Is there a Freakout Train at your company? Are people so distraught about their economic future that they’ll “go anywhere” to escape or hide? If so, your organization is part of the network of tracks that the Freakout Train traverses with ever-increasing frequency.
The Freakout Train represents the feelings of people everywhere as they try to deal with the fear that is churned up from today’s economy. Everyone seems to be in red-alert terror mode, and they’re desperately seeking an escape. For some, this means figuratively “wearing camouflage” and hiding in their cubicles, trying to make themselves invisible so that they won’t stand out, as if being invisible might protect them from the next round of layoffs. For others, the priority of self-preservation compels them to stack protective sandbags to keep them safe. Still others bury themselves in “busy work,” where repetitive motion helps them avoid thinking about the real challenges we face. Our clients tell us that there is a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of blame-placing. We’re also hearing about the Misery Loves Company groups, where talking bad about the organization and its leaders just helps those in pain to deflect current realities. [Read full article]
Change can be a good thing for organizations, but it unquestionably challenges established ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving for employees. Change requires a transition – a reorientation that people need to go through before change can work. Here’s how we approached this human side of change at CUNA Mutual Group, the leading provider of financial services to credit unions and their members. [Read full article]