Page 132 - Perfect Phrases for Motivating and Rewarding

Chapter 9

Raising Morale in Tough Times

“If you would lift me up, you must be on higher ground.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

he difference between working for one bank, department
store, or manufacturer and another used to be minimal. Most
Tpeople stayed with a company throughout their entire work
life, many earning gold watches for twenty-five years of service. Sta-
bility was a virtue: the company man stayed put, and the company
remained the company. Today, as companies merge, acquire, and
disappear, any sense of a stable work environment is challenged.
When the company cannot guarantee that it—or you—will be there
in the long term, you tend to look for the next place to land. The wise
employer checks the pulse of the workforce for signs of career dissat-
isfaction and keeps lines of communication open. Lack of information
during challenging times leaves people frustrated, and they often
assume the worst of all possible scenarios.
Catching people before they fall, fail, or leave maintains a positive
environment during the most trying times. Monica Smiley, publisher
of Enterprising Women, sees a “common thread among the country’s
top women business owners: the ability to persevere in the face of
daily adversity.” Successful leaders in all business cultures bring that
entrepreneurial spirit and the mindset to tough it out to any chal-

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