KEYGroup Newsletter EZINE Archives January-February 2008

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Is It Time to "Recession-Proof" Your Workplace?
Headlines these days have become pretty disturbing. On top of conflict in the Middle East, massive product recalls, contentious political debates and the mortgage crisis, now comes talk of a looming recession. With all of this bad news in the air it isn't surprising that many employees are becoming distracted and preoccupied. And when water cooler talk turns from American Idol to idle home sales it's time to ask whether workplace productivity could be slipping.

As a leader you have to be sensitive to how ongoing bad news could be impacting your employees. But your goal isn't just to lighten their stress. Your goal should be to "recession-proof" your team members so they emerge stronger and even more productive when the threats pass.
In fact there may actually be a silver lining to this seemingly dark news cloud.

Taking Command ... and Calming the Waters
When times are tough there may be many things affecting your employees that are outside your control. But this is no time to crawl into a shell. As their leader you have to take proactive steps to reassure your employees and refocus them on the mission at hand. Here are 4 tips:

1. Communicate - You don't have a crystal ball and you can't see the future any more clearly than anybody else. But you can foresee the fears that haunt your employees: the potential for layoffs, pay cuts, benefit rollbacks and similar risks in troubled times. You can reassure them by communicating and sharing the "big picture" with them. Discuss how your organization is responding to changing conditions and remind employees of their role in achieving those goals.

2. Increase Participation - Bad times tend to make people feel powerless and at the mercy of outside forces. A terrific way to rebuild employee confidence is to get them involved in finding ways to cut expenses or increase profitability. If you are responsible for sales or marketing, this is a great time to re-examine sales strategies. In difficult times you can reinvigorate your workers by seeing to it that they feel a part of the solution, and not like potential victims.

3. Coach -- When conditions are uncertain it becomes easy for employees to lose sight of how they're doing their job. This is not a time to back away from providing feedback to your employees. This is the time to re-double the feedback you give employees. On-the-job coaching, goal setting, performance reviews and other types of feedback will reassure your employees that they are an integral part of the organization.

4. Evaluate - In difficult times leaders sometimes have to make difficult decisions. If the "crunch" does come and you must make changes in your staff, it's imperative that you be prepared. Make sure that all employee reviews are up to date. Take time to prepare an overall evaluation of your team members. What are their strengths? Where do they need to enhance performance? Do you have "gaps " that need to be filled? Can those gaps be closed with training? Are there certain talents that your present staff lacks?

Of course, the best defense against uncertain times and economic downturns is to build the type of culture that engages employees and generates a powerful sense of ownership. We call that a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Organization (VEO) and it's a proven formula for weathering hard times and flourishing in good times. To learn about the strategies necessary to create a VEO visit www.keygroupconsulting.com.

You Can Win the Talent War
Strange as it may seem, tough times can actually prove to be an opportunity to strengthen your workforce. While some employees may sit tight and worry about a layoff others are willing to put forth the extra effort to succeed. Talented employees tend to rise to the top in good times or bad, and that could be good news for you.

Most top executives, in fact, are worried a great deal these days about attracting and retaining talent. The PriceWaterHouseCoopers 11th Annual Global CEO Survey shows that personnel issues are particularly critical in the present environment. According to the survey, "The war for talent remains a key concern among CEOs worldwide, ranking second only to a potential economic downturn as the biggest threat to business growth."

But finding the right talent to fill key spots is a challenge for many organizations. As a recent Wall Street Journal article pointed out, “Companies typically shed talent rather than search for new or additional employees during periods of economic slowdowns. That could change, though, as hiring managers prepare themselves for an uncertain year.”

“Even as they contemplate layoffs, many companies also are hunting for new hires to fill management gaps. One reason for the hunts: Companies haven't been grooming and training enough employees for promotions and now have a mismatch of talent for open positions.” (They Ponder Layoffs, But Executives Still Face Gaps in Talent, by Carol Hymowitz, Wall Street Journal, January 28, 2008)

Have you given thought to how engaged your most talented performers are? Do you need to consider restructuring their duties to make sure they are challenged? Could they benefit from additional training? Investing time and effort in their job satisfaction now could pay off in increased employee loyalty down the road.

If you're looking for a program that can help you create the kind of work environment in which talented people want to produce (and don't want to leave) consider our popular workshop Motivate and Retain Talent: How to Keep Your "Keepers." Learn more by visiting www.keygroupconsulting.com/motivateretain.php.

Meet Gary Bunch
When organizations are looking for a dynamic leadership development program they often ask for KEYGroup's Gary Bunch. As our Vice President of Client Services Gary brings keen insights and a wealth of experience to every consulting assignment.

I first met Gary when he was serving as the Manager of Employee and Organization Gary BunchDevelopment for Centerior Energy Corporation in northeastern Ohio. In addition to his leadership development efforts Gary also played a key role in leading the company's strategic business refocus. Previously he also served for eleven years as Training Manager for the Caterpillar Tractor organization.

Gary is a skilled facilitator who has 25 years of experience in the areas of creativity/innovation, partnering, presentation skills, team building, change management and communications. Gary has also provided consulting and development assistance for all levels of employees and managers, with a special expertise working with top-level executives.

Gary always gets rave reviews from his communication and presentation skills clients, which over the past few years have included organizations as diverse as PPG Industries, US Bank, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Rite Aid, Blattner Brunner Advertising, US Steel and Bank of America (formerly MBNA), to name just a few.

I've always found it a pleasure to work with Gary Bunch and our clients are invariably enthusiastic about the professionalism, inspiration and practical skills that Gary brings to them. He's one of the reasons that KEYGroup has been so successful over the years in building long-term relationships with our clients. Contact KEYGroup President Jan Ferri-Reed at 800-456-5790 to discuss how Gary may be able to bring his consulting and training skills to your organization.

'Til next time ..

All contents copyright 2008 by KEYGroup® Contents may not be reproduced without permission.

To learn more about how you can create a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Organization contact KEYGroup® at 724-942-7900 or visitour websites www.keygroupconsulting.com and www.joannesujansky.com.