The Age of Anxiety

Predictability provides satisfaction. Anxiety is created by uncertainty. We live in an uncertain age. The Info Age is behind us. We're now in the Anxious Age. Despite being the absolute most knowledgeable, proficient and well-informed people in the annals of humanity, our society is unraveling. It is an Age when nothing can be assumed and the past is just a weak predictor into the future. Uncertainty around trade rates, attention rates, unemployment rates, and oil prices, along with doubt around international affairs leave people thinking about our future. For me, the very best challenges facing business leaders are:1. Staff Proposal. Your people are working with more pressure inside their lives than past years. That tension is leading to unprecedented quantities of use and depression of anti-depressant medication, illegal drugs and alcohol. Certainly one of our clients, Info Tech, focuses primarily on helping big organizations place growing trends in depression, and other conditions, before they adversely impact efficiency. My colleague, Tim Glover of Jump Point, says that when folks are overcome by anxiety, their heads shut down and that depression is a proven way this shut down is demonstrated. Without your clients are inspired by engaged employees, who and your business is touched by everyone else who, your business will fall. Without employed workers who enthusiastically solve the problems your business people, your business will drop. Minus the strength that employed employees bring to their work, the spark of imagination will leak out of your organization. In exactly the same way that employees attempt to balance their work and personal priorities, employers must now take more of a curiosity about their employees' personal problems not only their work lives.WBM Office Systems has an extraordinary work culture. While working with their entire sales team, I could not help but be struck by how much everyone on the team genuinely wants each other and how supportive they are of just one another. They are all very different figures but they have built a culture which is highly effective and highly encouraging. Their assistance extends beyond the job setting. Personal friendships have been developed by them. Everyone turns up fully engaged simply because they know everyone else is depending on their share. Maintaining your employees highly engaged and focused on the core reason for your organization can continue being a rising challenge.2. Consumer Loyalty.Getting focus is hard enough. But, after you have gotten it, keeping it is now even tougher. As your client's planet changes, their priorities change. As their earth changes, they face increasing anxiety. Don't be amazed if employing you isn't one of their top ten goals. Do not be surprised if, as they try to preserve their bottom line, they're drawn to the idea of having your services from another person cheaper. And don't be amazed if, when they connect to your disengaged workers, they're left feeling unfulfilled and uninspired.Customer commitment must be received. That means your loyalty to your customers should come before their loyalty for your requirements. Bob Auty, General Manager of Unitron UK has recently launched an all encompassing program to help his clients market their goods, purchase services and supplies at larger savings and get leading edge business training. He figures the more lucrative his customers can be made by him, the higher customers they will be. His strategy is paying off.Remaining relevant to current consumers and getting the attention of new people will be one of the biggest problems your organization will face in age anxiety.3. Successful Leadership.In the simple world of the Industrial Age, leadership was about order and get a handle on. Work was divided into discreet units and we employed legs and arms to do the work. Since the world has grown in complexity, we recognized that we needed people's brains as well. We started initially to place the items back together and ask our employees to make proper decisions and think about their work. Furthermore, as the pace of change increases, we need employees who care about their work so we're now asking employees to carry their center to work as well. We need hands, legs, head and heart - we need total people to exhibit up. We people are complicated animals aren't we? Managing complex people in a, fast-changing world takes a management style that is unlike the get a handle on and command style of the Industrial Age. Get a grip on and command ignores the internal lives of employees. It had been pretty much obtaining the job done as efficiently that you can. However, if the work can no longer be plainly defined, you need people who are devoted to your cause and who respect you as a head. Whenever your world can turn upside down immediately, you need to be a chief that can inspire respect while you admit you don't completely understand what's happening. You will need to be simple but critical. You need to be cool, peaceful and collected as you navigate your organization in an ocean of anxiety. Your people need to see your heart. You will need to be transparent and humble however, not soft or weak.Your command needs to rise above the four walls of your business and extend out to your customers and vendors. Personal development must certanly be a vital goal for you. As the rate of change and growing sophistication heats up, figure imperfections will show up. When personality weaknesses show up in leaders, supporters may be unforgiving. You might not understand it, but who you're and what you're becoming things a good deal to the people who check out you for control. Coping with your personal development would be the biggest challenge in the Age of Anxiety.