Companies Have No Reset Button!

This month's question comes from a senior executive team member at a global manufacturing company.

Question

An article on your website “Economic Crisis or Golden Opportunity – You Decide”, written by Dr. Stimson, lists 10 opportunities that exist in today's current business climate. I found the article interesting and especially liked number 2. It got a good laugh around here! However, I don't think he addressed a situation we find ourselves in at my company, that I know is not unique to us: How do we regroup and reengage everyone?

We have been living in this economic craziness for nearly a year. We have cut personnel and budgets, and shut down facilities that were at the margin.

This leaves an increased burden on those of us who are left. We have endured budget cuts, reassignments, and some are doing multiple jobs that are new to them. Lately I have seen some mistakes and missteps that I believe are caused by people being tired and burned out. We cannot continue this pace indefinitely.

Despite the fact that our sales appear to have stabilized – and as suggested in the article, we have actually captured some new business from a competitor - many in our company are wary of what the future may hold.

So how do we regroup and reenergize? I feel like I want to find a “reset” button so that we can get back some of the energy we lost. What suggestions do you have?

Answer

Thanks for your question. Your situation is certainly not unique. We have heard similar statements from many executives and managers. Also, it is briefly touched on in the article you mentioned “Economic Crisis or Golden Opportunity? – You Decide. Two opportunities identified in the article were “Become a Culture Vulture” and “Get Back to Your Core.” The combination of these two suggestions gets to the essence of my response to you. Read on.

It is possible that one of the elements contributing to the burnout people are feeling is that they may not be sure what they are working for. From our experience, most work for the pay check and much more: a sense of contribution or belonging, achieving something with others they could not achieve on their own, or becoming someone in their particular profession. With all of the changes in your company, people may not know what they are working towards. The future is murky, gloomy or very unclear!

In this climate, the concept of a re-set button is an attractive one. However, it is only applicable if we're talking about re-setting a computer. When we do that, the goal is to correct some current problem by bringing the unit back to its original default settings – before we personalized everything the way we like it. In dealing with people, companies and business, we cannot go back. The past is done and gone.

In our follow-up discussion prior to the release of your question, you mentioned that members of the Executive Council suggested a variety of “stress relievers” in the form of paid furlough or gift certificates for some of the more hard working/high contributors. Additionally, you mentioned other types of celebrations or acknowledgements that could be organized in divisions in other parts of the world.

As we discussed, I think some good, quick, low-cost activities that acknowledge people's hard work and perseverance will pay dividends for you. However, their effects will not be as strong as could be unless you also craft and articulate a new vision of the future.

From your question and our subsequent discussion, it sounds like your company clearly has changed from what it was: your service offerings have shifted, market conditions are certainly different than what they were, and you are out of old markets and into a few new ones.

Anyone who thinks about this stuff knows that our future is not our past. Although we have no secret way to predict the future (if we did, I would have gotten rich betting on the long shot who won the Kentucky Derby)! What we do know is that we must look forward. A re-set is to go backwards. As we like to say, all behavior is intentional. In our organizations today, it is critical to have employees thinking about the future and directing their behavior – their actions – toward that future intent.

Is your strategic intent or vision still the same? We believe that strategic intent can be interpreted from what a company's people do. From what you stated about the work your company is now doing, I think your strategy has changed –- but it has not been articulated.

I think your employees are looking for you and the other members of the Executive Council to tell them what the future holds. That is, they are looking for you to tell them what the purpose of this different entity is – the one that exist now with fewer employees, facilities and customers than it had in the past.

We discussed two articles that I think offer some good hints and tips that you can incorporate into your methodology for creating and communicating a strategy or vision in your organization: “Your Strategy – Guiding Light or Dull Fog Horn?”. In it we look at what strategic planning is, what it is not and why so many competent leaders struggle to create effective strategic plans. The article “From Fuzzy to Focused – the 4 Steps of a Strategic Planning Process” is our attempt to bring some clarity to the strategic planning process, helping executives like you find the right “switch” to shed light on this fuzzy discipline and make strategic planning the “guiding light” for your organization.

Also, the article “Strategic Communication and Organizational Change” may provide some useful ideas on getting to alignment across the enterprise to ensure you have everyone on board for the new challenges in achieving the modified strategic direction.

All are available free, on our website www.wsa-intl.com. And as always we welcome your emails and phone calls: Ask@wsa-intl.com, 781-343-4000.