Managing In The Recession

How To Lead And Manage Your Staff In Difficult Times

 

 

Is this a fair description of what it's like in your organisation right now?

• People are under pressure to deliver more with less - fewer resources, fewer people, tighter budgets
• People are anxious and uncertain about the future
• Morale and motivation are low
• People are struggling to keep up performance levels because of stress and overload.

These are difficult times for managers.

They need to produce results, they're working harder than ever (  maybe even covering for people who are no longer there ), trying to motivate their teams and lead them to perform well with little to offer in the way of incentives - it seems like all stick and no carrot at the moment.

I know what it's like, I've been through it myself.  That's why I've put together this special 1 day workshop, to show managers that there is a way out of this vicious circle. 

This 1 day workshop will reveal how to:

• use a variety of ways to motivate people and keep up morale
• manage change in ways which reduce stress and anxiety
• help people to maintain, and improve, their levels of performance
• manage their time effectively to get more done and achieve their key objectives. 

Effective managers can make all the difference.

I've worked through recessions ( yes, I'm old enough to remember previous ones ), in a large office where people were made redundant and everyone feared for their futures. Some of the senior management there thought that people would just be pleased that they still had a job and that they would somehow be grateful and carry on working hard. It doesn't work like that. When colleagues and friends disappear, it has an impact on your morale. When you're not sure what's going to happen next, it affects your attitude and your performance.

Having been a manager myself, and having been managed by others through recessions, I know from experience that there are things you can do that can make a big difference. This workshop will help your managers to learn what they should be doing to help themselves, and the people around them, deal with difficult times successfully. 

The workshop is available in - house only.

It will be highly interactive and will allow plenty of time for discussion so that participants can share their ideas and make specific plans for taking action to make a real difference once the workshop is over.

Some typical questions this workshop will answer

 

How can  I motivate people when everyone knows money is tight and there aren't likely to be any promotions soon?

Bonuses and promotions are often in people's thoughts when they're considering incentives, but in fact money itself isn't always the key motivator for people. Other things can help to keep them happy, especially at times like this when money's tight.

Recognition, loyalty, satisfaction, security, a sense of being part of a team - these can be great motivators but they're just the things which can go out of the window when times are hard. the workshop will look at various ways to build morale and keep people motivated when financial rewards aren't appropriate.

Everyone's feeling nervous and suspicious because they're not sure what's going to happen. Is there anything I can do about that?

Managing change is always a critical skill, but especially so at the moment. Naturally, many people are worried about their jobs and their futures. They may not be sure what's happening or what's planned. Openness and honesty are essential in allaying people's fears and in stopping the spread of damaging gossip and rumour.

How should managers behave in this climate, especially when the managers themselves may be feeling just as anxious and may not be fully in the picture about what's going on? The workshop will discuss these issues and help you to work out what you should be doing.

Although people are working harder, they seem to be achieving less and our results aren't what they should be. Why is that?

It's not unusual that people can achieve less even though they're working harder.

For one thing, they may not be working effectively, they may be focusing on the wrong things, spending time on jobs which aren't essential. It's vital that people take a more strategic view right now and work out what is the best use of their time rather than running around like headless chickens, working long hours but not on the right things.

Also, stress and uncertainty can reduce people's ability to work to their best. Or they may be demotivated, struggling to find the enthusiasm they need to work well.

Or it may be that people are being asked to do work which they haven't been properly trained for. They may be covering for work which someone else used to do and which isn't their usual responsibility. Or maybe they don't have the resources they need to do the job properly.

There could be a number of reasons why people are under-performing. At the workshop, you'll be helped to work out which ones might apply and to determine what you need to do about it.

Contents of the workshop

How To Motivate People

 

• What really motivates people to want to work well? ( and it's not just money )
• How fear and doubt undermine morale and affect performance
• What you can do personally to motivate the people around you and boost morale

How To Handle Change Successfully

 

• Key ways in which you can reduce the stress and anxiety associated with change
• How to make change easier for others to deal with - and the impact that can have
• How you should set an example in an atmosphere of doubt and uncertainty

How to Improve Performance

 

• How to create a positive environment around you
• How to tell why people are underperforming - and what to do about it
• How to give feedback without tears and tantrums

How To Work Effectively

 

• Time management in a nutshell - the 4 key steps to making the best use of your time
• How to choose the right things to spend your time on
• Why most To Do Lists are useless - and how to make yours work for you

What is included?

 

This is more than just a 1 day workshop, there is actually a 3 stage process.

Before the workshop:

• discussions to determine the needs of the participants and to understand the real situations they have to deal with
• pre-course questionnaires to find out more about the background of the participants and what they themselves want to get from the workshop
• other pre-course materials to help participants to think about the issues to be covered and to focus on what they want to learn

On the day:

• delivery of an interactive, engaging and practical workshop
• high quality supporting materials in a comb-bound workbook
• " brain friendly " toys, sweets and activities to help people focus, learn and remember

After the workshop:

• the offer of email and telephone follow up so that participants can ask any questions which arise about the issues discussed
• further materials sent out to reinforce the learning and help people remember and implement what they learned

What does it cost?

 

The cost, to include all this, will be £1100 plus travel and accommodation where necessary.

Compare that to how much your organisation is probably losing every day right now because of problems with management, efficiency, morale and productivity.

This workshop shouldn't be seen as an option or a luxury, it's essential that your managers are working effectively to help get your organisation through the recession successfully.

Download a pdf version of the course details

Additional coaching option

 

Even the best 1 day workshop can only achieve so much.

The real value lies in what people do when they get back to work. To make sure managers can apply what they've learned, I can offer one - to - one coaching in the weeks after the workshop, working with them to help them develop action plans and overcome any barriers to managing effectively.

Combining the workshop with individual coaching will increase the return on your investment and is a cost - effective way to help your managers to achieve peak performance.

Coaching is charged on a day or half - day rate. For more details, please discuss the coaching option with me when booking the workshop.