Leading Through Change

It may be a few years since the crash of 2008, but that doesn’t mean layoffs are no longer a reality. Everywhere we look there are redundancies here and downsizing measures there. Organisations are always changing, and with change comes cuts.

In times of flux, it often feels most comfortable to focus on costs because they are easier to manage and have tangible outcomes. People, on the other hand, can be more channelling. Unfortunately, losing people to save costs, and making sure those left behind stay motivated, are equally important. Many employees have friends and colleagues lose their jobs, when one day they are working right next to them, the next they’re not. Not only is this traumatic for those that leave, and need to find work elsewhere, it’s equally distressing for those left behind.

Why do those left have a rough deal?

1. Although a full role for the person made redundant may no longer exist, often there are remnants of a role that those left behind need to take on board. This means employee workloads change and often increase, and those left have to prioritise differently to adapt.

2. People feel a sense of loss for their fellow employees, and for the culture, process and role changes that come with people leaving the organisation.

3. When people join an organisation, they join a group and they feel accepted and needed by that group. When they see that group can easily expel others, they feel the psychological contract (the unwritten rule of loyalty and trust made between organisation and employee when they join) is broken. This brings unease and concern for their future and puts any trust built up over the length of their time at the organisation into jeopardy.

4. When employee's friends and colleagues are let go, people fear that if others are expendable then they may be too. Of course, this is always possible in today’s working world so we can’t eliminate such fears completely. However, we can help people to know that if they do the best they can, meet, and where possible exceed, the requirements of their role, they should stay in a positive position. 

So what can we do to cushion the blow to employees we've chosen to take us forward in our business?

Well, it's quite simple; treat people as you would want to be treated and you'd be surprised how receptive they can be, even in difficult situations.

Expecting people to carry on as normal, or even exceed expectations during layoffs, due to fear of what will happen if they don’t, could be shortsighted. It is likely to thwart their creativity and their work will suffer. Of course, you could make others redundant too but think of the costs of rehire, retraining, and adapting to culture this involves. Keeping good people is always the best option.

Communicate, set them at ease, and make them feel valued.

Take those left in your team out for lunch, talk to them, reassure them their jobs are safe. Or, if their jobs are not safe, or you're unsure at this stage, reassure them that you’re working to get as much information as you can as quickly as you can. It’s not recommended to do this in big groups otherwise employees can feel like a number rather than an individual. Aim to talk to people in small groups to ensure each and every person feels a valued member of the team.

It is also a great idea to take people out of the office because it gets them away from the stress going on in the workplace and prevents discussions from feeling so formal. It allows people to be in an environment where they can see the bigger picture, and it can dispel some of the concern and worries people have.

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I recently read a quote from True Compass that I believe drives home what an organisation should be trying to achieve after downsizing: 

“The extra attention you pay those employees left behind will pay off in reduced loss in production and a more dedicated and loyal staff. You know you have reached your goal when you consistently hear your employees say, “The Company had to make a hard, but necessary decision regarding those lay offs, and now is the time we all pull together and turn this situation around.””

Employees are human, just like you and I, and humans have feelings, emotions and needs. Making sure people know you care can do wonders for their motivation, engagement in their work and the future of your business. Get everyone moving in the same direction and you'll be surprised what you can achieve.

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Of course, there are lots of ways to lead through downsizing in organisations. Over to you! What are your thoughts on managing employee morale post redundancies in teams? I'd love to hear how you've managed similar situations, or how you might manage such issues in the future. 

Employee Engagement Means Treating People As You'd Want to Be Treated

There is a lot of advice out there telling people what to do to engage employees. It ultimately boils down to something very simple. Engagement is about treating people as you would want to be treated.  It’s nothing more complex than that.

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Don't believe me? 

Consider this scenario. 

Imagine you're the head of a department at the company you work for and one of the directors has asked you to fetch the coffee. How do you feel? Do you ask your assistant to do it or would you be quite happy to do it yourself? 

Commands get results but at what cost?

What if that same director demanded you to get the coffee, making it seem like your job would be in jeopardy if you didn't obey the rules? 

