Episode 6: Navigating Change & Uncertainty in the Workplace with Special Guest, Jen Recla

In this episode, I'm joined by my special guest, Jen Recla. We'll discuss ways to navigate change and uncertainty in the workplace because *gestures broadly* we seem to be in uncertain times across the board.

Key topics:

✔️ Leaders must deal with uncertainty on a regular basis. What's the biggest mistake they make when doing so?

✔️ How can managers help morale and trust when things feel unsettled?

✔️ Dag Hammarskjöld led the UN through some of the most volatile
 moments in history, but he stayed calm and focused on service. How can modern leaders avoid Chicken Little syndrome and maintain integrity even in a pressure cooker?

✔️ Why a people-first mentality is so important even in times of crisis.

✔️ How can a business focus on practicalities while not allowing the needs of its employees to fall to the wayside?

✔️ Some managers believe that they need to have all the answers - that if
 they were to say, “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure,” they would lose the
 respect of their team. How can they adopt a mindset of curiosity and
 adaptability without losing credibility?

✔️ Change fatigue is real. How can we deal with it?

Links:

https://www.jenrecla.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferrecla/

***

📖 Pick up Decoding the Unicorn today on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0D9xM3b. 

Transcript

Transcription by Otter.ai.  Please forgive any typos!

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Leadership, uncertainty, employee engagement, resilience, communication strategies, psychological safety, team rituals, empathy, growth mindset, mental toughness, nonprofit leadership, strategic coaching, change fatigue, team traditions, organizational development.

Welcome to the Decoding the Unicorn podcast. Here's your host, Sara Causey. 

Hello, hello, and thanks for tuning in. Welcome to episode six of decoding the unicorn the podcast. Let's face it, we're in some uncertain times, politically, economically, corporately, work wise, a lot of people are unemployed and they don't see a lot of hope on the horizon. Meanwhile, people who are employed don't feel a lot of hope there. Either they feel neglected, mistreated, and it seems like companies are just doing whatever they can to keep the doors open. They're focused on profits and the bottom line and cutting costs and pleasing the shareholders, and it seems like they've forgotten that their employees are actually their best asset and their most important asset. So where do we go from here? How do we deal with uncertainty? How do we deal with change? How do we navigate work when it seems like the ground is shifting beneath our feet. Dag absolutely believed in a solid team. Whenever there was a victory, he didn't take a victory lap as an individual. It was all about us. We did this. This is our moment. And if there was a failing or a shortcoming, it became I. I messed up. I should have done better, if only more bosses and managers felt that way. So to get into these topics, I'm joined today by my guest, Jennifer reckla, who is a leadership coach and consultant at her own company. If you're interested in this topic, it's a great episode, so please stay tuned.

Looking for a story that inspires and challenges your perspective on leadership and legacy. Meet Dag Hammarskjöld the United Nations Secretary General whose quiet strength and introspective spirit made him one of the most remarkable leaders of the 20th century. Decoding the Unicorn isn't just another biography, it's an intimate journey into the heart and mind of a man who saw public service as love in action, whether you're a history buff, a leader or an introvert who believes in the power of inner strength, Decoding the Unicorn will resonate with your soul. Uncover the true Dag Hammarskjöld a real life unicorn! Available now on amazon.com.

I'm joined today by Jennifer Recla. She has over 15 years of experience in leadership, coaching and mentoring. She's passionate about creating learning experiences that inspire and equip individuals and teams to achieve their full potential. She holds multiple credentials and certifications in organizational development, instructional design, Crucial Conversations, influencer and a variety of assessment tools. She runs her own coaching and consulting business, where she helps senior leaders navigate their workload, lead with confidence and build high performing teams. She uses her strengths in Woo, Maximizer, communication, futuristic and arranger, to create interventions that push individuals beyond what they think is possible. She believes in continuous growth, building strong connections with others, and finding joy in work, which all sounds really good to me. So Jen, thank you so much for agreeing to be our guest today.

Sara, thank you so much for the invitation. Appreciate that. 

