With all of the negative economic and business news cascading over each and every business leader who is tuned in, I see two frequent scenarios: big negative impacts on the business translating into personnel & budget cuts for the short to medium term; or new short term opportunities for growth translating into large surge periods but uncertainty around how long they will last. In both scenarios the increased pressure on existing staff is rising significantly for more production efficiency without sacrificing quality.
To quote a client in this situation: "Just because we've made cuts; people haven't stopped doing stupid things!" In fact my instincts tell me the opposite is more likely true. So what are you doing to improve your workforce capacity to cater to these imminent, likely already existing, pressures for producing more with your existing or fewer staff? How has your Leadership style adapted to this new reality? How has your Leadership Team changed their approach?
Is it time for you to take stock of your Leadership skills and how well they work in these and inevitable changes to your workplace? Have you taken the time to really evaluate the Leadership skill-set in your Team? What is stopping you from investing in yourself and your Leadership Team to uncover the capacity of Teams that are well-led? If all we have is now, when is the right time?
-Ron Guidinger BEng, MBA, PEng, PMP