Management
Issue No. 46 - April/May 2009
Stakeholders can’t read your mind
Fear of the unknown is creating a communications vacuum among many South Australian companies – and those that don’t plug the gap face the prospect of losing good staff, leading to even more turmoil.
In the current depressed economic climate, some employees are fearful of being fired, worried that their organisation may be losing business – even in companies that are not even considering layoffs.
The end result is employees ‘left in the dark’ by their
companies may choose to jump ship to what they see as
more secure employment.
This simply compounds the problems being faced by
organisations struggling to cope in the downturn, as well as those that are still doing quite well.
In many cases, workers see friends and relatives being laid off at other companies. They talk about it at the kids’ soccer match or over the family barbecue.
In the absence of any positive information about their own company’s fortunes, this can lead to guessing games and confusion about the impact of the global economic crisis on their future employment.
To head off misunderstanding, the solution is to
launch – or boost – ongoing communication within a company.
Don’t leave your staff guessing.
Many SA companies have already worked this out, boosting their internal communications in a bid to
assure employees the business is weathering the difficult environment and will be there for the long haul. For those companies who really are negotiating the economic minefield, a comprehensive communication
process can keep all employees in the loop about the GFC’s likely impact on the business.
Those businesses with a loyal staff and great culture
will benefit, because by communicating openly with staff, management can take the employees on the ‘survival journey’ and engage them actively in ways to boost the company’s chances of making it through awkward times.
The outcomes c...