Awesome. Well, I'm going to dive right in uncertainty seems to be a constant in leadership, whether it's economic downturns, workplace disruptions, sudden pandemics or global crises. And I know that you've worked with organizations and managers facing uncertainty, so what would you say is the biggest mistake that leaders make when they are facing uncertainty?

Yeah, the biggest challenge that I see, and I see this in myself as well, is letting go of control. We are hardwired as humans to want to control others, other people's reactions, other situations, so it's really hard for us to let go of that, and I think it starts with this recognition or embracing the idea that we can't control what happens to us, but we can control our response and how we continue to show up. And this, I read Mel Robbins book recently, the let them theory. And that really, this idea really hit home for me, and I think for a lot of other people that have been reading it too, this idea of just letting go of that control and focusing on what you can internally control with yourself.

Oh, absolutely. What are some practical strategies that you feel like managers can use when they want to maintain trust and morale, but the team is feeling unsettled or anxious? 

Yeah, I actually led a session on this topic yesterday, and I shared three main strategies with that group. The first strategy was really with shifting our focus from all of the things that are going wrong to all the things that are going right. We just naturally move to more of a deficit thinking. We focus on the gaps, but when we put all of our energy there, it's paralyzing. It's hard for us to be able to move forward. So really shifting that. Flipping that to say, Okay, I'm going to spend more energy and more focus on the strengths, on the positive, on the things that are going well, and see if I can use those to minimize, to eliminate the things that aren't going well. So it's reframing and shifting to more of the good. Another strategy we talked about that's really important is separating our facts from our stories. When uncertainty is happening, it is really easy for us to fill in the missing information with our own stories, our own assumptions, our own conclusions, our own judgments. So looking at the uncertain situation that you're dealing with and saying, Okay, this is what I'm actually seeing, this is what I'm actually hearing, separating that from the judgments that I'm making, and if I just focus on the facts, start to see a clearer picture, and then I know how to move forward. And then the last strategy that I shared with the group was really around communication. Communication is really important when you're dealing with uncertainty, especially with your teams. So I shared this three C's framework to help organize your messaging with your team. So the first C is all around context, sharing the why, the background, as much as we can, sometimes we don't know, but as much as we can, that's really helpful in diffusing anxiety with your team. The next piece, the next C, is clarity. Here's what we know, acknowledge what we don't know, and focus on the facts, not the stories. Help people separate those facts and stories and in that clarity piece. And then the last one is helping to build confidence with your teams by reinforcing stability where you can we're still focused on these goals. We're still focused on this mission and purpose, so reinforcing that stability and then saying, Here's what we can do next, or brainstorming with the team ways that we can move forward and really focusing on the things that are within our circle of influence, our circle of control, versus all the things that are happening that we can't necessarily control, using those items in the circle of influence to be able to say, okay, based on what I can influence, what I can control, here's one or two action items that I can move forward with as a leader, or us as a team I can move forward with. So those are some practical strategies to help leaders. 

What you're saying is making so much sense, because it seems to be human nature that if we're worried about something, or there's sudden change at work, or maybe even there's just a broader change in the economy, we tend to lead to, like, the worst case scenarios, we suddenly become very apocalyptic in our thinking. And so it's instead of like, well, okay, there's some change. How can we think about it rationally? How can we take a deep breath and calm down? It kind of seems like we naturally go towards Chicken Little mode, and we feel like maybe the sky is falling.

It's hard for us to zoom out. We get stuck in the weeds, and then we don't know how to get out of it. And so, I mean, a lot of the strategies I share with people are just about reframing our focus and zooming out. That's the big idea with both of them, and that's where, also working with someone else, finding a peer, or someone that you can help you navigate through that, even if it's your team, you do it together, because having someone else, they're going to see things differently than you might see things. So it's really helpful to not do this alone. 

Yeah, and that's a great point too, because sometimes two Chicken Littles will get together, and it becomes almost like a panic echo chamber. So it's sort of like you have Chicken Little a saying this guy is falling, and Chicken Little B is like, Oh my God, I know, run for the nearest exit. And so I think it is good to if you have a peer or a coach or a mentor who can say, Okay, wait a minute, maybe instead of throwing gasoline on the fire, we could put a fire blanket over the fire.

