With the economy being so down right now, it's certainly difficult to keep employees' spirits up and to keep them motivated. We were recently told that we may not get our big bonuses and salary increases this year and that's definitely the last thing anyone wants to hear. In times like this it's important for managers to make an extra effort to keep their employees motivated. There was a recent article in the WSJ that discussed this as well. The article mentions that that managers tend to criticize employees during tough times because they are under so much pressure to perform well. However, managers should try doing the opposite. They should provide recognition and encouragement. Communication is also important in times like this. Of course, everyone is worried about their jobs and management can make an effort to communicate that everything will be ok, etc.
2 comments:
I really like your point of view on this! I have to admit myself, that I have been anxious about my work situation (facility being purchased by a new company), and my long term financial prospects (401K, etc). Upper management has been silent on what's happening, and no official announcements have been made. To make matters worse, our Director takes a completely hands-off approach to day to day operations, practically never leaving her office or communicating with the staff directly. There have been no staff meetings in at least the last
six months. I realize the Director probably doesn't know too much more than we do, but I think the situation could be vastly improved if she would just organize a meeting to let people air their concerns and give us some positive feed-back on how we are doing, at least for the moment.
We're at a point where our economy can keep spiraling downward even though we could stabilize it with open conversation. I don't think that communication will solve our economic troubles, but it will ease the minds of the low to middle class citizens. They need to know where they stand and what they can depend on. With every business that shuts down, everyone is wondering "will I be able to get a new job that pays the bills?" We need some leaders (nationally and locally) that will reduce the FEAR of this economic downturn. Much like in 9/11, we must not allow fear to dictate action... but that requires a leader who is confident, calm, and communicative. I hope Obama can fulfill that need.
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