In amidst all of this doom and gloom and the constant pressure placed on businesses to cut costs, I realised something the other day when I read an article which listed suggestions from various business spokespeople on how we can fix the global economic crisis that, perhaps it is the simple things that will help ease these tough times. Something as simple as motivating staff to help the business run as efficiently as possible is a good starting point. Every change to become ëleanerí no matter how small can have a dramatic impact over a longer period of time. Kishore Sankla, managing director of low cost SMS directory enquiry service DQ4Mobile, believes that although it doesnít provide the answer to a global recession it is a step in the right direction for companies to get 100 per cent support from their staff during tough times.
Staff morale can often be at a low during a recession (especially if communication from management is poor and people feel they are being ëkept in the darkí when it comes to the current state of the company); but if businesses can get ëbuy iní from staff at the early stages by making them feel involved in any problems they are likely to reap the rewards long term. It may be something as simple as printing documents double-sided or keeping electricity bills down by switching off equipment that is not being used – but getting support from office-based staff is not the only aspect to consider, even remote workers can help keep costs at bay.
Businesses can encourage staff that are not office-based to share the efficiency challenge by making simple changes to company policies such as driving carefully to avoid excessive fuel consumption or using company property such a mobile phones more efficiently – take the example of making a phone call to a directory enquiry (DQ) service: while out on the road, you need a number and this is often your first port of call. Just making a small change such as using text-based low rate DQ services instead will help to reduce expensive phone bills at the end of the month. Businesses could even produce new efficiency policies and ensure that such measures are made company policy, particularly for remote workers out on the road.
Donít get me wrong, itís by no means the answer to the global economic crisis, but it is a small step in the right direction. Being an owner of a business or managing director can often be a lonely position to be in. Getting staff and management on board to share some of the responsibility will not only take some of the pressure off of your shoulders but might even boost morale during a difficult period.
Some tips for getting staff on board and implementing new policies:
Call a meeting, ask for ideas and interaction - get everyone involved in the process of becoming more efficient during the recession.
Produce an efficiency policy or plan that the whole company should adhere to and appoint a team or an individual to manage the process so that there is a feeling of personal ownership and commitment.
Get remote workers on board – write a checklist of things that remote workers can do to help the company cut back on the running costs of the business.
Above all make sure you communicate with your staff, keep them involved in your plans for the business and your goals for the future, this in turn will boost morale and avoid inaccurate rumours from spreading and damaging staff perception.
Itís the simple things that count: get ëbuy iní from staff during a recession
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