In a recent issue of Investors Business Daily I gave some tips on ways to heal the wounds and revitalize downsized organizations. Some employees are doggedly hanging on, waiting until things turn around, ready to jump ship. In an era of layoffs, there are some things companies should be doing to keep good employees once the economy rebounds. Here are three things organizations can do now!
Engage in survivor team building. There are two purposes (1) to build camaraderie so that when things turn around, employees are bound by the group and (2) to keep morale up during difficult times. These can be “traditional,” organized by the company and professionally facilitated. I have found that when they are spontaneously developed by surviving employees themselves they can be much more fun and effective. Here are two examples:
- A group of computer programmers formed “The Dead Career Society,” a take off of the film starring Robin Williams, “The Dead Poet Society.” They had regular meetings, shared rumors, “war stories,” and productively vented their survivor emotions. They are a tight group and, unless one has an exceptional opportunity, they will probably stay in the same firm when things improve.
- A group of HR people in Minnesota who survived several rounds of layoffs found an old duckboat – they were, after all, in Minnesota. They took it to an offsite retreat, put it on the lawn of the conference center, and crammed six people at a time – all the boat would hold – inside. The remainder sat in a circle outside the boat. They all engaged in a spirited and sometimes physical – trying to pull people out of the boat – discussion. The result was a much stronger team and the birth of the “We are all in the same boat – don’t forget to ‘duck’” metaphor. Again, the group felt better and the members were able to be more productive in difficult times, and were also “bonded” so that they were attracted to the organization by their group affiliation and were less likely to leave.
Engage employees in formulating a short-term vision. Most organizational visions are too long term to be of much use during layoffs and post-layoff trauma. I have helped several organizations form very short term visions such as completing projects by the end of the month or booking enough orders to make the quarterly numbers. The power of doing this is that it makes survivors feel part of the team and will help them want to stay when things improve. There are two important dimensions of short term visions:
- Engage all employees in formulating the vision. This gives them a badly needed sense of control and affiliation.
- Celebrate achievements. Even if the results do not meet expectations, declare victory and find something to celebrate.
Train managers in helping skills. Layoff survivors always say their “best bosses” are those who are able to form empathetic relationships, engage in non-judgmental listening, and replace controlling with coaching. Survivors who are helped through their survivor symptoms are grateful and are much more likely to remain when things turn around.
