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Uncertainty has become a defining feature of life today, a reality that challenges workplace leaders to adapt rapidly, make decisions with limited information, and foster stability amid constant and sometimes highly erratic change. At the same time, this uncertainty directly affects employees, making it incumbent upon leaders to provide the support and direction their teams need to successfully navigate an unpredictable world with both resilience and clarity. It goes without saying that the role of a leader has grown increasingly more complex, requiring us to instill stability, foster adaptability, and maintain focus without being overwhelmed by the relentless pace of change. In just the past month in America, weve witnessed the introduction, removal, and reintroduction of tariffs, massively disrupted supply chains, a whipsawing stock market (putting everyones retirement savings at risk), major companies mandating a return to office work, and the emergence of artificial intelligence technologiesinnovations sparking equal parts excitement and fear as they reshape industries and raise questions about job security and the future of work. Its a lot for all of us to deal with. Through my own leadership experience, Ive learned that its absolutely pointless to try to control chaosand far wiser to coach teams on how to thrive in spite of it. The following are five strategies Ive used over the course of my career that workplace leaders can adopt to help their people negotiate complexity and perform at their bestregardless of what turbulence the universe throws our way: 1. Be a Rational Optimist In todays world, its all too easy for pessimism to seep into our consciousness and negatively shape how we interact with those we lead. Being an abject pessimist, however, is entirely at odds with effective leadership, as it curtails productivity, stifles creativity, narrows perspective, and stands in the way of meaningful progress. Yet, while pessimism can directly undermine progress, leaning too far into optimism also carries its own risks. Effective leadership requires striking a balanceoffering hope and inspiration while remaining realistic about the challenges ahead. In his book Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes, New York Times bestselling author Morgan Housel makes this exact point by urging leaders to be rational optimists. He emphasizes that our role as leaders is to imbue a deep belief in people that difficult challenges can indeed be overcome, while also being very honest about the strong likelihood that theyll face setbacks, surprises, and disappointments along the way. When people know to expect a rough road ahead, choosing hope over despair naturally opens the door to opportunities and more creative solutions. 2. Foster Team Connection and Belonging When teams face uncertain times, the belief that everyone is in this together is a powerful force for fostering unity, sustaining morale, and motivating employees to collaborate and support each other to overcome major challenges. This is why leaders who prioritize team connection create environments where individuals feel secure enough to navigate difficulties together. The goal is to cultivate a team culture where no one feels isolated and everyone is inspired to have each other’s backtruly embodying the spirit of all for one and one for all. Recent research shows that feelings of belonging are the glue that holds teams together, as well as being the cornerstone of employee well-being. For leaders, creating this sense of belonging requires nurturing deeper relationships with our employees and learning their concerns. Its also about fostering an environment where differences are celebrated, inclusion is more than a buzzword, and every voice carries weight. Togetherness can be a great source of strength. 3. Proactively Build Team Resilience Long before crises or unexpected setbacks arise, leaders must not only remind employees that risk is an inherent aspect of every business. They must equip them to respond emotionally, to even the smallest hurdles, with confidence and resilience. As Nassim Taleb, the author of bestselling books on randomness and complexity, wisely advises, leaders should prioritize preparation over prediction, focusing on flexibility and readiness rather than relying on forecasts that are often uncertain or incomplete. One way to achieve this is by regularly engaging employees in what if discussionsposing questions like, How would we respond if this situation happened? Additionally, empowering teams to collaboratively brainstorm solutions to everyday challenges on their own will help build their adaptability and creativity muscles, so they are ready when needed. Finally, workplace leaders must cultivate their own self-mastery during challenging times. Learning how to maintain composure, reframe setbacks as opportunities, and display optimism in the worst of times is a collective skill set that demands diligent effort and commitment to develop. In the end, leaders must model the behavior theyll expect from their team. 4. Influence Through Stories, Less Through Data In Same as Ever, Morgan Housel clarifies that humans are wired for stories, not spreadsheets. Highlighting how storytelling creates clarity and sparks action, he explains, We dont think in terms of odds and probabilities; we think in terms of narratives. Unlike raw data or abstract concepts, stories resonate deeply because they are inherently relatable and emotionally engaging. Imagine a CEO whos suddenly faced with a market downturn. Instead of bombarding employees with forecasts and financial metrics, telling stories about times in the past when their company was faced with great difficultiesand triumphedis a transformative way of framing the current challenge as being equally surmountable. According to Housel, We live in a world where people are bored, impatient, emotional and need complicated things distilled into easy-to-grasp scenes. So, craft stories that make the unknown feel conquerable, and watch them resonate with your teams. 