Every business endures trying times at some point. As a leader, your job isn’t to prevent every possible issue that might arise. Rather, you need to properly prepare so you can keep your footing when unexpected challenges inevitably occur.
To help you, we asked 12 members of the Young Entrepreneur Council how leaders can restore order to their team and their operations during a chaotic time. Here are their tested, effective strategies for regaining control.
1. Offer Extra Bonuses and Perks
One way to regain control during a turbulent period is to be more generous about bonuses and other perks. To help keep morale up during the pandemic, we have been offering free lunch for all the staff seven days a week since the end of March. Bonuses in any form (such as raises, cash bonuses and gift cards) are a great way to encourage members of a company to work together and also to show that leadership cares. —Shu Saito, All Filters
2. Embody Organized Control to Keep Things Moving
Be like the duck: calm above the surface and furiously paddling below. As the leader, you need to portray a sense of organized control, showing that the ship isn’t sinking and that you are still on course, even if the ultimate destination may have changed during the chaos. But remember that you also have to keep everything moving with the utmost intensity to ensure you make good on your word! —James Behmke, Behmke Ventures LLC
3. Prioritize Human Connections
As the world scrambles to respond to the pandemic by working remotely, away from social connection, leaders must give their teams safety measures to prevent sickness and job loss. Leaders should also consider other measures to restore normalcy and function effectively. One example is human connection; daily calls, meetings, chats and so forth can reinstate the system. —Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz
4. Seek Out Solutions
During chaotic times, it’s important to have a leader who can adapt to change and seek solutions quickly. It takes creativity to see other possibilities in the midst of chaos, but the ability to do so could save or break a business. Problem-solving skills are essential as an entrepreneur because you’re going to run into issues all the time. —Jared Atchison, WPForms
5. Adapt Your Communication Style
Adapt your communications approach to each member of your team. With some folks, you can respond in a firmer fashion, and with others, you’ll need to get out the kid gloves. If you know your staff well, it shouldn’t be that challenging to figure out which way to go. Not doing so can lead to miscommunication, which will only exacerbate the chaos. —Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
6. Develop a Company-Wide Plan
Anything can go wrong at any point in business. When something does happen, the best way to gain control of that situation is by developing a plan that can be implemented company-wide and mandating that all team members follow that plan. —Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
7. Define Your Priorities
The best way to bring order to a chaotic situation is to prioritize the different tasks that need to be taken care of. Then you can focus on the biggest issues at hand. You’ll also be motivated to handle the remaining problems because you knocked out the most difficult challenges. Listing out and prioritizing different aspects of a confusing situation will also give you clarity. —Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
8. Delegate Important Tasks
One way to create order during a chaotic time is to delegate important tasks to other people. Very often the employees of a company have great ideas and know the best way to handle specific situations. Giving your employees the reins to manage a challenging situation will free you up to focus on higher-level problems and lead toward speedy solutions. —Blair Williams, MemberPress
9. Strive for a Healthy, Balanced Life
If you’re going through a chaotic time in business, you need to stop what you’re doing and set up an importance/urgency prioritization matrix. But here’s the secret: You actually need to do what the matrix indicates you should be doing — or, more importantly, what you should not be doing. Combine this with a schedule and a healthy, balanced approach to life so you can operate at your full potential. —Ryan Meghdies, Tastic Marketing Inc.
10. REMAIN POSITIVE
It’s easier said than done, but staying positive during chaotic times is the best way to handle the situation. Those around you might freak out, but as long as their leader is calm and collected, your team has less reason to worry. You can be the example they need during uncertain times by reassuring them through your character. —Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
11. Encourage Breaks
Creating moments for employees to take a break can be a great way to not only regain order, but also to increase morale and, in turn, productivity. When business is chaotic, remember that exhaustion and burnout can happen quickly. Ordering lunch for everyone or leaving early for a team happy hour lets employees relax and shows them that their hard work is recognized and appreciated. —Josh Awad, Flywheel Commerce
12. Remind Everyone of Your Shared Mission and Vision
One way to regain control during a chaotic time is to give your employees a refresher on the expectations you have and what the overall mission of the company is. You can do this in a meeting or send it in an email, but just make sure you keep your employees on board and encourage them to push each other. —Amine Rahal, IronMonk Solutions
