Business Solutions for Your Profitable Future

Team building and communication

Layoff alternative #4: Team building and communication

 

Uncertainty builds fear and fear costs you money in a thousand little ways for a very long time.

If you have had layoffs in your company everyone left is under pressure. They probably feel bad for those who are gone and are fearful that they will be next.

Nobody performs well when there are fearful that they will be next to feel the ax. Even if you company has not yet had layoffs you can be sure that everyone is concerned.

This is the time to ramp up your communication and team building to the highest possible levels to keep everyone informed of what the situation is and what roles they can play to keep the business as healthy as possible. Here are some things you can do:

  • Have frequent town-hall meetings to give people the facts
  • Listen at those meetings to hear what people are saying
  • Act on what you hear: fix problems, answer questions; act on suggestions
  • Give people tasks such as those discussed in parts 1-3 of this newsletter series training, marketing and sales multiplication, problem solving and more
  • Make sure your teams are given positive direction and message
  • Actively seek out your staff and solicit their input, participation and questions
  • Make them part of the solutions to problems
  • If the news is bad tell them it’s bad but at least tell them. Not knowing is worse than knowing
  • Make your hard decisions well and act decisively with as much input and communication as is reasonable and appropriate

 

People feel less fearful when they are informed and engaged as part of the solution. They will be more productive and are far more likely to look for ways to cut costs and improve profits.

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