5. Set Reasonable Expectations When unforeseen disruptions occur, projects often veer off schedule, and teams fall behind on critical targets. These setbacks are pivotal moments for leadership, as the urge to quickly regain momentum can place employees in an untenable position, feeling as if theyre fighting against the universe. In these circumstances, wise leaders display patience and avoid placing undue pressure on their teams by setting unrealistic goals. Instead, they emphasize that while external factors may be uncontrollable, effort is always within their influenceeven in the absence of guarantees. In the 1970s, Disneys stock dropped 70%. Walt Disney responded by setting modest internal goals, assuring employees that he believed the company would recover through steady, determined action. His measured approach proved to foster resilience across the organization. Navigating rough seas In times of turbulence, the tems that will thrive are those who work cohesively, maintain an optimistic yet pragmatic outlook (acknowledging that big challenges may not have simple solutions, but can be conquered), and are trained to pivot rather than freeze when circumstances seem most dire. And, while we might wish for life to be easier and our objectives more readily attainable, we should also always remember that a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
Category:
E-Commerce
Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture. Its the promotional event nobody asked for: You could call it Tariff Deal Days. From auto dealers to underwear brands, companies are cajoling consumers to buy now before tariffs jack up prices, cause shortages, or both. Despite constant uncertainty about how a U.S. versus everybody trade war might play out, the widespread consensus that prices will rise is translating into short-term marketing hook. Some brands have taken a blunt tone in messages to customers and on social media. Underwear maker MeUndies CEO criticized the tariffs with an expletive in an Instagram postbefore announcing a tariff-inspired discount code. Lingerie and swimsuit brand Bare Necessities touted a pre-tariff sale in a text to customers that was picked up by CNBC and others: We didnt know how to spell tariff last week, but we do know this: Up to 30% off is a good idea! Clothing brand Universal Standard emailed customers about a Mystery Box promotion offering deals on pieces already in its warehouses and thus un-tariffed. In an attention-getting message to shoppers, luggage brand BÉIS conceded price increases were likely on the way even though weve considered everything from company-wide ramen diets to asking our CEO to start an OnlyFans. The message: Buy now! While these Tariff Deal Days campaigns have been piling up lately, moves toward converting the looming tariff threat into a sales call to action were bubbling up even before the Trump administrations Liberation Day announcement of its sweeping tariff regime on April 2. At least one Subaru dealer began promoting pre-tariff savingsbasically estimating a tariffs potential future cost to shoppers and positioning it as discountin late March. Sticker company Stickerjunkie admitted it was as uncertain as everyone else about price hikes in a March Instagram post promoting a Pre-Tariff Sale of its own. Other brand responses have ranged from limited-time markdowns to more general encouragement to shop before theyre forced to raise prices. Partly this is about signaling transparency and a were-all-in-this-together vibe to consumers in a muddled and ominous retail environment. But its also about getting sales on the books: Smaller brands and businesses may be particularly motivated to get more cash on hand as soon as possible to buy time to rethink supply chains and otherwise weather whatever that trade battles turn into in the months ahead, and beyond. And many consumers seem to be in a similarly uncertain state thats left many open to deals. Theres an expectation that certain products are going to be expensive, so having a promotion today is very valuable, a KPMG analyst told NBC, citing a survey from the accounting firm finding roughly half of consumers are looking for pre-tariff deals. The flurry of pre-tariff branding moves comes on the heels of months of cautious watching and waiting by advertisers about whats going to happen, and how to communicate with customers about it. A few, including Chipotle and Rivian, are currently saying they wont raise prices. Others, such as Ford, are highlighting their best made-in-America stories. (About three-quarters of Ford vehicles are manufactured in the U.S., a fact thats now marketing gold, according to Adweek; that said, Ford has also announced trade-war-related price bumps for three of its models.) Still othersfrom Adidas to Walmart to Mattelare simply warning of likely price hikes; Black & Decker and Shein have started them. Many ad agencies expect ad budgets will be cut by up to 10% this year. Another notable strategy has come from discount online retailer Temu, which has begun breaking out and labeling the export feethat is, tariff coststhat is driving up its prices. Amazon reportedly considered a similar move before the Trump administration harshly criticized the idea. But consumers seem to want such informationnearly three-quarters of adults in one poll said they would be at least somewhat interested in seeing tariff impacts quantified. Maybe that thirst for clarity isnt surprising, given the marketplace chaos that seems likely headed our way this year. In fact, while pre-tariff branding events will presumably be fleeting, the most important thing brands may achieve with their openly tariff-centric marketing is a sense of openness and communication with consumers. A protracted trade war will mean escalating rhetoric and frustrating uncertainties, and for better or worse brands will have to figure out the best way to be part of that conversation.
