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Creating an engaging workplace in challenging times
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Research has shown that after a restructuring, employees tend to work harder but are less productive. This in turn, more or less negates the cost savings corporations hope to derive from downsizing. Employees feel stressed not knowing if their jobs are secure, engage in rumor mills, spend more time talking to each other, mourning the past & speculating the future, thereby not getting their normal duties & during these times, additional responsibilities completed on time. In times of crisis, when corporations must retain their best & their brightest talents, some employees even start looking for external opportunities.
Here are some ways in which employees & managers can work effectively to overcome this disengaged behavior:
Focus on the Big Picture: It is not uncommon for economies to be cyclical, just as some businesses are seasonal. We have had several recessions, depressions & booms in the past, & survived through them. Challenging times such as these are good predictors of which enterprises are run well, lead innovation & value their employees. For example, Fortune 500’s such as Procter & Gamble and General Electric were founded during the panic of 1837, IBM came into existence at the time of long depression, 1873-1896, General Motors was founded during the panic of 1907& FedEx was founded during the oil crisis of 1973. These giants emerged because their employees believed in the business & were willing to invest their talents & creativity, even in down times. Therefore, it is more important now, than ever to focus on the long term future of the organization you are working for, & not get concentrate on immediate issues such as layoffs, budget cuts, benefit reduction, etc.
Communicate: To avoid rumor mills & unwanted stress, manager & leaders must make it a priority to communicate frequently & proactively, through multiple channels, across all layers of the organization. It is also important that the leadership speaks with one voice & models the desired behaviors. If you are working with others, give frequent feedback & be inspirational. According to a Watson Wyatt study, companies with the most effective employee communication programs provided a 91 percent total return to shareholders from 2002 to 2006, compared with 62 percent for firms that communicated least effectively. Moreover, a significant improvement in communication effectiveness is associated with a 15.7 percent increase in market value. It is a no brainer that the success of the organization would lead to increased benefits for the employees that helped produce it.
Value your Teams: Involving employees in teams can have several advantages. First of all, it creates a sense of belonging & loyalty amongst its members. Secondly, multiplied brainpower & complimentary skills can be effectively utilized to tackle business problems. Thirdly, the team is more apt to implementing an action plan when they are involved in constructing it. Team training accelerates the pace of change by giving managers an opportunity to reach consensus on the barriers of changes & how best to attack them.
Align company’s culture, values, people & behavior: During a time of crisis, those "other reasons“we work (beyond a paycheck) assume paramount importance. We rally around the countries, causes, and companies we believe in. This is when the employees are re-reading the mission statements. A time of crisis is a time to build relationships. It can be a time to show what you and your company really stand for. And it can be a time to tap into values that are more important to us than the numbers on our paycheck.
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