By Barbara Poole
Career Coach

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times. I’m talking about the “Us vs. Them” mentality that is so prevalent in organizations undergoing significant change.

Of course, “Them” refers to the managers, those few fortunate, few people who sit in the corner office and make the big bucks (or so it seems), while “Us” is everyone else, the unappreciated folks in the trenches who actually make the business happen and wish those guys who don’t get their hands dirty would get a clue.

The Them see it this way: Times are tough and it is vital that everyone stay sharp and play full out in order to keep this business viable and competitive. Time is money, and we need the hearts and minds of every associate fully engaged and cognizant of the big picture.

That will allow us to present a united front to our customers and help them see us as a well-oiled machine with a distinctive niche in the marketplace. This means that we all have to put our personal issues and needs aside and focus on what will move the business forward. We don’t have time to coddle and we need our employees to get with the program.

Here’s the picture from the Us point of view: If it weren’t for our sweat equity, this place would grind to a halt. We come in every day and do what it takes to get the job done. Those guys who sit in their offices have no idea what we put up with out here in the trenches trying to keep the customer satisfied and keep the cash flowing in the right direction (and P.S., we wish a little more of it would flow our way).

What’s happening in this picture? Whose viewpoint is accurate, Us or Them? The truth is, both perspectives are valid and both are real. It just depends on which side of the boardroom door you happen to sit on. But at the end of the day, these differences in perspective have the potential to grow into a morale problem if they aren’t resolved.

Imagine what would be possible if Us and Them could switch viewpoints for a day and see the world through each other’s eyes. What possibilities would that shared understanding pave the way for? I have a hunch that at least a few of the solutions might look something like this:

Enhance your communication. The fuel required to successfully run evolving businesses is intentional, deliberate and honest communication, and lots of it. This means open channels of communication in all directions—up, down and sideways—along with a shared commitment to objectively hear, consider and respond to what is being conveyed, even when it seems unreasonable or far-fetched.

Shift your perspective. If you really want your communication to be effective, it’s important to try to grasp one another’s frame of reference in interpreting what you are hearing and seeing. Managers need to remember what it feels like to be a front-line employee with no sense of power. Employees need to understand what it must feel like for the managers to have the financial pressure of a business on their shoulders. Stephen Covey, the author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” said it best decades ago: Seek first to understand, and then to be understood.

Share as much good information as possible. When times are tough and stress levels are high, people will fill in the blanks of the unknown with the worst possible scenario. High quality, reliable information is a precious commodity that can serve as an antidote to people’s fears.

Acknowledge one another. There is a huge body of research that demonstrates the best motivator for most people is to feel valued, appreciated and acknowledged. For managers, this implies taking the time to sincerely and genuinely recognize your staff’s contributions and provide the small perks, rewards, and incentives that will keep them energized. For employees it means to remember that managers are human, too, and to express genuine appreciation for the things they do to keep your business afloat.

Focus on what is important, not just what is urgent. Organizations that operate in a continuous crisis mode struggle to stay afloat because they are always busy putting out fires instead of preventing them. A sustainable business calls for a focus and investment on infrastructure, staff development and planning that will carry it into the future.

Sustaining morale during turbulent times calls for everyone, at all levels, to get beyond fear and shift to a contribution mindset. It requires that everyone, managers and employees alike, suit up and show up, prepared to play to win.

Barbara Poole is a leadership and career development coach with Success Builders Inc. E-mail her at coachbarbara@successbuildersinc.com.

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