In the first post in this series, I explored why hope matters for individuals and organisations. In this second post, we’re considering how leaders and organisations can share more hope, particularly during times of change.
Image: Wokandapix, pixabay
There’s been no bigger change recently than over the last couple of years and it’s been hard work for leaders and organisations to keep themselves and their teams motivated and focused.
The sheer ‘stop-start’ of the global pandemic has been exhausting and pretty distracting. So, keeping hope alive and helping others to be hopeful in a work context is vital when things are so uncertain. But it’s not just me saying this.
In his book ‘Making Hope Happen’, Shane J Lopez’ shared the findings from research of over 10,000 people, who were asked for three words that described a leader who had the most positive impact in their lives. These followers said that “the people they serve need to meet four psychological needs: compassion, stability, trust and hope… a leader’s hope is especially valuable to followers during tough times.”
So, how can leaders share and develop more hope?
Remember the science
In the first post in this series , I shared the three attributes of hopeful people – goals and vision (things to hope for), agency (the motivation that drives us to achieve our goals) and pathways (the plan we have to achieve our goal). Here are a few ways you can apply this in organisations.
Goals - how clear are your goals? Are they SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achieveable, Realistic and Timely)?
Can you share regular progress on these goals so people can see how things are going?
And, what happens if you have to change? Are you re-establishing your goals in response and clearly communicating the ‘why’ and ‘what’ has changed? Lopez’s research showed that leaders who focus more on ‘we’ than ‘me’ goals create a very motivating energy in their teams - that’s definitely worth bearing in mind as you position your goals.
Agency – how motivated are people to move towards their goals? What could you do to support this – do you recognise people, their progress or key milestones for example?
Pathways – how will people reach their goals? Hopeful people develop different pathways to stay flexible in case of obstacles so is this something you can support them with?
Communicate, communicate, communicate
Sharing clear and honest messages that help to generate trust and stability are key in any organisation change – and it’s no different if we want to generate hope, too.
Measured, authentic and honest communication that incorporates the message that we are moving forward and will overcome ‘this’ (whatever the obstacle may be), helps to generate and maintain excitement about the future for employees.
In practical terms this means regular, consistent communication from a leader who is more visible when times are tough and is prepared to be honest about what’s working – and where they’re striving to do better.
A hint - always end on a note that encourages a forward-looking perspective, engaging people by acknowledging the journey so far and how you’re all continuing to head in the right direction, together. That a better future is possible.
An obvious example of a leader very effectively communicating with hope was Barack Obama. His campaign message of “Yes We Can!” put his approach into words, convincing Americans to vote for him and built trust. He worked hard to build a leadership and culture of authenticity, transparency and hope in his administration.
Keep communicating the vision
By keeping the vision and destination front and centre, helps to provide clarity and something that people can focus on when everything else around them may be uncertain.
In the past, I’ve worked with organisations on large-scale transformation programmes, leading to big and ongoing change for several years. A CEO I worked with consistently repeated where the organisation was heading and the role of everyone in making it a success. The same leader often used stories to explain his point.
This way of describing a vision was straightforward and relevant to the audience he was talking to – and that’s really important. Telling stories and using analogies to make it relatable – like this CEO - can help. Stories tap into our imagination and are an age-old way of sharing the power of possibility. They are of course a brilliant way to showcase the ‘hero’s journey’ - which is fundamentally all about hope.
So, our CEO who regularly talked about the progress that was being made on the programme, by talking about specific colleagues and recognising their contribution as part of his story, supported that feeling of hope in so many ways.
Being hopeful for others, helps you – and your business
I’ve seen time and time again in organisation change that hopeful leaders who can clearly communicate their vision and goals with integrity and compassion and keep acknowledging progress, are usually successful.
Their followers know where they’re heading and feel motivated and excited by the future. There’s a recognition that they’re making the right progress and have some control over their destiny, however unclear things might be.
And, as a result, everyone feels more hopeful.
In the next post in this series, I’ll be exploring how high levels of hope form part of psychological capital for organisations, which can in turn contribute to greater overall success.