cutting to win - 6 steps for getting employees on your side during cost cuts

David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA Founder & CEO @ThoughtPartner

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

2 © 2015 The Grossman Group

David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA helps leaders drive productivity and get the results they want through authentic and courageous leadership communication, a sought-after

speaker and advisor to Fortune 500 leaders. A two-time author, David is CEO of The

Grossman Group, an award-winning Chicago-based strategic leadership development and

internal communication consultancy; clients include: DuPont Pioneer, Eastman Chemical

Company, Lockheed Martin, McDonald’s, Motel 6 and Tyco, to name a few.

A frequent media source for his expert commentary and analysis on employee and

leadership issues, David was recently featured on “NBC Nightly News,” CBS MoneyWatch,

WSJ.com, TODAY.com, in the Chicago Tribune and the LA Times.

He’s the author of the highly-acclaimed books, “You Can’t NOT Communicate: Proven Communication Solutions That Power the Fortune 100,” and its follow-up, “You Can’t NOT

Communicate 2.” His forthcoming book, “No Cape Needed: The Simplest, Smartest, Fastest

Steps To Improve How You Communicate By Leaps and Bounds” is due out in August 2015.

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Cost cutting is a major trend

@ThoughtPartner Deloitte, “Save to Grow: Deloitte’s third biennial cost survey” (2013)


Why it matters

4 © 2015 The Grossman Group @ThoughtPartner

1 Towers Watson, 2011-2012 Change and Communication ROI Study

1

2

2 Towers Watson, 2013-2014 Change and Communication ROI Study


1. Use a Smart, Fair Process

6 basic steps

@ThoughtPartner 5 © 2015 The Grossman Group

2. Build a Strong Business Case

3. Emotionally Connect with Employees

4. Consider Appearances

5. Align All Leaders on the Message

6. Communicate Specific Direction and Actions for Employees


1. Use a

Smart, Fair

Process



Engage employees early


If we involve employees

early, we help build

buy-in for a company

initiative and greatly

increase the odds that it

will be well received.


2. Build

a Strong

Business

Case



Cutting costs

=

growth



They helped

set company

productivity

goals

Created

productivity

measurements

Established

key initiatives

for the

company to

undertake

They also built a

productivity

communication plan

so the entire

workforce could

understand the

company’s path

forward

@ThoughtPartner

Case study: Employees help set company up for future growth

One Fortune 500 client of ours created a corporate productivity council to

ensure the company was forward-looking and setting itself up nicely for

future growth.


3. Emotionally Connect

with Employees



of the future

you envision

Paint

a picture



4.Consider Appearances


© 2015 The Grossman Group 14 14

© 2015 The Grossman Group @ThoughtPartner

When making tough

announcements regarding

layoffs or a restructuring,

carefully consider the timing

of your announcement, and

also think about how

employees might receive

contradictory messages. For

instance, don’t announce

deep cuts around the same

time that you award top

leaders hefty bonuses, or after

an expensive, perk-filled

management meeting.


5. Align All

Leaders on the

Message 15



Setting a “tone from the top” is

always a great approach for

getting employees to rally

behind something you want

them to believe or do. During

times of change, leaders at all

levels need to be speaking in

a clear, consistent way about

the organization’s new

direction.


Align leaders on messages with strategic messaging tools Want tools like

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6. Communicate Specific

Direction and Actions

for Employees



Truth When

we know it

What

we know


Employees want to know


1. Use a Smart, Fair Process

6 basic steps


2. Build a Strong Business Case

3. Emotionally Connect with Employees

4. Consider Appearances

5. Align All Leaders on the Message

6. Communicate Specific Direction and Actions for Employees


“Cutting to Win” is Also a Popular Keynote – Book David Today!

Communicating with employees about cost cuts is a difficult job for

leaders and communicators, yet it is vitally important to get it right,

especially now that it is such a big part of the way businesses

function.

This cutting-edge presentation features case studies from leading

organizations and covers six critical steps and offers expert

strategies to bring employees along with you.

Specifically, attendees will walk away understanding:

• The Top Three drivers of cost management

• What employees want in times of change and how to

approach not knowing all the answers

• Prime examples of what to – and not – do when

communicating cost cuts and which behaviors can positively

or negatively affect your brand and bottom line

Learn from those who have been there before to ensure you’re

communicating your changes in the most effective way. By doing

so, you’ll win more of your employees’ support and boost your

bottom line.

Cutting to Win: 6 Steps for Getting Employees on Your Side During Cost Cuts

CLICK HERE TO

INVITE DAVID TO

SPEAK TO YOUR

ORGANIZATION OR

TEAM

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Organization or Team

Sought after speaker to leading organizations and forums:

• What to Do When You CAN’T NOT Communicate

• Turning Strategy Into Action

• Top 10 Mistakes Communicators Make

• How to Think Like a CEO

• Cutting to Win

• 21st Century Communications: Successful Strategies to

Deliver Authentic Communication

• Tackling “Email Overload” On A Global Scale

• The Power of Internal Branding: The Communicator’s Secret Weapon

• The Power of Storytelling

• Communication Training for Leaders at all Levels

POPULAR KEYNOTES & TRAININGS INLUDE:

*All keynotes and corporate trainings are customized to meet unique business needs

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Proven Communication Solutions that Power the Fortune 100,

or it’s follow up, You Can’t Not Communicate 2?

Visit www.yourthoughtpartner.com/book to order, or email us at

[email protected] to inquire about bulk discounts.

Read and/or download

our Cutting to Win eBook:

“Cutting to Win”

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IN TOUCH

26 © 2015 The Grossman Group

David Grossman, Founder &

CEO, The Grossman Group


www.yourthoughtpartner.com

• Chicago-based boutique consultancy focused on internal and

leadership communications, and training

• The Grossman Group approach works to inspire and engage

employees while helping organizations promote diversity and inclusion as part of their overall strategic employee communications planning.

• Strategic business partners first, communication counselors second

About us

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David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA

Founder & CEO

312 N. May St. Suite 101

Chicago, Illinois 60607

312.850.8200

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