Page 149 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

136B RE-ENGAGE

: Be a good listener, allowing employees to vent and express
their concerns. Seek feedback from direct reports. Know
for sure how your team is feeling right now. Make no as-
sumptions.
: Partner with your employees on goal setting and evaluation
and in addressing the problems that your business faces.
Sit down with each employee, discuss the current situa-
tion, and describe the strengths and results you expect in
trying times, especially creativity, initiative, resourceful-
ness, and a positive attitude.
: Hold group sessions to talk through different economic is-
sues impacting the business, and solicit employee ideas
for cutting costs and creating new sources of revenue.
Ask those who have experienced difficult times or sur-
vived wrenching change to share their wisdom with
those who haven’t.
: Give people the personal touch. Make a point of having one-
on-one conversations with everyone on your team. What-
ever shape your company is in, an uncertain economy
affects everyone’s ability to focus on the job at hand. Show
people that you care about them and how they’re feeling
from one day to the next. Cultivating a sincere interest in
just a few people’s lives will do so much more than show-
ing just a little interest about a whole lot of people.
: Hold up the lantern. In the darkest moments great leaders
and managers show the team that there is a light at the
end of the tunnel. This means that if you’re not clear on
the company’s plan for surviving and succeeding, keep
asking until someone higher up gives you a convincing
response.
: Make sure everybody is on the same page when it comes to
communicating messages to employees, including entry-
level supervisors.
: Squelch rumors quickly. One miscommunication or tidbit
of conversation taken out of context can wreak havoc