Q. I’ve recently made a small number of redundancies in my 85-person company. Morale has noticeably suffered and I‘m looking to refocus my workforce, as despite trimming staff, the company’s revenues are still growing steadily and there’s a danger that productivity will be affected at what is a critical time. What can I do to give them back their impetus and develop the people I’ve already got to take on added responsibilities?
 
Dawn Gibbins of Flowcrete writes:

In short, be open, be honest and rebuild your team’s trust in you as their leader. Clearly, they will be disillusioned and concerned about their future. To get them back on side you need to communicate and clarify the following:

 Explain the results to date – the reasons for the redundancies, and remember to be open and honest

 Broach the current situation – explain your concerns, and be open

After you’ve spoken about these two factors, share your vision with the workforce. Look to the future and explain how they are part of it. Openly ask your team for help and be enthusiastic – enthusiasm is infectious. Clarify the objectives of the business and demonstrate where they fit in.

Now you need to get your team to buy into your vision and set goals for specific areas, such as turnover, net profit, cash generated, debtor days, stock levels, etc – all of which can be easily measured.

Brief your entire team. For this I suggest you split them into two groups and do the same presentation for each. It’s more effective to talk to 40 people than to 80, and, by doing it this way, it will keep your company functioning while the meetings are carried out. Also, it makes good sense to mix the teams rather than splitting people simply by departments.

You should aim for a 30-minute brief and then hold an open debate. To get the ball rolling ask your team about the strengths and weaknesses of your company. Start with weaknesses and then strengths, and make sure you have equal numbers of each. And remember to keep smiling and keep things positive.

Some interesting truths will be revealed and you will have lots of feedback, which you can work on with your management team.

Then, facilitate a team meeting with two representatives from each department and organise syndicate group sessions to address issues, such as the largescale individual goals of teams, and more specific objectives as well as how they will measure their own success. Guide them – but ultimately let your team do the talking. If they come up with a plan they believe in, you will succeed.

Thirdly, ignite the passion in your people. Get your departmental leaders to share their goals with their team, and remember to focus on their goals. Get each team to erect a ‘Bragging Board’ in their zone where they can display pictures of themselves, pin up their goals and most importantly their achievements. Educate your staff that self and team promotion is not a sin.

Finally, it’s important to keep your entire team up-to-date. Set a monthly schedule to ensure communication is a constant, regular event within your business. Then set a date each month, ensure the departmental representative circulates achievements versus objectives. The following week, circulate financial results and hold a management meeting. Then, the week after, brief your team. Get yourself noticed and be available and approachable. Ultimately, you have to give them confidence and the will to succeed.