A week later…
So what’s the biggest message to come out of Brexit so far? The one certainty is the uncertainty. But the one vital call to action we should all be undertaking is…communication. Whatever industry you are in communication is key right now. Communication across the ages – Gen Y/Millennials and Baby Boomers who statistically have a very different viewpoint; and communication with your UK based employees who require a visa or UK nationals working in EU is crucial. Emotions are running high, and clear and open communication is an essential foundation to moving forward. Strong leadership is required to navigate the next few months of instability and should exhibit the following behaviours:
- Connect with your employees by listening to them
- Open communication – share what you know/share what you don’t know.
- Be visible to enable immediate response and reassurance
- Be open and engaging
To keep those channels of communication open form an internal group of cross functional people – a task force. Use this group to:
- Keep an eye on what’s happening in Europe
- Look at the specific way you do business – discuss hypothetical contingency plans for every eventuality.
- Report to and update key stakeholders on a regular basis, so managing emotion and keeping a sense of calm.
- Engage with your people by giving them a voice and help you to understand underlying beliefs and assumptions.