Within minutes of yesterday’s T4D invitation to “help Lisa” the responses started coming in.  Last time I looked there were nearly 30 principle centered responses.  I read each one of them … and WOW!  You guys rock!  Thank you for jumping in and sharing your insights with her, with me, and with eachother.  I am inspired by your words, example and service.   I don’t think a Dear Abby column could hold a candle to what we accomplished yesterday! 

 Thanks friends ~ Kirk

“Every time I’ve done something that doesn’t feel right, it’s ended up not being right.”  ~  Mario Cuomo - Lawyer and Former Governor of New York

I often get e-mails asking me for insights and advice on how to handle or help a particular challenge being faced by an organization or leader.   Realizing that I am not “Dr. Phil” or “Dr. Laura” I know I cannot solve or evenly completely understand the context of anyone’s problem in a soundbyte or in an e-mail. 

As much as I might want to help…I also have limitations of time and huge volumes of e-mail.  So… I’m going to ask for your help!!  There are thousands of you….and your expertise and experience runs deep deep deep.  So what follows is an e-mail from Lisa from the UK asking a question…then comes my reply… then a link to the blog post where you can offer your thoughts and insights as well.  Let’s Help Lisa!

 (She writes) Kirk,   My organisation is in the midst of an enormous period of change, the future  is far from clear and understandably this is making our employees, and  ourselves, extremely anxious and in some cases really grumpy, or even sick with worry. I care deeply about the people who work for me, they are a great bunch of guys who turn up and give their all day in day out.
 
 My frustration lies with the fact that I can’t give them assurances or any information about what is going on, because I don’t know myself. I respect them too much to try and placate them with false hope, so I really need some advice or tips on the sorts of things I could do to raise morale from its  current doldrums.

Any ideas?
 Lisa

Lisa,   I love that you love your people and want to help…here are my thoughts

The best thing you can do to raise their morale is continue to care about them, care for them and trust in their strength and remind them of their strength.  It is not the companies job or the leaders job to make their people happy..  people have a right to pursue happiness… but no right to expect if from any other source than themselves.

Depression and despair are largely, if not totally, self inflicted wounds…brought on by negative thoughts that were allowed to linger far too long.  Forget worrying about giving them false hope… instead believe in thier strength and capability and encourage and nurture self reliance, ownership spirit and remind people of the facts.   Which are …

No one is holding a gun to our their head making them stay, or making them be miserable or sick… and all the blame in the world that we try to affix to others for our sad state of morale won’t change the fact that we have a choice or choices … and playing victim is most often the least rewarding one we make.  Don’t let the fear or uncertainty of tomorrow or the future - rule or ruin today.  

If you have advice or insights for Lisa…. please leave your comments by clicking HERE 

or here  http://kirkweisler.com/t4d/ 

Thank you - Kirk