How do I motivate them? The Warm Blanket.

'There is no escape!'

That was the realisation I had when the clock ticked over and the Zoom window was loading. I had booked the appointment and even though I had prepared and done all the pre-meeting communications I found myself seconds away from seeing my face up on screen alongside that of my audience.

This was my third business meeting of the day on Zoom (where most meetings take place these days). One was with a current client to discuss how a year-long leadership program was tracking with their Executives and to discuss some updates we had to share with each other. The second was with a prospective client to discuss a strategic facilitation program for the next year's budget. And, the last was for a podcast interview I had been invited on to discuss topics such as anxiety, dread, and dealing with adversity. The irony was not lost on me...

My feelings of anxiety were similar for each of the three meetings and it was clear to me then as it is now that these feelings will simply never go away. Is it because there is something wrong with me? Or, is it because I am out of my depth? Or, is it just a part of being human? These are questions I cannot answer. But, the trauma it causes many of us is a daily drain on energy and undermines a large part of our efforts.

It simultaneously comforts me and frightens me how many people are experiencing their version of workplace stress in Australia (and worldwide). A recent report showed anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in Australia and contributes towards between $200-$220 billion in lost productivity a year (The Business, ABC, Mar 2022). In this article Dr Jim Stanford, Economist and Director of the Centre for Future Work states this is almost 10% of the national GDP and refers to studies suggesting that $15.8 to $17.4 billion is caused by workplaces themselves!

Off the back of the dramatic effect and after-effects of the pandemic we are seeing these figures increase and they are costing. My experience tells me none are spared, either directly or indirectly in health, social, and economic costs. If we zoom out sociologically, we can see that a base level of anxiety in us is inevitable. In the book of Calm (The School of Life), Capitalism itself induces anxiety in workers as a part of  its construct. The system is based on competition for customers and investment with a highly mobile and flexible consumer. This is great for innovation at lowered costs but is 'hellish for the producer: which of course means pretty much everyone in some major portion of their lives. The more productive an economy, the more conditions of employment will be less secure, less serene, and more agitated than one may like'. The very system we work within creates wealth and standards of living our ancestors never experienced, but it also creates an environment of inevitable unease.

Maslow argued our first need of motivation was physiological (to be fed, sheltered, and procreate) followed closely by the need for safety (to feel secure, stable, and free of fear). This model is over 50 years old and contemporary studies tell us it is a little outdated, or has at least evolved (Kenrick, D. T., Griskevicius, V., Neuberg, S. L., & Schaller, M. , 2010). But the premise has not changed - we require immediate physiological nourishment and have an innate need for self-protection. If these two elements do not exist in our workplace then we will be distracted, tense, withdrawn, and scared. However this shows up in us, the reality is we will perform poorly at work and our motivation will be lowered if we do not feel safe.

An updated version of Maslow’s Hierarchy: Click full report

It seems so obvious that we should provide safety for our people, yet according to the statistics mentioned above we are not doing it very well. The most important thing to recognise is that providing a safe environment as a leader is not easy (remember we are up against the capitalist system itself). There are hundreds of variables every day obstructing our ability to create a safe environment for our people and it is difficult to fit in as our workloads are so big they are causing stress and anxiety in us too!

So, it is a big problem. It is a problem that is getting bigger, and it is not easy or simple to overcome. In the face of such scenarios I always find it useful to throw away any expectations of solving the problem and simply play with some ideas and ways to start engaging with it. What would a leader have to do to create an environment where people weren't scared of failing, succeeding, or even turning up? What signals could I send people to let them know they are safe with me and that I will have their best interests at heart no matter what? What could I do to create a workplace where people feel stable without the risk of losing their status, opportunity, or livelihood? 

The answers to these will be different for all of us. And maybe it is simply worth writing a few answers of your own down. I generally find the small daily things done often to be the biggest help. Dr Gregory Walton from Stanford once said on the subject:

"A small signal can have a huge effect. But the deeper thing to realise is that you can't just give a cue once. This is about establishing relationships, conveying the fact that I am interested in you, and that all the work we do together is in the context of the relationship. It's a narrative - you have to keep it going. It's not unlike a romantic relationship. How often do you tell your partner that you love them? It may be true, but it's still important to let them know, over and over."

The power in this idea is that it is not always to do more things or different things, but to do the daily things that signal safety often. To simply say 'thank you' more often (signal - I see your effort and you're doing well). To convey the message in a question instead of a statement to invite the person's contribution (signal - your opinion is important and its okay to voice it). Or, we can slow our speech to warm a message rather than rush through it as if the person we are speaking to isn't important enough for our time (signal - you are important to me). We can meet over lunch or a drink instead of in between tasks (signal - I want to build our relationship, not just talk transactionally with you).

The examples are endless and if we manage to start with one and build from there we are sure to see a development of calm and relaxation in our team as if we wrapped them up in a big warm snuggly blanket. Once they are in this state of mind they will be free of the doom and dread many of us turn up to work with meaning we have more energy and focus to motor through the work at hand sustainably and hopefully with more joy.