and internet. We moan and we groan about having to tighten our belts.We reluctantly go on self-imposed austerity drives. We put on dour faces to reflect the sobriety of the economic crunch. Our hearts turn cold, our hands tremble just a little and some even lose sleep at night, as we ponder the possible consequences.

When times are tough, we tend to focus on ourselves and our discomfort. Our thinking gets sucked into a downward spiral. We don’t feel that it’s right to be happy any more. Anxiety affects each of us differently. Some may worry about esteem needs - loss of status, reputation, responsibility, or acceptance and relationships, while less-endowed others fret over safety needs such as stability and security, and those who have much less tend to agonize over how to meet basic life needs e.g. food, drink, shelter, sleep, etc. Maslow’s needs theory triumphs every time – we mourn non-fulfillment of our needs. Result: We look out for #1. Every man looks out for himself and his family.

Interestingly, a common social comparison game is played out in situations of widespread malady: we start to romanticize being a victim of circumstances. The one with the raw-est deal and stands to lose the most, ‘wins’. At the end of the day, we retreat to the privacy of our thoughts and we either thank God that we are not as badly hit as the other guys or become even more troubled with bad images of what-might-become-of-me . Generally we rarely look outside ourselves - to focus on someone other than self.

When our first corporate response in a weakening market takes the form of cost reduction in people-related budgets e.g. provisions for allowances, overtime and training, and hiring freeze, the air grows thick and suffocating with the fear of retrenchment or termination. So many silent worrying questions. The focus of attention converges. Will the company survive the crunch? What if it suffers the same fate as competitor A? Will I be next on the list of disposables? What will happen to me? Where would I go if … Who would want me?

What can HR do? The energy in an organisation derives from its people. Troubled pessimistic employees are black holes that suck up all available energy in the workplace. We want to channel energy into positive engagement and productive pursuits rather than allow it to be drained by fear, anxiety and stress. Communicating clearly to focus employees’ minds on what they can do rather than what defeats them can be reassuring, emboldening and inspiring. Take simple steps to take care of the hearts and minds of people.

1) Observe, analyze the situation and decode the source of fear, anxiety and helplessness. Basically, spend more time on the ground with the people. Listen and listen well. Who is hurting? What is the concern? How did that come about? Where? When? Asking ‘why are they fearful and anxious?’ is moot. Don’t we feel like that too when we harbor dark thoughts and feel stuck, helpless and hopeless?

2) Communicate with intention: aim to set clear directions, build realistic expectations and defuse intense emotions. E.g.
i) Talk to your people. Tell them what they want to know, where to go, what to focus on AND why. Include them. When we are engrossed in our own thoughts, we tend to shut others out. Be clear. No news is not good news during bad times. People are more likely to work at finding a new equilibrium when they are told the truth.

ii) Adjust key performance indicators. High financial targets during these times are triggers for stress and spell imminent failure. Instead, assign performance enhancement targets: for example, upgrade customer service quality or after sales service. Gains in these areas will surely bring manifold benefits – employees’ skills are sharpened and satisfied customers are happy customers who tell others as well as come back for more. Guess who is ready when the good times start rolling in again?

iii) Bad things do happen to good people. Provide support to deal with the shock, fear and anxiety. Learn coaching and counseling skills or engage professional employee support and assistance services.

3) Identify strengths and talents, build on what works and celebrate what’s right. This is a great time to re-skill, learn new skills, build new systems, re-visit archaic processes or try out new combinations. Positive emotions broaden our views and build our capabilities, releasing new creative energy to tackle the challenges before us. Take time and effort to recognize and appreciate what’s good, right and trustworthy in your people, and what they can do. Build them up.

4) Be mindful of thought, word and deed. An event is neither good nor bad in itself. Our cognitive perception causes the resultant emotional and behavioral response. Perhaps if we could sometimes think with our heart and feel with our head, we may be more rational and act more reasonably. Communicate clearly and often to avoid unnecessary stress in your ranks.

5) Focus on the things that are within your control. Nothing is impossible. We just have not seen or heard of it being done yet. Fact: most things that are invented were impossible once upon a time. Even when the situation seems hopeless, be relentless in reframing.

a) That which is impossible could, upon closer scrutiny, be several variables clustered together mindlessly giving the impression of solidness. Setting SMART goals keeps expectations at an attainable stretch level and facilitates quick, easy and frequent albeit small victories.

b) Within any specified time frame, we would recognize and accept that some things are beyond our control. Our response to these determines the outcome. For instance, when our training budget is slashed, we have a choice. We could complain incessantly that the company does not value development or be proactive and innovative, organizing for peer ‘experts’ to impart their knowledge and share experiences with their colleagues.

Start small, be consistent, trust the process, smile often, and look for the good. When we lift others by sharing hope and optimism, we make them strong and feel worthy. We end up feeling uplifted too!

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Sulynn Choong is a Positive Change Consultant/Coach with Human Capital Perspectives and the Founder/Chief Engagement Officer at the Asian Centre for Applied Positive Psychology (ACAPP).