Managing Your Team During a Down Cycle
by Lynn Taylor
Founder and CEO, Lynn Taylor Consulting
Higher jobless rates than we’ve seen in years can incubate what I call the Terrible Office Tyrants (TOTs™) in your company. These attention-getters can come out of the woodwork with fervor, stimulated by a tense time and today’s difficult economic challenges.
Don’t let your firm fall victim to “TOTdom.” As an executive, you have the experience and “chops” to lead by example – to buck the trend and foster a sense of teamwork. Most studies show that morale-boosting programs are being cut the most right now. Yet, often the most effective steps you can take are the least expensive – and they involve showing that you genuinely care about the welfare of your employees.
It costs nothing to say “please,” “thank you” or “great job.” It’s easily forgotten, yet means so much to your team, especially now. There are certainly difficult actions that you are having to take now, such as staff reductions, making pay cuts and the like. But in the absence of information and with massive uncertainty, your people are assuming the worst, and productivity is falling much faster than you think if you’re not being proactive.
Make your staff aware of challenges the company is facing. Let them know how much you appreciate their efforts in countering external pressures. There is a strong correlation between lack of regular updates by management and company gossip or behind-the-scenes speculation by employees. Something as simple as a weekly continental breakfast in a break room to update the team with questions and answers will help alleviate stress. Having staggered lunches with various employees or departments shows that you care.
When better times do come around, good word of mouth is worth its weight in gold. Bad times won’t last forever, and you want to be remembered as someone with heart, not someone who condones TOT managers running amok, as in a pre-school, sugar-fest frenzy. There’s no better time than now to humanize your workplace™.
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