8/14/2019 Manager's Tool box- Manage during tough times

1/2

R. Attri Professional Effectiveness Series, Paper No. 2, Oct 2009

Copyrights 2009 V. Sriman / R.K. Attri

Managers Tool-Box:Tips to Manage effectively through tough

timesVenkatesan Sriman, Raman K. Attr i

Yes, these are tough times. The darkest downturn in the history - jobs are scarce, morale is

low. Yet, there are a few strategies that can help you as a manager to make the most of the

downturn and emerge stronger.

1.Do not add to the panic. Stay calm;

maintain your composure andprofessionalism. A distraught manager

is the last thing a company would want

in times like these. A manager who

preserves his cool will have a soothing

effect on his team and will

tremendously increase his stature as a

leader.

2.Have a list of backup projects ready: A

downturn is usually a period of reducedactivity and use these slack times to get

those done. Employees might be fearful

of losing their jobs and sincerity might

come naturally to them, so it is a good

idea to make use of the fear factor in a

positive manner. Also, keeping your

team busy serves another purpose it

prevents them from spending too much

time on worrying and spreading rumors.An idle mind is indeed the devils

workshop. A recession is certainly a

time of great uncertainty. However,

even in very uncertain times, there will

be certain activities that are clearly

defined. Focus your teams efforts on

such tasks that are clearly cut out.

3.Sternly discourage spreading of

rumors. An employee who indulges inrumor and speculation affects

productivity in two ways one, he/she

is wasting precious work time and two,

rumors can spread and affect the

productivity of the entire team. This can

be catastrophic for morale. Make it clear

that such things are unacceptable. Also,

encourage employees to approach you

fearlessly for any information. Rumorscannot thrive in a culture of

transparency and forthrightness.

4.Develop team-building rituals. Crisisoften has a bonding effect on people.

Use this bonding power to create a loyal

and cohesive team. A team building

activity need not necessarily be an

expensive outing at a posh resort or

five-star hotel. Even a simple thing likehaving coffee together at the pantry one

evening every week can be an excellent

team building activity. Dont discuss

work during these informal gatherings.

5.Talk to your team regularly. At thistough time, the team members,

especially working under you expect

8/14/2019 Manager's Tool box- Manage during tough times

2/2

R. Attri Professional Effectiveness Series, Paper No. 2, Oct 2009

Copyrights 2009 V. Sriman / R.K. Attri

regular updates and probe more into

affairs. Encourage, reassure and

motivate. But at the same time, resist the

temptation to paint a rosy picture when

things are not good. It is a toughbalancing act, but has to be done.

6.Help employees to manage their fearsand get things in perspective. For

example, one of every eight persons dies

of cancer. Even if a company lays off

10% of its workforce, the risk is still less

than dying of cancer and a layoff is not

fatal.

7.Maintain transparency about theretrenchment process. In the event that

you have to let go of people, do it in a

humane, professional and decent

manner. Explain the rationale behind

the decision to the remaining employees.

8.Document the lessons you learn in adownturn. Encourage your team to

document their activities and

accomplishments. This can help them to

have a sense of fulfillment about their

work and this documentation will also

help you present your teams

achievements to your higher

management. Meticulous

documentation of accomplishments andactivities is always good, especially in a

downturn.

9.Preserve your own work-life balanceand encourage employees to do the

same. After all, it is not the end of the

world. Humankind has weathered

many a storm and life will go on.

In the future, talk about how we faced

the tough times together.

If you are a HR manager, this is a good time

to make an indelible mark. It is a sad fact

that, in many companies, a HR

management team is actually a HR admin

team in disguise. A recession is a wonderful

opportunity for a HR management team to

actually live up to its name. HR should not

shy away from motivating people.

In summary, a recession like the current

one is a terrific opportunity for a manager

to demonstrate value to his/her

organization. It is a good idea to visualize a

recession as a shake-up that allows the

mentally strong to gravitate to the top.

Authors:Venkatesan Sriman is training professional with

over 4 years of industry experience. Raman

Attri is Certified Management Consultant and

Training management professional with over 15

years of industry experience. Contact:

rkattri@rediffmail.com.