How come employees aren’t as happy as they were just a few years ago? Quite obviously it’s because of the economy. Employees are nervous and stressed in today’s volatile economy. Gas prices, food prices, downsizing. etc. This causes lower productivity and raises health benefit costs for employers.
According to the American Institute of Stress, numerous surveys and studies confirm that occupational pressures and fears are far and away the leading source of stress for American adults and that these have steadily increased over the past few decades. So how can employers help their employees without breaking their already strained budget?
Below are 3 simple ways employers can do this:
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Be Honest. Let employees know the state of the company. It is critical that employers are honest about the company’s financial situation. If business is good, discuss new projects and contracts. If it’s not so good, focus on the integrity of the company and its management.
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Let employees know you care. Provide information to employees about how to make the dollar go further, or where in the local area is gas the least expensive. Providing this information will show that you are listening and understand and ultimately, care. Providing this information won’t cost you too much time and more importantly, it doesn’t cost anything to provide information.
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Don’t give up on training. We know budgets are tight but there are some very cost effective training seminars that don’t require round-trip airfare, two nights’ hotel stay and a rental car. Look locally for a good ½ day or 1 day seminar and send your employees to it! Not only does it show that you value their growth as an employee, it gives them a chance to be with each other, outside of the office and can be used as a really great morale booster. It’s also a great return on a minimal investment.
There are several more ways to assist during slow economic times. These are just a few to get started.
A great way to view a company is to look at how it treats its employees both in good times and bad.
I must say this is a great article i enjoyed reading it keep the good work
Those are ways, moveahead1. But there is a more effective way.
First get rid of all traces of a top-down approach. Everyone wants to do a good job, but don’t want to be ordered around like a robot.
Next, start treating employees with great respect and not like robots by listening to whatever they want to say when they want to say it and responding in a very respectful manner.
Responding respectfully means resolving their complaints and suggestions and answering their questions to their satisfaction as well as yours, but most importantly theirs. It also means providing them more than enough opportunity to voice their complaints, suggestions and questions. Spend your time making your support (training, tools, material, discipline, direction, planning, information, etc) reflect the very highest standards of all values by resolving their complaints and suggestions thus “leading” toward the very best standards.
And realize that the highest quality and most respectful “direction” is the very least since no one likes to take orders or really needs them except in emergency situations. Anyone routinely needing extensive orders should not be on your team.
This treatment “leads” employees to treat their work, their customers, each other and their bosses with great respect. Listening and responding respectfully also inspires them to unleash their full potential of creativity, innovation and productivity on their work giving them great pride in it and causes them to love to come to work.
You will be stunned as I was by the huge amount of creativity, innovation and productivity you have unleashed. To learn how I escaped top-down after using it for 12 years, read an interview of me at
http://www.extensor.co.uk/articles/int_simonton/interview_ben_simonton.html
Best regards, Ben
Author “Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed”
In response to Mr. Bennet Simonton’s comment about getting rid of all traces of a top-down approach, that may work quite easily in the Silicon Valley but it can be difficult when companies have workers at different levels of ability and willingness to do their jobs in the face of an uncertain future. In this situation they need leaders who can flex their leadership style to accommodate each employees needs, whether it means being more “hands on” for performers that are struggling with anxiety or “hands off” for those who seem be keeping their wits about them. I like to share this story with leaders, managers and first-line supervisors. When the ship is sinking, people on-board want a life boat given to them, they don’t want someone calling a meeting to discuss why the ship is sinking. That’s why I think the following summary of an article I found in an AMA publication is right on target. I posted it on my AccelSnipsBlog in early July. Enjoy!
The Key To Surviving in Tough Times? Great Leadership!
It always amazes me that when economic times get tough, leadership training and development is the first thing to go. What a huge mistake companies and corporations make when they lop off one of the most important opportunities they can give their leaders, managers, first-line supervisors and employees. That’s why I was to excited to see this article come out in the American Management Association, Executive Matters. Thank you Quint Studer!
In his article, Mr. Studer states emphatically that “Great leadership is everything!” Here, here! The important fact that he shares is that companies who have mediocre leadership can do great in a booming economy but when the times really get tough that won’t be the case. That’s why it’s important to create a culture of sustainable leadership and it doesn’t happen overnight. But it can be done if you don’t throw training out the door with the bath water. Here are some suggested steps your business can take to yield quick wins and get your organization on the right path:
Put together a plan to get through the recession. Set objectives — which to emphasize and which to re-think. Align company goals and make sure everyone is singing from the same choir book. Scrutinize expenses and cut out what’s not absolutely necessary. And, please, please, please….communicate the plan to all of our employees.
Talk straight with your employees and address the tough issues. Behind closed door meetings can harm morale and candy coating the truth is insulting and erodes employee trust. Treat your people like adults. In the end they’ll appreciate and respect you for it.
Give your supervisors the facts so they can answer tough employee questions. This will stop the rumor mill which can make morale plummet. Tell managers exactly what to say. Write a “script” so everyone is speaking in the same voice.
Don’t let fear take hold of your company. Free-floating anxiety can permeate your company and if you allow it to continue you basically give your stamp of approval. Let employees vocalize their concerns and listen to them so you’re clear on the issues. This will also give you a chance to reinforce the company’s survival strategy.
This is a tough one, BUT, get rid of low performers. They waste your manager’s time and unfortunately, in tough times, the day of reckoning is here. Remember, now is when you need to keep your customers, your middle performers and superstars, NOT your low performers!
Be more creative in finding ways to hang on to your top performers. You can’t afford to lose your best talent. What perks can you offer that don’t cost a lot of money? How can you make their lives easier? Flex-time, work-from-home schedules,etc. can do wonders to keep your most important asset in the company.
Manage up…Always! Stop negative talk. Say great things about the company. Keep a positive outlook. Build confidence to keep customers coming back and employees content.
Customer Service should be shining under a 1,000-watt bulb! Your customers are pure gold in tough economic times. Hey, they can buy from anyone. Give your customers what they want and don’t assume their happy because they’re not complaining.
All of these suggestions are great ways to survive tough economic times. At Performance Connect we can help you build great leaders. Read more about our leadership and management training programs at http://www.performance-connect.com.
Accel Now!
American workers are uneasy and worried. They see rising gas prices and falling stock prices. They see the declining dollar and increasing layoffs. They see major business institutions collapsing and wonder if their own employer is next, because they’ve already seen the cutbacks at their own workplace.
It’s up to managers to lead companies through this turbulent economy, but they’re usually not prepared to do that. Far too many are promoted because of their technical skills rather than their leadership skills, and they often cannot adequately explain why the company must make difficult decisions and institute new strategies. The result is an unmotivated, unproductive workforce — and potentially more victims of the economy.
Two of the country’s leading management training and consulting companies are doing something about it. Paradigm Learning and The Forum Corp. have jointly created a FREE tool to help managers learn how to guide their organizations safely through the rough times. By identifying 10 actions in three key areas that successful leaders have taken during previous recessions, it can help managers keep their organizations settled and headed in the right direction.
It’s available at http://www.LeadingInToughEconomicTimes.com.