It’s almost every executive’s instinct to close the door and hide when times are tough at work – but not communicating with employees can actually make things worse. I received an email today from TalentTrust that had some great advice for CEOs and senior executives on communicating within the company during the economic crisis. Every employee is worried about their job, their mortgage, their savings and their future. This stress can actually make employees less productive at work – a study from Workplace Options found that 48 percent of employees’ concerns over the economy made them less productive at work. That’s a recipe for disaster when companies need to be more productive with fewer resources in times like these.
So here are some tips for executives on communicating with employees:
- Saying nothing is not an option – you must acknowledge the situation and recognize people’s concerns at minimum.
- Information is power – if you are the source of the information, it has more weight than what ‘people are saying’. Let your team know how your company is being impacted and what your plan is to address it. Be realistic, but positive about your company’s ability to overcome the situation – you set the tone.
- Listen – listening to employees helps them feel better, even when you are not offering an immediate remedy. They want to know that they can trust you, that you care, and that you are taking their concerns seriously.
- Be visible and available – make sure that you are accessible to employees and that you are delivering your message, good or bad, in person. Leadership is always tested in hard times and although its not easy, personally delivering difficult news is always a better choice.
- Make sure management is on the same page – your entire executive team should be unified and have a clear message and action plan.
- Don’t let the media run your business – don’t let employees hear about how your company is fairing from a news report. Significant business announcements should be delivered to employees first, and then the media. Let them hear your version before the news reinterprets it.
There is no good way to deliver the news if your company is having to face layoffs or other difficult business decisions – but there are better ways and there are worse. If you treat your employees with respect, and let them know in advance what to expect, they will understand the situation and be more prepared to accept it. This approach can also help motivate your team to join together to overcome the hurdles together towards a successful new year.
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