Yes, yes. I mean, that's exactly it, right? Every uncertainty challenge that we're dealing with is going to be dealt with a little bit differently, but until we can zoom out, or until we can get out of this Chicken Little mode and really see it clearly, we're not going to be able to move forward, or we might be able to, but it's going to be way more challenging.

Yes. So Dag Hammarskjöld led the UN through some of the most volatile moments in history, but he stayed calm and he focused on service. He also maintained integrity, even when facing insults and insane situations like the time when Nikita Khrushchev was shouting and pounding his fists on the desk. There's the famous urban legend that he took his shoes off, but he actually didn't. If you go back and look at the videos just shouting and pounding his fists like an angry toddler, how can leaders keep their wits about them and maintain that sense of integrity, that calm, that grace under fire when it feels like they're stuck inside a pressure cooker,

That circle of influence versus circle of control model that I mentioned that is my go to now, what do I have control over? What do I have influence over? And start listing those out or thinking through those things, and then say, based on that there's something here. There's at least one action that I can take and hold on to, that action that's going to give me a sense of purpose to be able to move forward. There's also a book that I recommend to almost every leader that I work with. It's called The Illustrated happiness trap, and it's all based on a CT therapy. Acceptance therapy. What I like about it there's two versions. There's one that's not illustrated, and I recommend the illustrated version because it's shorter and it has these great pictures and thought bubbles. And what I love about it is it has these exercises in it that you can do in real time. One of my favorite exercises is, if you're spiraling, all these thoughts are going on, you're getting overwhelmed, start thinking those things in the voice of a dog, like the voice of Scooby, doo right, or Yogi the bear, right? Exactly. Sara that, that reaction, that's what happens when we do that, we start to laugh. It takes away the power from the thoughts. And then we can start separating them out and looking at them a little bit more objectively. So that's a book I highly recommend for people and then just constantly building resilience in times of uncertainty, in times where we feel like we're thriving, we still should be working on building our mental toughness, our resilience, leaning into a growth mindset. What can I learn from this? Looking at challenges as possibilities, having some mindfulness practices, whether it's meditation, grounding, breathing exercises, and then setting some healthy boundaries for yourself as well. And in these times, I think sometimes we we get so stressed that we let go of our normal boundaries that are serving us. So doing that quick boundary audit to say Where are My needs not being met, and what boundary do I need to knock to that's going to serve me better, so that as a leader, I can show up as, you know, as good as possible for my team, for my clients, for my customers.

 That makes a lot of sense. I think from now on, you know, I am sort of picturing, you know, I mentioned Nikita Khrushchev pounding his fist. And so now I'm just sort of starting Scooby Doo in that, like, Rut-roh, Shaggy.

 That's a classic, right? There is. It's what I cut back to quite often, and it just, it's like, Jen, you're being so silly in this moment. All right, let's get back on track.

 So some I know that you emphasize a people first mentality in your work, which I think is so important. Why do you think that this is especially critical, keeping that people first mentality in those times of crises, or in those times of uncertainty.

 When we're stressed, we go to self protective mode. We start looking at people as objects, as barriers in our way. You know, some of the layoffs that are happening right now, I think for a lot of people, it feels that way. It feels like I'm no longer a human anymore. I'm just a number, a cog in the wheel. And in times like this, we need to step up our humanity in our empathy, in our compassion. And there's a company called the Arbinger Institute. They have some great books the outward mindset, leadership and self deception. These really changed my mindset around how I approach all people, and focusing on the idea that everyone's doing the best they can, given their resources, given what they have access to, given to their lived experiences and their background. And so having that belief and honing in on that belief has really helped me to treat everyone with humanity. First, even if I disagree with them, you're still going to have to have some tough conversations with people as a leader. You can do that with care, though, with empathy, with the intent that I want you to grow. I want to see you succeed. It doesn't excuse behavior, poor behavior. It's just a different way to approach a person. Instead of shaming, blaming, trying to win the conversation, you're really seeing them as a human first, and that you want to support them as best you can. So those are some things that have really stood out to me. And I remember the pandemic. That was another very, very uncertain time, and leaning into empathy was what saved our team. It's what kept morale up, connecting with people asking, how are you No, no, really, how are you doing and asking them as a whole person, not just work, but life and all the things that are happening, we need to treat people as a whole. There's more than just their work self, their home life, bleeds into each other. So those are things I think are just so critical as leaders, and especially right now in so much uncertainty that's going on.

