What's the real question?

"Worry presupposes such a knowledge of the situation, that it is in fact a form of hubris." (Terrence McKenna) A recent poll with clients revealed that the most popular question they'd like answered was '"How do I motivate my team when the future is so uncertain, Office return dates a movable feast and I'm not sure and am struggling myself?"

The pivotal piece in that quandary is what do you define as motivation? Is it reassuring people? Assuaging anxiety? Giving answerse? Or guiding in the face of ambiguity? That may seem semantics, but the clarity is key and helps the team leader, Function Head or CEO answer perhaps a deeper question 'what is the real reason for my being in this position?'

The Purpose of worry

After a lifetime of studying the I Ching, We Po Yang, a great Daoist was asked what he had discoverd, 'That worrying is preposterous.' Martha Beck states in her lively blog that the etymological root of worry is 'to strangle'. If I pause for a moment and look at my own worry, it's invariably a concern that the current frustration or feeling of being stymied is going to continue in perpetuity and that isn't a future I want. So somehow by emotionally wriggling in the moment, I can exert some mytholoigcal influence to divert that unhappy outcome. Whilst endearing that magical thinking is futile, a childlike fantasty that avoids the present that's causing disquiet.

So what is it to motivate?

It's not parenting. So often in organisations in a bid to direct or expedite processes, dynamics can arise that are reflective of childhood. The critical parent, the powerless child, the 'tell me what to do' infantile abrogation of responsibility. This isn't indicative of an inept business, this kind of dynamic can work to a point, but when that point is reached, a new level maturity is demanded. A new level that involves the inevitable changing of behaviours that can cause us to squirm with resentment at the discomfort.

So what is motivation as a leader? It's looking after yourself first. In uncertain times, the most powerful leadership is often the lightest touch. The individual whose being looked at the most (and that might not be the 'official leader') is the one who exudes a quiet authority, a recognition of the reality of the moment with a firm focus on the promise of the future. It's not unicorns and rainbows but hard work and managing internal angst. This is not to be confused with the iconic superhero whose above emotions, tha's delusion (if not pathology). Instead this is the person who can manage their own emotional maelstrom and come out wiser, who knows not to make decisions when they are feeling out of balance, and trusts that they have the resources to resurface and recommence. This type of self awareness takes cultivation and courage, it's vigiland against slipping into blame or victimhood because that way  path to mayhem and disempowerment lies.

Where does the team feature in this?

The team are also individuals required to take ownership of their own emotional states. It is not incumbent on a boss to nanny. It is the boss' responsibility to set the conditions for success. What does that look like in practise? It could be regular check ins, listening deeply, compassionately for some time, offering scope for support through development opportunities. It's communicating even when there is nothing to say and saying when nothing has changed. It's honesty, it's courage, it's being the example you want your team to emulate, all of which are the very elements of what it is to reassure.

What is the real answer?

So the reason a leader is in their position is to guide, to set the compass, steer the direction. They need to ensure the team is with them, so it's not narcissistic abandonment nor is it being everyone's friend. It's believing in the team, looking above their worries and seeing their potential and speaking to that, not the worries and anxieties which are self preserving mental constructs. 

There is no play book for the current times. In fact doing what worked previoulsy can be injurious to the very survival of an organisation. Now it's about innovation, imagining outside the current paradigm. To truly imagine requires conditions of calm, balance and anticipation, all of which come from within.

The paradox in doing all of that? You motivate your team, creating calm, even excitement that we are all in this together and if that is the case-what is there to worry about?