Johannesburg, 04 Sep 2013
With the first half of the year gone and reviewed, the second half of 2013 provides the perfect opportunity for businesses to take their own temperature, diagnose any issues and treat them, helping to ensure their greater commercial success.
Diagnosing problems
So, how do you get to the root of your businesses problems? The first and most obvious step is to speak to people. If staff members are not confident about expressing their opinions face-to-face, then perhaps start with something as simple as a suggestions and questions box, which is an easy way to make your team feel empowered.
It is also worth considering that different departments may be suffering more than others, and from quite specific problems.
As a part of our Change Challenge Report research, we surveyed over 2 000 workers from myriad industries and departments, including IT, R&D, finance, sales and marketing, advertising and communications.
The results revealed some interesting sector-specific insights and issues, which might help shed some light on potential issues within your own organisation. At a time when businesses are still striving to do more with less, you will need the full support of your employees, which means that the issues we have identified, or the ones you uncover through your own initiatives, cannot be ignored.
* "Company communication isn't clear enough," according to marketing, advertising and communications (50%), IT (25%) and sales (17%) teams - Mindjet, Change Challenge Research Report, January 2013. Managers in these departments are also unsure whether their staff understands what their team's goals are.
* "There's a lack of senior support," argue around a quarter of production (31%), IT (26%), marketing/advertising/communications (25%) and sales (23%) workers - Mindjet, Change Challenge Research Report, January 2013.
* "My hard work and contribution to the business isn't acknowledged by bosses," say a third of production (32%), legal (30%) and IT (29%) teams - Mindjet, Change Challenge Research Report, January 2013.
* "We use inefficient working practices and communication," stated production (32%) and marketing/advertising/communications teams (23%), who also cite inefficient project management as an issue - Mindjet, Change Challenge Research Report, January 2013.
* "I have too much work and not enough time," is a cry from all departments, although R&D teams (43%) and marketing/advertising/communications (35%) teams seem to be the most affected - Mindjet, Change Challenge Research Report, January 2013.
Prescribing the right medicine
Once you have a better idea of what might be ailing your teams, you can set about working with them to find a solution. Good communication is vital, and without it, things can disintegrate very quickly. Teams should make it a priority to meet regularly and communicate feedback often. Using tools such as Mindjet can help with remote communication and facilitating an environment for feedback, which everyone can contribute to regardless of time or location.
Senior support and good leadership are very important too. A good leader should motivate and coach team members, inspiring confidence in their management, and ensuring that your teams do not feel overwhelmed. If people are struggling to get everything done, perhaps you can look to recruit interns or temps to provide a few extra hands on deck. Even small, cost-effective steps like this will contribute positively to the health and wellbeing of your business.
It is clear from the results of our research that - aside from the devastating impact of our ongoing economic issues on business - there are other, more internal issues that need to be tackled to ensure organisational success.
According to Professor Nelson Phillips, Chair in Strategy and Organisational Behaviour, Imperial College London: "Motivated and engaged employees are at the heart of business success, and there is no time when this is more true than in tough economic times. Yet, it is just at this time that employee motivation and engagement drops as their employers lack the resources to support and reward them, while constant cost-cutting and pressure undermines morale and enthusiasm."
The key to turning things around and getting the second part of the year off on the right foot is to focus on improving and developing working practices and efficient communication. Business leaders must not get bogged down in cost-cutting, but should strive to communicate a vision that moves employees beyond the current downturn and excites them about the future. This two-pronged approach will help re-engage a workforce, whose buy-in to your operational success is paramount.
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