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View All Press Releases| Originally published in Customer magazine March/April 2008 | 01 Mar 2008 |
Article - Here we go again!
The economic forecast is full of doom and gloom so will we learn from lessons in the past? Or simply make the same mistakes again?
Remember Einsteins theory on madness – repeating the same thing over and over again expecting a different result?
Those of us who have been around for economic downturns in the past might want to apply ‘the hindsight factor’.
When things get tough, short sighted companies cut people training and development and the leaders disappear into very important meetings behind very closed doors.
Long term successful companies motivate their people through their leadership and communication and provide their people with the skills to enable them to wow their customers and give them a competitive edge.
When companies are going through a period of change or it is clear that they are pulling in their belts due to a tough market, once more than 1 person knows something, word will get out.……UK workers are some of the biggest gossips in Europe with 2/3rds of UK workers saying they hear important business matters through gossip rather than official channels (source ISR consultancy).
The lesson here would be open and frequent communication with your people and indeed your customers and suppliers – these times are unsettling and leaders should not disappear.
The other area which tends to be dropped is that of training and development ‘we can cut that from the budget, people will understand’ - no they will not!At a time when the need for full productivity is at an all time high you need to ensure that your people have the skills in order for them to carry out their roles. You also need to ensure that they feel valued and developing their skills and showing you are investing in them reaps rewards for the individual and the company.
So let’s learn from the past and keep communication and development on the agenda for 2008 and beyond.
