Rules of Engagement
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sink or swim:
One huge lesson from the economic downturn of the past 18 months nationally (or 36 months in RI) is that you must sink or swim. If there is a positive outcome from the experience, it is that smart businesses learned how to fight a new war, one in which winners survived and losers, well, faded away.
For those who "won" or at least are surviving, here is what they focused on:
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTKeeping and grooming the best and brightest
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Successful organizations realize the importance of hanging on to talent.
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Even in the worst economy, your best employees will have a job, even if it is with the competition.
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Rather than hide the business realities from them, level with them.
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Engage them in identifying and solving problems that significantly affect the business.
Core business processes
The downside of a prosperous economy is the inefficiency that develops in the name of doing “whatever it takes” to get the work done.
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In a down economy, however, the waste factor is glaring.
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Now is the time to take the best and brightest and give them a meaty assignment: fix the way the business runs.
Critical Customers
Hardly a new concept, but one that is easily overlooked when engaged in economic survival. Go to your key customers.
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Engage them in a dialogue about their business concerns, issues, plans for the future.
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Listen to them.
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Sell them nothing.
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Use your best and brightest in these discussions.
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Sort through the core business processes.
Your customers will thank you. Your employees will thank you. And you should have a more engaged, leaner, and meaner organization as a result.
Dr. Alan Patterson is the CEO of Mentore -- a business consultant and leadership development expert located in East Greenwich, RI He can be reached at [email protected]
