Oct 28, 2009
One of my friends was just told she is the only employee who will be retained at the mom-and-pop corporation where she works. The lone survivor of a dozen or so full-time employees. She will have far more responsibility, less pay, and no guarantee's for the coming months, but she'll have a job. Like most folks in a company that size, it was a close-knit group.
Another friend, a high-level executive at a Fortune 500 high-tech organization had to give more than 3/4ths of her team their pink slips. Many of whom had worked side-by-side with her for many years.
These hard times will pass, but how can leaders and managers of these organizations help the employees "left behind" deal with their new work realities as they experience guilt and loss while most likely also being asked to work harder and more productively? The following are a few ideas:
*Understand the grief process: Learn about the stages of grief and provide a forum for employees to be heard about their reactions. Acknowledge your own sense of loss.
*Improve the company image wherever possible: Do what you can for exiting employees; offer outplacement services and coaching.
*Provide stress reducers and rewards: Deliver homemade snacks to employees, offer incentives for ideas to cut costs or increase sales.
*Build "team-esteem:" Allow employees to use the company resources to create a community contribution on behalf of the organization.
*Remember that a common enemy brings people together. Help "identify" the enemy, i.e. the economy, the competitors. Consider challenging a competing organization to a team olympics event.
*Invest in a Change Management, Leadership, or Team-Building workshop to help leaders and staff to understand how to be proactive and productive in times of rapid change and uncertainty.
These economic hard times will pass and in many ways will make us stronger as individuals, team-members, and organizations.
-By Kerri Moon | 
