It is difficult to pick up a newspaper or listen to a business news broadcast without being greeted with the announcement of another massive corporate layoff or cutback. The economy catches a chill and Wholesale Gordon Hayward Jersey , as a result, the corporate world catches a profits "cold." Before long the pink slips begin to fly. We have come to accept this as the inevitable employment cycle. Is it any wonder that employees feel so little loyalty toward their employers?
On the other hand, corporations seem to have no alternatives. With the squeeze on profits, and stockholders and analysts anxiously watching, company leaders feel that they must act quickly or bear the wrath of Wall Street. They understand that their response may in fact be a little shortsighted, but investors have short fuses when it comes to waiting patiently for earnings statements to turn around. However, without viable alternatives Wholesale George Hill Jersey , corporate executives seem doomed to repeat the same pattern. Is there any alternative?
The answer is both "yes" and "no." In the short term, some cuts may be essential, but it is far better to do so by the use of a scalpel, rather than an ax. Why? Because your organization's long-term future may well be on the line, and its future profitability may depend on the way you respond to the present economic downturn.
Positive Benefits that Accrue from Not Cutting Staff
There are numerous direct benefits to either not cutting staff or, if cuts must be made, to minimizing them. And if cuts are necessary Wholesale Ricky Rubio Jersey , highly selective surgical cuts should be utilized wherever possible to remove only under-performing or marginal employees rather than implementing massive across-the-board cuts. The benefits to following this course of action, to name just a few, include:
customer and vendor relationship continuity; recovery of sunk recruiting, experience and training costs; higher morale and efficiency; personnel knowledge base retention; containment of sensitive information, such as customer data, proprietary processes and methods; marketplace responsiveness; continuing organizational development; and the potential for innovation
However, in the long term Wholesale Donovan Mitchell Jersey , I believe the greatest advantage in avoiding across-the-board job terminations is in fostering a strong, pervasive and healthy corporate culture that is unique, very visible and highly regarded throughout the organization as well as by its customer and supplier base. In the last three decades, many corporations have demonstrated a singular disregard for any development of their corporate culture. Fixation with leanness and repeated cycles of mass hiring and firing were justified as the means to achieving high profits and maximizing stockholder return on investment. However, in his books Built to Last and Good to Great, Jim Collins points out that even the most touted of these corporations have failed to achieve the returns of other, less mercenary organizations that have chosen to pursue a longer-term vision with a people-centered path to achieving greatness.
Developing a pervasive and positive corporate culture encompasses far more than merely vocalizing a series of platitudes. It demands a continuing commitment to pursuing greatness as an organization Wholesale Rudy Gobert Jersey , even at the cost of more immediate near-term success. Leader's who view the establishment, development and nurturing of a strong corporate culture understand that it creates value in and of itself. Is this a value that appears in the asset section of the balance sheet? No, not in the short term. But over time, the stability, loyalty, commitment, enthusiasm and pride that a strong corporate culture engenders does very definitely impact the real financial value of the organization.
Today Wholesale Derrick Favors Jersey , employees at every level of the corporate organization want more than merely to earn a living. They have higher expectations! Job satisfaction encompasses much more than basic pay, benefits and a safe working environment. Employees expect, if not demand, a far deeper sense of satisfaction from their labors, and so should their employers. After all, it does not require extensive surveys or studies to recognize that happy, satisfied employees are more productive to the organization than those who grudgingly or fatalistically work only for a paycheck.
A positive Wholesale Tony Bradley Jersey , motivating and exciting corporate culture attracts excellent people like a magnet. Instilling a sense of accomplishing something truly worthwhile, even when performing tasks of a routine nature, satisfies an inner need to make a valuable contribution as an individual. We are by nature social. A common, unifying set of goals and values creates a team that can be far more effective than the sum of the individuals working independently. During WWII, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill provided us with a graphic example of how time and again, the outnumbered, out resourced and dispirited can be rallied into an unconquerable force. Whether on the beaches of Dunkirk Wholesale Dante Exum Jersey , during the London Blitz or in the Battle of Britain, the British prevailed against enormous odds under Churchill's bold leadership and undaunted encouragement.
There are numerous aspects to building and fostering an effective corporate vision, but one of the preeminent essentials is the continuity of staff. Camaraderie, trust, loyalty, the development of personal relationships, mentoring Wholesale Alec Burks Jersey , and the less formal, repeated verbal communication of organizational traditions, are intensely important. All of these are disrupted when a mass exodus occurs. Corporate cultures are relationship dependent. Positive relationships are the links between individuals which facilitate the transfer and reinforcement of a dynamic culture, not the employee manual or a written statement of vision, mission or purpose. The latter may form the foundation upon which the corporate culture is built, but it is not the culture itself.