarity to supporting your teams. Effective self-care mindfulness routines have been found to moderately reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, two very common conditions experienced during times of stress such as a period of layoffs.
Don’t make the mistake of believing that the highly productive people you are relying on to steer your ship in a new direction aren’t also burning out. Our research finds that employees can be both burning out and highly engaged — and this includes you. As a leader, practice what you preach. Leverage the power of storytelling to share what you are doing to manage your emotions during these difficult times. It is easy to avoid these difficult topics and stay focused on the day’s tasks. To be truly effective as a change leader, we urge you to lean heavily into the challenge — for yourself and your people.
If you want to dig deeper into managing change in these unprecedented times, please reach out to us by scheduling a guidance session or an inquiry via email: .
