Invest in Employee Engagement: it will prove worth your while
The buzz word most associated with employee satisfaction these days is “engagement.” As recently as two years ago we were writing about the impending talent drain, as boomers would be leaving the workplace in masses for retirement. We stressed the importance of creating a workplace where employees would feel motivated, enthused and most importantly, “engaged.”
That was two years ago. Today the whole business landscape has changed. As of December 2009, California’s unemployment rate is 12.1%. Massive layoffs have had a profound impact on not only the way we do business, but on the employees who are left shell-shocked after layoffs, wondering if and when the axe may fall on them. We’re not hearing the word “engaged” much these days as it relates to employees. In fact, some leaders have been so bold as to say, “I really don’t care what employees think and how they feel. They have a job and should be grateful to have survived the last round of cuts.”
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Filed under: Communication, Leadership, Leading Change, Managing Layoffs, Peter's Blog, Vision on February 3rd, 2010 No Comments »
Motivation is Always a Challenge!
One of the most frequently asked questions by managers and supervisors is, “How do I motivate employees when the workforce is downsizing?” If employees have a fear of losing their jobs, motivating the workforce can be a manager’s toughest challenge.
Lack of motivation costs more in productivity, both tangible (workers are able to accomplish more than they presently are) and intangible (the waste of capability), than we will ever be able to calculate. Most people would agree they are capable of accomplishing more in life. The big question is how do we, and the others who work for us, get motivated to accomplish more.
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Filed under: Leadership, Leading Change, Managing Layoffs, Peter's Blog on September 21st, 2009 No Comments »
Last week, the economic downturn showed it was effective at impacting three very different industries. Johnson & Johnson cut 900 jobs in it US pharmaceutical division, Walt Disney Co. cut 1,900 jobs across its US theme parks and 3M cut its global workforce by 1,200 jobs. According to Forbes.com, 6,461 people lost their jobs within just the first nine days of April. With these types of press releases bombarding us on a daily basis, many managers and employees in just about every industry worry that they will be next. Worry and fear are two of the most powerful emotions that can distract people from staying focused and getting the work done. If you are one of the people who has not been laid off, the following tips will help you increase your chances of staying gainfully employed.
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Filed under: In the News, Managing Layoffs, Peter's Blog on April 14th, 2009 No Comments »
YourHRdigest.com
There may be 50 ways to leave a lover but there are only 2 ways an employee leaves an organization: physically, as in moving on to a competitor, which is manageable and the company hires a great employee to take over the job; or mentally. It is this second one that strikes fear into the heart of every manager: the employee who mentally quits, but stays with the organization…
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Filed under: Articles, In the News, Leading Change, Managing Layoffs, Newsletters on March 24th, 2009 No Comments »
BendWeekly.com
Although workers can’t control the economic downturn, they can try to keep a positive attitude and play a part in the optimistic influence needed to maintain a company’s success.
Peter Barron Stark — author of the forthcoming book, “Engaged: How Leaders Build Organizations Where Employees Love to Come to Work” — recommends that workers attempt to envision what can be controlled in the office: the results from assignments, work relationships…
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Filed under: Articles, In the News, Managing Layoffs on March 24th, 2009 No Comments »
Reuters.com
With layoffs happening all around her, automotive worker Ellen Whittington is doing what many worried Americans are doing: trying to find a safer, better job before she loses the one she has.
Strange as it may seem, changing careers or trying to upgrade jobs amid a recession and millions of layoffs may be just the thing to do — to jump before you get pushed.
“Some organizations use downturns to go out and capture the top talent in the industry from competitors that are hurting,” said Peter Stark…
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Filed under: In the News, Managing Layoffs on March 24th, 2009 No Comments »
IndustryWeek.com
According to a study in 2007 by the Manufacturing Performance Institute, over 70% of the 984 manufacturers surveyed expected their revenues to increase. What a difference two years can make! Today, manufacturers are one of the leading industries dealing with managing labor costs in an economy experiencing headwinds that most of us have never seen before. With health care and retirement benefit costs increasing, consumer and business demands for products decreasing, and the challenge of gaining credit and raising capital, lay-offs have become the best viable business option for many manufacturers.
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Filed under: In the News, Leading Change, Managing Layoffs on March 24th, 2009 No Comments »
The unthinkable has happened – your organization has experienced a lay-off. You are one of the survivors – your position has not been eliminated… yet. You currently find yourself surrounded by a group of fearful people. Fearful that workloads will increase; benefits will be eliminated; more people may be let go; and fearful of experiencing loneliness after losing friends at work.
You are now faced with a decision. You can be part of a positive force to help the organization be successful, or become paralyzed with the uncertainty of the future. What can you do to become an employee that your organization simply cannot live without?
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Filed under: Leading Change, Managing Layoffs on February 4th, 2009 No Comments »
The unthinkable has happened – your organization has experienced a lay-off. You are left with a group of employees who miss the “good old days” and are afraid of the future – afraid that their position may be eliminated; afraid their workload will increase; afraid they will lose benefits; and afraid they will be lonely since they have lost friends in the lay-off.
As a leader in the organization, you may share some of the same fears your employees do. Now is the time to focus on what you can do, not on what has been lost. The lay-off is behind you. You are now faced with a tremendous opportunity. The opportunity to engage the workforce you have left. By seizing this opportunity you will be positioning your team and your organization for success. By ignoring this opportunity, you will be left with a discouraged, disgruntled workforce more concerned about their own personal survival than the organization’s success. The following six tips will help you use your leadership position to keep the team you have left engaged 100% of the time:
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Filed under: Leading Change, Managing Layoffs on February 4th, 2009 No Comments »
