Johannesburg, 09 Jul 2009
Businesses around the world are facing uncertainty as a result of the global economic crisis. Now, more than ever, employees need reassurance, affirmation from top management, which supports the ability of the organisation`s business model to weather the downturn.
Anton van Heerden, MD of Softline VIP, is a champion of open and honest communication in addressing employees` concerns. An ostrich mentality, he says, will only work with mediocre employees. To retain prime talent, you need to face reality - together and head on.
All business leaders have to know what is going on in the world and today that means acknowledging that the world`s economy is in turmoil. The realities have hit home in South Africa and although they may not understand it completely, employees are anxious about what this spells for their livelihoods. This leaves management with the challenge of conceding that times are tough, but still ensuring their offices are filled with truly motivated and energetic people. This is a difficult, but crucial, balance to strike.
There seems to be two extremes in terms of how businesses are dealing with the recession. In the one corner you have the `Pollyannas` - those who believe that simply talking about 2010 and all the things that make South Africa unique means things are not that bad. In the other corner sit the `naysayers` - people who hone in on adverse press, embellishing it still further with their own doom and gloom predictions.
And, although it is difficult to understand, there are those who are simply flat-out ignoring what is going on - the classic ostrich mentality. I think this is almost worse than having an unbalanced view, because it creates uncertainty among your workforce.
The fact is, the world economic crisis is a very complex issue that affects different countries and markets in different ways and nobody knows exactly what is going to happen. I do believe that opportunities can be found in almost any situation and with the right attitude our businesses can not only endure, but also prosper.
Use all the negative press as a motivating factor by firstly acknowledging it and then by channelling your staff`s energy into ways to achieve success. Managers who don`t strike this balance will lose credibility with their workforce.
My advice to managers is to:
* Acknowledge the facts and discuss these openly with your staff (I have been surprised at how little some of my staff knows about what`s going on in the economy). Don`t assume your people know what`s going on - it`s your responsibility to inform them if they don`t.
* Explain to your workforce that although the news is negative, as a business you can decide how best to react to it.
* Turn this negativity into a motivating factor by challenging your staff to come up with innovative ways of ensuring continued success. It is commonly accepted that the best ideas are born in positive environments, so it`s important to create and maintain that positive environment.
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