Category:
E-Commerce
After a two-year battle with regulators, a federal judge ruled in late December to block the merger of grocery behemoths Kroger and Albertsons. The deal fell apart after facing significant pushbackand a lawsuitfrom the Federal Trade Commission under the Biden administration, in part over concerns that unionized grocery workers would have less leverage to negotiate wage increases and respond to layoffs following a merger. Those concerns were not unfounded: The overwhelming majority of grocery workers (92%) are frontline staff in nonsupervisory positions, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statisticsand as industry leaders, Kroger and Albertsons employ 28% of grocery workers across the country. Hourly wages for all grocery workers have effectively stagnated for the past two decades, hovering just under $18 in 2024 when adjusted for inflation, and weekly earnings have actually dropped by 15%. A new report by the nonprofit organization Economic Roundtablewhich draws heavily on surveys of Kroger and Albertsons workers in California, Colorado, and Washington conducted by the United Food and Commercial Workers unionsuggests that understaffing at these grocery stores impacts many workers and exacerbates the industry-wide issue of depressed wages. For many grocery employees, chronic understaffing and being denied additional hours on the job without a meaningful increase in hourly pay makes it even more difficult to earn a living wage. The report’s authors argue that reduced staffing at grocery stores has affected the shopping experience for consumers, as workers struggle to keep shelves fully stocked and manage their workload. Three-quarters of workers surveyed by UFCW said they struggled to finish assigned tasks during shifts. Kroger itself reported 14.1% fewer labor hours per store in 2023 than in 2019. But the Economic Roundtables report estimates that Kroger decreased labor hours despite increased demand due to e-commerce sales, leading to a labor shortfall of 21% relative to 2019. At Albertsons, which the report found was already understaffed in 2019, the shortfall amounted to 13%. In a statement to Fast Company, a Kroger spokesperson said, We are committed to improving associates wages and benefits while keeping prices affordable for customers. We intentionally staff our stores to keep them running smoothly and creating an outstanding customer experience. Our decisions are data-driven to balance workload, schedules and customer service. Unrealistic demands by UFCW that do not reflect today’s competitive retail landscape will jeopardize the long-term sustainability of unionized businesses and advance non-union competitors. (Albertsons did not respond to a request for comment.) The rise of lower staffing levels alongside wage stagnation also measurably affects workers ability to manage their finances and cover basic expenses. In the UFCW surveys, many grocery workers report getting their hours cut or being denied additional hours by their employera trend that is also captured by BLS data, which indicates that average weekly hours logged by nonsupervisory workers have dropped 11% since 2003 to under 29 hours. Grocery workers are also more likely, on average, to be part-time employees relative to workers in other industries, with the share of workers being 58% greater. By and large, the workers surveyed believed their pay did not fairly compensate them for their workload and experience, and that they saw themselves as essential frontline workers but were not treated as such by their employers. Many of them reported struggling to afford monthly expenses like rent, with more than two-thirds of grocery workers claiming to not have secure housing. Only 16% of grocery workers said they made enough money to cover basic expenses. On average, annual pay for nonsupervisory grocery workers in the regions surveyed is just over $25,000and many such workers are eligible for Medicaid and other federal programs that help support low-income families. Over the past few decades, wage stagnationand the yawning gap between worker pay and executive compensationhas impacted rank-and-file employees across industries. Even so, many workers have actually seen a bump in pay: According to the Economic Roundtable report, weekly earnings have increased by 15% over the past 20 years for production and nonsupervisory workers in other industries. Grocery workers, however, have experienced the opposite, leading to a 50% gap in pay relative to workers in other industriesa shift that the report finds has also coincided with a notable decline in union membership across the grocery industry.
Category:
E-Commerce
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