After The Downsizing...Reclaiming Your Organization's Spirit

As you well know, the scope of a economy initiative altogether consumes the entire capacity of your management team. Once it's over, all of those who are left need time to recover. Chances are that everyone is stressed out, exhausted and minimally
As you well know, the scope of a economy initiative altogether consumes the entire capacity of your management team. Once it's over, all of those who are left need time to recover. Chances are that everyone is stressed out, exhausted and minimally productive. It's a time once spirits are low and the soul of the organization has ostensibly gone by the wayside.

You strength ask, “What does spirit and soul have to do with business?” Spell we typically don't use the terms "spirit and soul" in business, in fact, spirit and soul ARE several of the key elements that have contributed to the success of your business up until now.

Think of it like this: Spirit = morale, motivation,engagement, enthusiasm Soul = culture, values, purpose, commitment

There is no quick fix for reclaiming the spirit and soul of your business. But, until you start doing "something" to get things back on track, the spirit and soul of your institution wish be starving. Here are a few ideas you can use to get started:

Support Swimming – Don't Tread Water Treading water wish get you nowhere! If you can't support swimming yourself, find causal agency in your organization that can. If you can't find causal agency internally, hire a authority or a coach. Causal agency of necessity to directly jump in and show the "survivors" the importance of swimming versus treading water.

Change The Mental attitude In today's workplace, change is the "norm". Every contributor should have the mental attitude that they are in business for themselves. Tom Peters and many an authors have written just about the idea of "Brand YOU". Brand YOU is about:

- Each individual distinctive what it is that does their contribution unique and valuable

-Everything they do (or choose not to do) reflects the value and character of their "brand"

-How the success of individual translates into the success of the business.

Encourage the survivors to take hold of their personal power. A new mental attitude wish give them the strength to "keep swimming" and avoid feeling victimized. Consider transfer in a coach or a authority to do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis to help them recognize their strengths and opportunities for improvement. It's a great possibleness to acknowledge their strengths and get them focused on taking action.

Build The Structure Establish systems and processes. Do it requirement that processes are in place for every worker to:

- Understand the state of the business

- Understand how their performance contributes to the business results

- Understand what the business of necessity from them in order to be flourishing

Job descriptions may need to be revised to accurately reflect the functions of each position. Involve your team in creating mission, vision and values statements for your/their functions. Once the systems are in place, the key is to communicate, communicate, communicate.

Invest In Development Ferdinand Fournes once wrote "People don't do dumb things on purpose". If that's true (and in general terms I believe it is), then identify the knowledge, skills and abilities that need to be developed. Embrace in the competencies of Emotional Intelligence. It is often the skill set of Emotional Intelligence that distinguishes the most flourishing employees from the rest. It's a win/win strategy for individuals, teams as well as the business. It's time to do the investment for individuals, teams, and the business.

Hold Everyone Responsible Holding everyone responsible is just about sharing responsibility. Sharing responsibility implies that individual contributors are an integral part of strategizing, planning, and corporal punishment whatsoever task is at hand. Typically, individuals are much than willing to be control responsible if they've been a part of the process from the beginning.

**Special Note: the idea of "shared responsibility" may require a paradigm shift for managers who are used to "asking" versus "telling". Be sure your managers have access to training in work skills. There are several great training programs out there that teach work skills. One that I think is especially nice is a two-day session called The Work Clinic.

You may be locution to yourself now, "These aren't new concepts." and you're utterly right, they aren't new. However, they are foundational practices. If your that "employees are your greatest assets", then you'll likewise embrace the idea that "individual success translates into flourishing business results". In essence, you have a flourishing business with spirit and soul.

How long can you afford to tread water?

About the Author

Lora J Adrianse brings to the wisdom of a 28-year corporate career focused on individual, management and corporate development. Lora J Adrianse considers her name program to be The Work Clinic; teaching managers to utilize work skills in developing their staff. Much information can be found at her web site at www.connectionscoach.com.