I know what you all are thinking. After the reception of my first post, how could I possibly write another? How many ways can someone be told, “stop writing” before they actually listen? For me? 12. So pull out your favorite AI bot and get creative. I haven’t learned my lesson.
Here’s something I’ve come across while running a sales team. During times of uncertainty and stress at work there is a conversation amongst managers about the trade off between transparency and optimism. If you give teams the for realsies talk, they’ll lose focus and motivation. If you paint a picture of roses and pink unicorns, they’ll be blind sided when tough decisions are made. So optimism and transparency can feel in tension with each other. But from my experience - being forced to choose either transparency or optimism is a false dichotomy. Why?
First, it’s good to understand why we want both. Optimism keeps teams focused and motivated to do the job. It also feels good to deliver a positive message. Next, transparency means being honesty, and that’s an ethical good. Also, transparency builds trust. When you’re showing your cards to the team, you’re putting yourself in a vulnerable position, and people appreciate that.
So when we talk about optimism and transparency, we want to keep teams motivated, and we want to build trust. How do we do this during tough periods at work? When trying to strike this balance, it’s helpful to turn attention to yourself. It’s helpful to ask: Why are you showing up to work? What compels you to work hard in circumstances that may not feel great? In most cases, we’re faced with the same set of tradeoffs and bad news we’re trying to communicate to the team. When times are tough, you’re doing an implicit calculation on whether it’s worth showing up to work.
Here’s a few examples of how those calculations shake out:
Other teams got an investment (e.g. headcount) that you feel you deserved. But the honest truth is, even without that investment, your team can manage. It hurts to not get the prize, but it’s important to remind the team that you still have what you need to succeed.
Cost cutting has made things feel tough when compared to prior years. But when you look at your options today, where you are is actually pretty good. Painting the macro picture and laying out the trade offs can help contextualize why certain types of cost cutting might be necessary. Don’t expect anyone to be filled with joy when benefits, perks or raises are pulled, but at least they understand the need to cut costs.
It hurts when you are on the short end of a decision that was made. But take a moment to stop and think about what decision you would have made if you were the decision maker. What are their incentives? What decision do they have to make based on what brings them success? The outcome might be tough, but it’s fair. When that’s true, you typically feel it in your bones. And when you do, it’s easier to move on.
Understanding what keeps you going and translating that for your team is a great way to be honest while still finding the silver linings to motivate your team and stay focused.