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Surviving the Severance
By Beth Lanier
Ken Chapman and Associates, Inc.
Copyright© 2009. All rights reserved.
American businesses are treading rough waters these
days. As consumers cut-back, profits plummet and stock prices sink, the
bows of the Fortune 500 and small business alike are tipping, lurching them
into an SOS mind-set focused on reversing downward trends as quickly as
possible. Waves of severance packages and salary freezes are leaving
survivors disoriented and managers struggling to turn their ships around
with less resources and a smaller crew.
If your ship is listing, your crew is sea sick, and you
feel like walking the plank…don’t! Sailing back to success with a skeleton
crew is NOT EASY, but it is also NOT impossible as long as a few caveats are
met:
·
The crew
on the ship is a strong one.
If your company is going through a severance process,
make sure that your best performers are the survivors. Past performance
is indicative of future performance. Review evidence gathered during
recent performance discussions not just for competence, but for results.
Place value on those who are self-directed and able to disagree agreeably.
Innovation and creativity are critical to turning a ship around, but they
must be coupled with a positive attitude and the ability to foster buy-in
and cooperation from the rest of the crew.
·
The crew
understands clearly the ship’s course. Communication is never more important than
in times of uncertainty and change. Share with your crew all of the
information you can, as often as you can. Where does the organization
currently stand in comparison with its competitors? What indicators must
change in order for business to survive and thrive? What immediate
priorities must be met? Enlist your people’s help in mapping out the best
course back to success. Once they understand the challenges facing them and
see clearly the end destination, allow your people every opportunity to
determine how to get there. With an established heading and a compass to
guide the way, your crew can steer itself, resolving issues, implementing
solutions and improving processes without waiting for your approval at every
turn.
·
The crew
is recognized as the ship’s greatest asset. Employees that have survived a severance
process, while happy to have their jobs, are often anxious about how long
their good fortune will last. Let your employees know that you are glad to
have them on board and that you believe in their ability to steer the ship
to smoother waters. The more confidence you place in your people to
increase efficiency and stabilize profit margins, the more confidence they
will have in themselves to live up to your expectations. Demonstrate your
trust in the expertise of your people by asking them what they need, giving
them what you can and then stepping back to let them do what they do best.
While you may not be able to make your people promises about the future, you
can instill a feeling of stability by giving them as much control as
possible over today.
Severance processes present difficult challenges for all
involved. Lives are changed, responsibilities are shifted and professional
relationships are tested. But these challenges are also opportunities to
tighten the ship, re-fit the sails and move on to better weather. Steer
your crew toward an optimistic horizon by focusing immediately on the
opportunities ahead. The longer you look back, the longer it will take you
to see the sun rising just ahead.
For more information about
Ken Chapman and Associates’ Leadership Development Programs, contact Ken
Chapman at 205.366.0265 or email Ken at
kchapman@leaderscode.com.
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