Leading in tough times....

Just finished reading a Q & A with Michael Beer, professor at Harvard University, about his upcoming book “High Commitment, High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for Sustained Advantage.” The focus of the book is on how you can manage in tough times while avoiding liquidation and having to reduce your human capital. Mr. Beer goes on to say, “CEOs of HCHP (high commitment, high performance) companies think very differently about their employees. They see them as an asset and care about them as people. As a result they manage downturns differently from the norm, too.”
I found this last line interesting because in my consulting practice, I have seen more and more business leaders trying to find ways to engage their employees, encourage commitment, and keep their best people from looking for another job. My prediction is that as we begin to slowly pull out of these tough economic times, more and more business leaders are going to realize just how important their people are to the success of the organization. They will see just how much a committed employee can mean to the long term growth and success of their organization.
So my question to you, the manager, president, CEO and or business leader, is why wait until it is too late? Why wait until your best employees have moved on to “bigger and better things?” Why not begin showing them and telling them how important they are right now. Find out what they need to be better and provide it – now! Don’t get caught in the “shoulda-woulda-coulda” trap. Act now before you lose your most valuable company asset – your people.
All it takes is taking some time to talk to your employees. Find out what they want, what they need and how YOU can help them be better at their job. It’s that easy to get started.