You might do it, but how would you feel afterwards? Contempt? Mistrust? Desire to leave?

Ask me nicely and I'll do it, but...

What about if the director said to you: ‘we really need help today, Jason our assistant is off sick, and someone has to get the coffee. Please, can you do it?’

Perhaps you'd feel better at being asked rather than commanded, but you might still be a bit put out. At the end of the day, it’s not your job, and there are more junior people than you who could do it in place of Jason.

What if it was part of your job?

What if you had a rota where everyone in your organisation did the coffee run once a month. The ethos being that nothing is beneath any employee whatever role they get into. It keeps you grounded.

Perhaps this would feel more comfortable because it spreads the responsibility, but maybe you'd be thinking 'why do I have to waste my valuable time doing pointless things like getting the coffee?'

What if it was the norm...

What if the CEO said to you, Jason is off, and we really need coffee, but the marketing team are in the middle of getting that roadshow finished for kick off tomorrow. I’m off to get the coffee, but I could get it done in half the time with your help. Would you mind giving me a hand? 

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How do you feel? Motivated to get the job done? Happy to help? Inspired by the down to earth nature of your CEO? I know I'd be all of those things. 

Why does it work?

Sadly in today's working world senior employees who are prepared to muck in with anything that needs doing are hard to come by. Fortunately, these types of managers are on the rise but there is still a long way to go.

Luckily people are beginning to recognise that managers who get involved in the everyday running of the business have more engaged employees. People feel connected to the leadership, and because they see senior people getting involved they are more likely to do the same themselves when faced with a similar situation. The senior folk set the example for how others will be treated. 

Suddenly fetching the coffee doesn’t seem like such a big deal does it...

Listen to Your People and Save Your Business

This morning, to get a little light relief from ironing out the finer details of wedding planning, I decided to watch one of my favourite work-related shows, Undercover Boss. 

I've watched this show many times and each time I am amazed at how surprised the big boss is by their findings. So much so that it reminds me of why I started out in business on my own in the first place; my goal has always been and always will be:

'Give everyone in your organisation a voice. Only then will you get the best from your people.'

This week the focus of the show was Tower Hamlets Council and it saw the Chief Executive (CE) going undercover to work as one of the frontline workers. As the CE quoted: 

"Working undercover on the frontline you see it as it is rather than how they want you to see it. People put on a show when they know you are a more senior person."

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Council workers perform many essential services for the residents in a borough; from pest control and waste management to child protection services, from libraries and doctors surgeries to meals on wheels. However, many of these services have suffered in recent years due to budget cuts and massive strains on resources. 

Budget cuts are no new thing to local councils in the UK, and they are always fraught with dispute and despair whenever they arise. Unfortunately, they are often necessary; the real problems arise when the wrong cuts are made. 

One of the stops for the CE this week was accompanying a female care worker who'd been delivering meals on wheels to elderly patients for 33 years. She was an inspiration, showing the utmost care, respect and genuine concern for each and every patient she visited. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, the time she spent with her elderly clients was cut dramatically to meet demand for services. 

The CE recognised that the situation visibly pained the long-standing worker, and he noted that she did her best to arrange her deliveries to spend the longest time possible with the people who needed her most. His revelation was: 

“’Meals on Wheels’ is more than just delivering a meal and walking away.” 

To address the issue, the CE asked the care worker to join a new committee he had designed to ensure the care of clients was of top priority. He told the care worker that her insight was vital to making the project a success. 

We always need budget cuts; change occurs in organisations and money is frequently required elsewhere to meet the current internal or external needs of the company - it's a fact of life. However, by making blind choices about changes required in organisations without speaking to the frontline workers first, senior leaders are bound to make incorrect decisions. 

The most important thing to recognise in any organisation is the need to understand the consequences of our actions. Yes, we are running businesses, but in many cases, we are also providing services to those who need it most. 

There are too many companies that operate without talking to the people on the shop floor. In some ways, this is helpful because it takes the emotion out of business and allows us to make strong financial decisions, but is that what business should really be about? Are we saying, as a race, we value financial gain more than the needs of our own? 

Business is more than making money; business is about people. 

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