That's very well said. I think sometimes businesses, particularly in tough economic times, you mentioned the layoffs, that this is definitely a tough job market, as tough as I've ever seen. It, to be honest, they focus on the bottom line. They focus on shareholders and the employees then seem to fall by the wayside. How can leaders balance? You know, practical business needs, practical economic situations, with that well being of their teams.

 Yeah, it's like, we forget that there's tons of research out there on the importance of foundation of trust and psychological safety and how that drives better performance. It drives higher product. Activity, it drives more engagement, and all of that is going to drive the bottom line. So I think in times like this, people are looking for a quick fix, and they don't realize that when they're doing that, they're breaking all that trust that they've built, when it's going to be that much harder to build. It all, we forget the long game. We're all playing the long game. Everything is for continuous, long term growth and when, when we get stressed. I think we just focused on quick fixes, quick solutions, short term, but we don't think about the negative consequences that are going to happen because of that. I think we're going to go back into a place where people are going to start trusting the workplace, less and less, I saw us moving into a better direction, where workplaces were really creating these environments where people were thriving, and there was more joy in work, and there was more engagement in work. And it feels like we're taking a step right now, and we're just going to have to build all of that again, because the research is there. We know that Gallup, I think, is a company that puts out tons of research on engagement as a driver for performance and results and outcomes. So we're just, we're forgetting that right now. We need to come back to that. 

That's a very good point. We the research is there. We know this information. But then I think sometimes, and maybe it goes back to the Chicken Little mentality, people begin to get focused on the negative circumstances. They start thinking about, well, there are all these layoffs and in order to stay competitive, in order to not shut the doors. And then maybe that panic mode takes over, and that's when people it's like a scarcity mindset, really. They start focusing on the money, and they start focusing on the shareholders. And they're not necessarily thinking that if we treat our internal employees poorly, we're really poisoning the well for ourselves financially too? 

Yes, absolutely. Your employees are your greatest asset, and I think we're forgetting that right now. 

Some managers believe that they need to know all the answers, that if they were to say I don't know, or I'm not sure, I should go check on that, that they would somehow lose the respect of their team. How can they adopt a mindset of curiosity and adaptability and honesty, but without losing some sense of credibility, or what they think is going to be a loss of credibility?

Yeah, when we get promoted, we're an individual contributor. We're a technician. We're typically promoted because we have this expertise. We're great technically. We have subject matter expertise, and we think, Well, we I gotta keep building off of that. Everybody's gonna come to me and expect me to know everything. I don't think people really talk about how it is a different skill set. When you're a leader, you should be spending the majority of your time guiding your team, coaching your team, mentoring your team, teaching your team. You want to surround yourself with people that know the answers that's your job is to pull together a group that can answer the question, not necessarily that you have to. And I think that's just a really hard mindset shift that most people don't talk about. There's I love reading this, another book that really opened my eyes to this as a leader, and I recommend to all leaders, read it's called multipliers by Liz Wiseman, and it really talks about how we are no longer on the stage. We are there to shine the light on others, to lift others. We should be using the strengths of our team. If I don't know the answer, hey, could you help me with that? Either I'm going to find it out or I'm going to encourage my team to find the answer. And in multipliers, there's this whole section on the all the ways that we accidentally diminish people. And that was one of those chapters that I read and said, Oh, do that always on the optimist that doesn't see recognize the other side of things or diminishes the negative things. Rapid responder that replies to emails super fast, well, that encourages your teams to do the same. And if we're doing that, we're not always critically thinking or focusing on other activities that might be more important. The rescuer, someone that comes in and tries to save the day, oh, I'll just do it for you, or let me have that tough conversation. You don't have to worry about that, and how we're stunting growth when we do that, how we're limiting the possibilities of our team. So that's a book that I think it really helps with shifting away from that have to have all the answers, really leveraging the strengths of the team, stepping into that human first space, I think helps with this too, and no, you're going to fail as a leader. We all do. We all have to be beginners. Lean into that. You're going to make mistakes. You're going to you're going to fail at times. Own it, share it with your team. Share you, share what you learn from that. So then they see it's okay. And then you're creating this environment where people want to try things, and they want to experiment. And you create more innovation when you do that as well, and you just create this environment where people say, Hey, I messed up, and then you can catch it early on, instead of the disaster happening a month from now and the person didn't feel comfortable sharing with you. So it demonstrates vulnerability when you can say, I don't know, and it encourages that vulnerability on. On your team as well, and that's how you create this honest, open, candid space, that foundation of trust is so critical for team performance.

