People can’t go anywhere nowadays without hearing about “these tough economic times,” but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk to your staffers about the recession.
Staffers are looking to managers and execs to help them make sense of the current economic climate — and how it will directly affect them.
Here is how leadership coaches and consultants suggest you broach talking about the recession with your employees:
Get specific. Show employees how the daily reports of record losses and layoffs are directly affecting your company. This helps to give people some perspective on the situation.
Illustrate where you are, where you were and where you need to go. Using graphs and charts coupled with stories about what happened and what needs to happen is a great way to make this point.
A good idea: Create two charts — one outlining a continued decline and one a strong rebound — and solicit ideas from employees on how to bounce back faster.
Note: Don’t set up unrealistic expectations; growth can’t be guaranteed if customers just aren’t buying.
Listen, listen, listen. A huge part of being a leader is allowing employees to voice their frustrations, concerns and ideas for improvement. On top of helping to build camaraderie and bolster morale, venting sessions may actually spur some good ideas.
