Blog Post: Stopping the Pink Slip Party

Recommend

posted Monday, August 31, 2009 7:19 PM

by Elissa Heimburger, Owl-HR

This is definitely not a party that most of us want to attend. We’re not just talking about those losing their jobs, but also the employers throwing the party. So how do we move on after a layoff? Morale and trust are at an all time low. For the victims of layoffs, remember that the job you used to have is not who you are as a person. You still have your talents and traits that will make you a prized asset in your next position. Use this as an opportunity for a new beginning.

For company leaders, for your organization to succeed, it is imperative to rebuild trust if you are ever going to put the breaks on plummeting productivity. This needs to be your highest priority. Poor morale doesn’t happen over night, but consistent effort to improve it will pay off in the long run. What can you do as a top leader to rebuild trust? Here are three things to consider:

Act with Integrity – If you want people to trust you, your actions need to match your words. Show that you genuinely care about employees and about the success of the organization. Be optimistic. Employees can perceive apathy like sharks sense blood in the water, so don’t just go through the motions. Make your actions count. Leaders who can’t act with integrity to rebuild team spirit are toxic, will derail the company’s recovery and shouldn’t be part of the organization.

Communicate – Be open, honest and as frank as possible. Be transparent because if employees feel that you are hiding things, they will be less open to change, making company success even more difficult to obtain. Explain why layoffs were the only solution. Let remaining employees know what the game plan is for recovery and what their role will be. This will help focus their energy in a positive direction. Listen empathically. You can improve morale if you can console team members. Communicate often. When you are not communicating, employees will create stories and fill in the blanks with what they think is happening.

Be Results Oriented – Talk to employees about what they should be doing. It’s important to redirect energy to achieving company goals. Talk about what you are doing and how they can support those efforts. Focus on camaraderie, building new teams and breaking down silos. Cohesive teams are essential for achieving results. There’s no room for turf wars, so as a leader, don't tolerate them. Seek out employees most open to change, as these folks will make the best leaders as you rebuild. Also, with added responsibilities, it’s important to provide training for employees where it is needed.

Without an action plan, employees will focus their energy thinking “Am I next?” “Why should I care about the success on the company when our leaders don’t?” Nothing is more unsettling to your staff than not knowing and the feeling of helplessness. It is important that you support the survivors in your organization if you want your company to weather the storm.

Tags leadership, trust, morale, layoffs

Comments 1

Recommend

Email to Friend

Permalink

Digg

Technorati

del.icio.us

DENVER
COMMUNITY BLOG

RSS

Flag as Inappropriate

Community Comments

Kris	Tuesday, September 1, 2009 5:47 PM
Great post, very true. I often believe the lucky ones are those that get out early.

Post Your Comments

If you already have an account, enter your email address below to login. If you do not have a My Jobing Account, enter your email address to get started!

EMAIL (ex. username@aol.com)
PASSWORD Forgot your password?
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
CODE This helps prevent automated spam comments.
CODE This helps prevent automated spam comments.

Submit

About This Author

Elissa Heimburger

MBA, PHR, GPHR, Owl-HR

Contact Me

About Me

My passion is helping businesses optimize their people process! I am a certified HR pro with 15 years of experience. I love coaching employers to engage their staff while leveraging their skills to move companies closer to their goals.