If the forecasts are correct and the economy indeed is recovering, we can expect some companies will pause briefly to catch their collective breath and then resume business as usual, as if the recession never happened. This is a bad idea. Critical work remains to be done.

 

Many employees – perhaps up to 60 percent of all North American workers, according to one survey – intend to leave their companies as the economy improves. They’re feeling empowered by the sense of opportunity that slowly replaces the clutch of job security during difficult times. Rightly or wrongly, they’ve grown disillusioned with their current employers because they’ve witnessed layoffs, frozen salaries and other painful cutbacks during the crisis. They distrust their organizations and their commitment is low. They believe they’re on their own and must watch out for their own best interests.

 

The April issue of Workforce Management magazine features an article titled “Managers Don’t Matter”  that attempts to debunk the belief that “people don’t leave companies, they leave managers.” The article says other factors, such as stress and compensation, are as important for retention as the manager-employee relationship. It also says, however, successful organizations have managers who can knit alienated employees into cohesive teams. One expert quoted says managers who help employees see how their individual efforts contribute to broader goals will increase the workers’ feelings of being in control.

 

Smart companies will act upon this information. They will work with employees to rebuild confidence and re-establish engagement by (1) acknowledging what they’ve all been through and (2) sharing their vision for the future. Needless to say, this requires an ability to communicate in ways that skeptical employees can take to heart. It also requires an ability to deliver such a critical message quickly – before these skeptical employees pack up and leave.

 

Many companies rely on our Discovery Maps® for this very purpose, citing not only their speed of use (usually one to three hours) but also their ability to immerse participants in elements of the message. Research says people are more receptive – or, in some cases, less skeptical – to ideas when they see themselves as an important piece of the puzzle.