Workplace morale needs attention in down times - Birmingham Business Journal:

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That’s an exaggeration, concedes Kenny Colbert, president. But it’zs not much of a stretch. Keepinb employees focused and positive as businesse falters and colleagues are laid off is a top challengee facingmost companies. Lately the human-resources and training-servicex provider has been askedabout morale-boosting suggestione every couple of days. “Everybody is kind of in the Colbert says. Employees rightfully worry about losing their jobsand benefits. They fret aboutt the well-being of former colleagues. They feel financially vulnerabl with their retirementsavings shrinking, their salaries frozeh and their benefits eroding.
The most important thingy companies can do is communicatrewith employees, Colbert says. Employees need to hear what is happeningfwith profitability, customers and clients. They need to hear the company’zs strategy for staying healthy. “Jusf keep them in the even if it’s bad news,” he says. “ think employees would rathedr hear bad news than nothingat all. I thinik one of the things that gets people depressed isthe unknown.” Colbert says he recently had to take his own advicw at a staff meeting. Business is off and he discussed the challenges and how the company is positionec to weatherany bumps.
Human-resources consultant Gloria Gibsojn says employees will respectthe honesty. “Businesd leaders should be as positive, proactivee and realistic as possible,” says the ownetr of . “Try to find that balance between sugar-coating and frightening.” Smallp companies can easily meet as a Larger companies may want to conveneindividuall departments, she says. The message and tone of all the meetings should be Leaders need to be aware of anxiety levelw and addressissues head-on when employese apprehension grows, she says. Pretendin g all is well when it isn’tt will almost certainly she says.
Employees will be less anxious if managers can show they have a plan fornavigating challenges. “Try to be as clear as possiblde about what the expectations are and theresults you’re trying to she says. “Communicate so employees know this iswhere they’r e headed.” The message shoulr include a clear explanation of what leadership needw from employees to reach those goals. Gibson recommends reframinfg challenges into opportunities and possibilities by encouragingfemployee suggestions. If there are layoffs, focus on the peoplwe remaining as well as those who losetheifr jobs, Colbert says.
“The worsgt thing you can do is have a layofvf and not speak tothe survivors,” he says. “In a lot of cases, that’s much easierf to do in a small company than in a Bank of Colbert also suggests takinhg the opportunity when businesas is slowto cross-train employees. Most workers enjoyg learning new things, and the cross-traininy can be a good career-development tool, he says. If the budgett can support it, consider sending employees to seminars or bringing in a trainee topresent career-enhancing classes, he says. “There are severao little things companies can do to keep their employeezs engagedand involved.
” One organization taking that to heartr is ’s SouthPark office. Team leader Amy Hawkwe talks abouta two-pronged strategy to weathet a weak market: arming agents with professionao tools, and planning teamwork-building activities. “Thr last thing you need to be cuttinh back on right now is educationand training,” Hawke That means offering training on generating sales leads, for or working with short sales and bank-ownef properties. She organizes sessions where agentssharew “ahas,” or moments of professional clarity, with “We support each other in attaining goals, and we all hold each otheer accountable.
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