Be predictable.
Just a month or two ago, it would have sounded like a call to arms for the bland and uninteresting but now, it is a mantra for leaders during crisis.
It isn’t a new train of thought, however. You can look back to 2009, when authors like Barry Conchie and Tom Rath spoke to behavioural predictability as the foundation of trust, or Stevenson and Moldveanu’s work in 1995. More generally, leaders have always sought to maintain stability – they just might not have thought of it as predictability.
But right now, predictability should be the goal for all leaders – educational, organisational or otherwise. Research has even tried to make this a formal, measurable concept – it’s making it happen that can be difficult.
How to make predictability your focus
The current focus on wellbeing is excellent – but leaders also need to think about cementing predictability for the long-term.
1. Predict the future (as best you can)
Leaders need to show their people how they will act in the weeks and months ahead.
That means reiterating your vision, your purpose, and building your plans around that. Let people know what the future of the organisational structure is, whether pay will stay the same, and what the long-term outlook is.
The essential principle here is “tell them before you tell them”. COVID-19 means that many aspects of our life, from travel to distancing to education, will be up in the air for some time. Identify what you can control – and make sure your people know exactly what’s going to happen in that regard.
2. Overcommunicate
As Springboard Trust’s new CEO, Dale Bailey has had quite the introduction to our working environment – but has been a great example of predictability during a crisis. When asked about what the concept means to him, he had some clear words – of course – about communication.
“Establishing clear communication and information is important – even when you don’t know the answer, you should be saying so and committing to coming back with a response.”
This is echoed by Dan Grafton, ASB’s South Island Sales and Service Manager and volunteer with Springboard.
“The only way to keep things moving is give lots of clarity – almost overcommunicate what is going on organisationally. Keeping that door open and the information flowing – it means everyone knows what they need to and feels secure.”
Often, there is analysis paralysis about how often, how much, even how verbosely to communicate. But in times of uncertainty, it is almost always better to err on the side of too much.
3. Give a great routine
Establishing predictability means exercising consistency – and your own calendar is a great place to start.
“Predictability certainly starts with new routines – especially regular meetings and comms at set times,” Dale explains.
“There’s no better example than our daily briefings with the Director-General of Health. The nation has been glued to these 1pm communications, providing a great rhythm to our collective experience.”
Being deliberate with your time, blocking out the same space each day for important communications and delivering metronomic updates to your people – this is the way to predictability.
4. Learn from the experts
You may have seen the news that New Zealand ranked top of the world in COVID communications, according to a roundtable of PR professionals. But as the results show, there’s more to it than the clear routine communications.
Ranking the most credible sources of information on COVID-19, ‘independent scientific commentators’ were a clear first place – ahead of government departments and media.
Just as leaders can learn from the expertise on display from the New Zealand government, they can learn from the constant deferral to experts like Dr Bloomfield or Dr Siouxsie Wiles.
As Dale mentioned earlier in this piece – good leaders need to communicate when they don’t know the answer. But to cement predictability, having a clear trusted voice to defer to on matters outside your expertise can go even further to helping your people.
Predictability is not an art form: it is something achieved through repetition, reliability and routine. It may not be the most glamorous trait to have as a leader – but when your people are in a state of flux, it can be the most valuable.
