How to soar during difficult times

How to soar during difficult times

Part 1 of 5

Over the past few years, the economy has hit many industries. Businesses closed their doors or downsized, employees lost their jobs, and many families lost their homes and belongings. Fear started to sneak in. Not only people who lost everything, or who were at the edge of losing everything, but also the ones who still had their job security, struggled with this fear.

"Fear leads people to focus on the issues instead of the desired outcome. This creates the environment of 'playing not to lose' instead of 'playing to win'. Employees in this situation tend to disengage which drives a company into "paralysis"", says Success Coach Helena Nyman.

Once an organization takes its course, it is a difficult and long undertaken to turn it around.

On the other hand, you have organizations that soar during this difficult economy. If you go back to the 1930s, you see that history repeats itself again. During the 1930s, there were companies that not only survived the crisis, but separated themselves from the sinking ship and became some of the nation's leading companies.

Let's take a closer look at what happens when fear sets in and employees start to disengage.

Engaged employees are clearly more valuable to your company than disenchanted ones. Great managers and leaders know this instinctively, and The Gallup Organization's latest research into employee engagement levels among the U.S. workforce confirms it. In fact, according to Gallup's calculations, actively disengaged employees -- the least productive -- cost the American economy up to $350 billion per year in lost productivity.

~ The Gallup Organization

One of Gallup's researches (based on about 3 Million people's responses) suggested as well that only 29% of the U.S. workforce is actively engaged, 55% is not engaged, and 16% is actively disengaged. To put it another way, for every two employees walking the halls of your organization, there is a cave dweller impeding the good work done by the engaged employees.

If 55% of all U.S. workers are not engaged, and 16% are actively disengaged, then 71% of the Americans who go to work every day aren't engaged in their role. That means that American businesses are operating at less than one third of their capacities. What if only one third of a manufacturing company's machines operated at capacity every day? What a loss of opportunities!

The good news are that there is still an opportunity for growth - even during this tough economy - if you can move your employees from the "not engaged" to the "engaged" category.

To learn more about how to turn your company around, create opportunities and lead your employees to high performance, stay tuned for Part 2 of 'How to soar during difficult times'.

Please join the Forum to add your comments. Thank you!

5 ways to lead successfully during Change

All the economic changes are driving companies to make adjustments. Companies are reacting with changes in their workforce, service offerings and compensation...and employees are feeling the effects.

Don’t get me wrong, change can certainly be a good thing. Sometimes, it’s truly needed.

However, change isn’t always easy for people to digest. They tend to have an immediate and sometimes physical reaction to any announcement of change.

The best companies will always adjust...and so change will be part of the equation.

Leaders should be more aware of the impact that change has on their teams, and they should be ready to support people through the process. Because the basic human need of feeling secure and valued is innate in all of us, leaders should be prepared to help nurture these emotions as change is occurring.

Be proactive as a leader to help ensure a smooth transition for your employees.


Here are 5 of the most important points to consider when you need to drive your team through changes:



Communicate the change effectively


This is critical to the success of any change. A clear expectation must be set with as many details as can be provided (and then followed-through on!) Leaders should be transparent...but that doesn’t mean they should disclose every single detail. It means they should be authentic and honest, while they share as much as they can at the right times.



Involve your team in change


“Change is a threat when done to me, but an opportunity when done by me.”

~ Rosabeth Moss Kanter

People want to play a part on what’s happening to their future. Engage their expertise to guide the change and they will reward you by being more energized by it.

Side note: Not involving your team in a new strategy can make you a part of the statistic that 90% of companies fail to execute their strategy



Remain consistent in your core values


While processes, procedures and services may be changing, your people need to see the stability of your core values. This will help them to remain confident in what’s happening, even if all the questions can’t be answered.



Share the vision and hope for the change


This is what I often refer to as the “power of why.” Most people are fairly purpose-driven. They want affect change and have an impact, so it’s important to share the value and benefit of the change, as well as to help each person understand their role in that bigger picture.



Be an obstacle-remover

In times of change, more than ever, a leader must provide the right tools for success and remove obstacles that are impeding progress. Leaders should encourage open communication and innovation. They should also allow for graceful failures. This is where great leadership will come through, as the true “rallying” of the team is what facilitate a smooth transition through change.

Many organizations invest a lot of money in creating a strategy, but they don't provide their teams with the necessary tools to execute. Don't become a casualty of this mistake!


What’s been your leadership experience in the midst of change?

Are you a great leader who has some additional ideas to share?

Or have you been led by someone who inspired everyone through a difficult transition?


Please share your expertise and experience with my readers. Thank you!