And it sounds like a very human and a very humane workplace to be able to say, I make mistakes. You make mistakes. We figure our way through them. Nobody here is a robot. Nobody here is a god or a goddess who's perfect. We sometimes will slip up, and that's okay.

Yeah, absolutely good. So change fatigue is real. The struggle is real when we're kind of in these environments where it feels like there's the sand is shifting beneath our feet all the time, and employees can burn out from constant upheaval. So what are some strategies that leaders can use to help their teams to navigate those tough times and still, yet, like, cultivate a sense of stability, even when we're in like, tough economic times or tough political times, we're not totally sure what really is going to happen next.

My background is in nonprofit and healthcare, where I don't think there's ever a time where we're not going through some kind of significant change, and most of the leaders I work with right now are nonprofit, and they are dealing with a lot of it right now. And this is a silly and simple practice, but I think one that we should be taking advantage of more having team traditions and rituals when we first shifted from going into the office all the time to remote back in 2020 we were all kind of spiraling a little bit. Very close knit. Team used to coming and saying hello to each other. How was your weekend? Connecting with each other, bouncing ideas. We didn't have that anymore, so we started to create rituals for our team to keep us engaged. Monday morning check in. How's everyone doing? This is what I did this weekend. How was your weekend? What do you got going on this week? What support do you need? So we had a tradition every Monday where we did this on teams with each other, on the teams app. And then on Fridays, we started doing celebrations. What do you want to celebrate this week? What are you proud of? What did you accomplish? It was a way for us to cheer each other on. Once a month, we had a virtual lunch where we didn't talk about work. You were not allowed to talk about work. It was optional, knowing that people have a lot going on, but most people showed up and we talked about shows we were watching in books, and it was just time to stay connected. We had another silly tradition where, if we were presenting on a topic, together, a group of us, we all wore the same color to help support in solidarity. So having some team rituals, having some team traditions, collaborating with your team to come up what those what those look like, what really that saved us, that was so helpful. On top of that, focusing on ways to strengthen your resilience is another one that I mentioned a little bit earlier, that that's another piece of the puzzle. But if you're not doing traditions, do them. Build those with your team. 

Good. So tell us two things, a, what's next on the horizon for you? And then b, if listeners want to connect with you, how should they go about doing that? 

Absolutely. So April's a busy month for me when it comes to team engagements, I'm working with a lot of teams, especially in the nonprofit space. I have a big focus on a six month strategic leadership coaching program that I'm launching and really targeting senior leaders. Right now, if individuals want to connect with me, they can connect with me on LinkedIn or my website, jen recla dot com, if you go to that website, I send out weekly emails with leadership tips, classes and resources, and you can sign up for that.

I'll make sure that all of those links are available in the write up to this podcast episode. And I know you're busy running your company, so I just want to thank you for taking the time to visit with us today and share your insight.

Yeah, thank you, Sara. This is such an important topic and relevant topic for so many right now, so I hope that some of these tips were helpful.

Thanks so much for joining us. If you enjoyed today's episode and you're watching via YouTube, please don't forget to like, share and subscribe. If you're listening via audio, please be sure to subscribe to this podcast and give it a five star review. We'll see you next time.

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