Top tips: On how to manage staff in uncertain times

Christine Rankin. Photo / Supplied

Christine Rankin gives tips on how to manage staff in uncertain times.

I am concerned about the effect instability in my business is having on my staff. How do I manage this?

Be straight. Explain the challenges facing the business - including potential job losses if this is a possibility, and get them involved in the solution. Say you don't have all the answers now, but promise to be straight with them about the good and the bad, and spell out a plan for how you intend to deal with things in the meantime. New Zealanders respond well to being trusted with the big picture. Your employees may know how to trim costs or improve efficiencies in ways you haven't considered.

How do I focus my people when concern about job security is a distraction?

Stick to the basics and maintain a disciplined approach. Budgets and reporting must be accurate and timely, production schedules must be met, quality control ensured. Discipline about ensuring the fundamentals are at their best will keep your people busy and with a sense of control and pride.

We're losing money - how do I tell my staff that some will have to go?

Telling them is the best thing you can do. Informing them early is treating them with respect. It's a fairly straightforward process, but do get someone - a consultant or business mentor - who can offer sound advice so you can keep your own sanity.

Restructuring is a big job. How do I manage it and business?

You need a good team around you. As a guide, one person (preferably the chief executive) needs to lead the change, talk to the troops, and seek connections in the market for new ideas and opportunities. Second, a strong operations manager is required to keep the business running, and to figure out how to get optimum performance from technology, structure, systems, and people.

Third, you need a manager to look after the overall process of managing change from the people perspective. This person will ensure a good consultation plan, correct documentation (such as letters and Q&A sheets), and selection processes for who goes or how you will decide who to appoint to any new jobs that are created through restructure.

Is there a silver lining in all of this?

Remember that difficult times force us to find better ways of doing things. Bruce Plested of Mainfreight says in the past 30 years there has been a series of crises, with each one driving a major advance in the success of Mainfreight.

* Christine Rankin runs the Rankin Group consultancy, specialising in leadership and change management.