Does it seem like every day brings with it new uncertainty and chaos to business rules and regulations? How can any leader feel like they have total control over what the future brings for their organization? I can well imagine how the confusion coming out of Washington these days is adding to the anxiety and concern. How do you stay calm in the midst of all this chaos? Do you get the feeling that you’re a very small rowboat in an unsettled ocean and the storm clouds continue to build?
One way to try to stay calm is literally take a deep breath or a short walk. Then take the time to sit with your senior staff and go over all the new things that you are or will be required to handle. Divide them into two categories – the things over which you have control, and the things over which you have no control and which are mandatory. Making that move starts the calming process because it helps define what you can do. If you have absolutely no control over whether a form is submitted or not, why waste time and effort fighting the requirement?
An area of concern lately is how organizations have been changing their employment practices due to the new regulations. Most of the attention has been on the large national and international organizations. But what if you’re a small “mom and pop” organization in a small community? Obviously some very difficult decisions lie ahead for you. The same thing also applies to the larger corporations. It may seem like an impersonal approach but decisions affecting human beings are never easy. In this climate, effective leaders will insure that they communicate honestly and fairly with the entire staff. Even bad news is accepted a little easier when the communication channels are used effectively. Hopefully your organization has effective lines of communication in place and ready to go. It doesn’t make the decision making any easier but it does ease the anxiety just a bit.
