22. July 2009 10:20
Posted by SamSari
With the summer vacation season upon us, the sense of relief in many organizations is apparent. The last couple of quarters have been some of the most turbulent in years, and people are looking forward to some time to recuperate. They have certainly earned it. But what happens when the business world heads back to work after the break?
Recovery?
With the first hints of recovery beginning to appear, you might assume that the first thing to do would be to take a deep breath and be glad the worst is over. However, as the world prepares to get back to business, many organizations are still reeling from the effects of tough decisions that have been made over the course of the financial crisis. Workforces have been reduced, budgets remain frozen or drastically reduced, and there is still a great deal of uncertainty about what the future may hold. Dealing with change is never easy, but dealing with uncertainty can prove even more difficult. Times like these call for a focused effort by leadership to activate the rest of the organization, to keep people focused, engaged and empowered as the recovery continues.
Getting people involved
In our experience, inspiring confidence and innovation with the ranks is a matter of getting people actively involved at all levels and getting their best ideas heard. Some of the better ideas we’ve seen coming from our clients and partners in this regard include:
- Sharing information with employees about what is really happening with your business
- Instilling a higher sense of purpose in every employees’ daily work
- Opening up better communication channels within the organization and using them frequently
- Tasking groups of employees to think about ways to improve or innovate product offerings
- Designing a reward and recognition system for ideas that have a proven impact
- Getting employees involved in setting goals, tracking progress, and measuring results
These are just a few ideas to think about as you plan your return to the playing field. The theme here is really quite simple: listen to your people. An energized workforce is one that feels valued, that feels its voice is heard and considered important. Are such voices struggling to be heard in your organization? And more importantly, is anyone listening?
Want to download a PDF version of this month's newsletter? Click here: from_the_change_agency_july.pdf (462.81 kb)
