Manufacturing managers: here's how to deal with uncertainty in uncertain times

The past three years have been hugely uncertain, and that shows no signs of stopping. Business psychologist and former England cricketer Jeremy Snape, a director at Sporting Edge, has advice for leaders in the manufacturing industry about how to stay cool in uncertain times.

1 Stop blaming others – own the situation

“Successful leaders don’t waste time blaming others. That may win you sympathy but is a waste of energy. Uncertainty creates opportunity, so start by owning the situation and making a plan. Then you can try to use the situation to your advantage.” 

2 Pressure is a privilege

“The teams that talk about pressure have the best chance of succeeding in it. Creating the psychological safety for people to express their ideas or concerns and make a full contribution is not only liberating for them personally but invaluable for the resilience of the team.”

3 Don’t micro-manage – enable

“Due to the pace of change and disruption, the cost of micro-management has never been higher. Even though you’re desperate for good results, reject the temptation to get into the detail everywhere and instead empower your talented team to solve the challenge together.”

4 Be fluid, not fixed

“You can’t predict and prevent all the problems you are going to encounter. Instead, prepare your teams so they can assess and respond quickly rather than being emotionally derailed or bogged down in corporate bureaucracy.”