When C-level executives or startup entrepreneurs are struggling to keep business afloat or are experiencing a particularly slow quarter in the marketplace, that's when it's even more crucial to boost company morale and remind loyal employees and clients why they signed on with you in the first place.
To lead your team more effectively during the good and hard times and reassure them—and regular customers alike—that they should still stick it out with you for the long haul, here are eight ideas to guide your team and instill overall confidence in the business successfully, courtesy of Forbes Human Resources Council members.
Forbes Human Resources Council members share their tips.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Be Consistent and Communicate Clearly
Provide the department clarity with consistent support and strategy that can apply when dealing with customer challenges. Offering your team the language to help them communicate with their customers will make the staff feel respected and supported. A manager's inconsistency, uncertainty and silence will never provide a successful department, no matter the economy. - Kelsey Habich, Mission Critical Solutions
2. Focus On Growth
Having a growth mindset and being resilient can make a difference for leaders when the chips are down. This ensures they accept the present crisis, identify ways to look at potential solutions under a different lens and motivate teams to walk the journey with them. When leaders demonstrate this, it can have a snowball effect on teams and departments to up their game and believe in themselves. - Anand Inamdar, Amoeboids Technologies Pvt Ltd
3. Stay Honest And Transparent
While we used to live in a grin and bear it society, this is shifting. If you want your employees and customers to share in your success and celebrate your wins, why wouldn't you want their support in hard times? Being honest will get you further than trying to cover up inconsistencies. Sharing that you have a plan and ways people can help keeps everyone invested in the goal. - Amy Odeneal, Business Enablement
4. Build Strong Relationships
No matter what the industry is, relationships are key. If we create an environment where our people feel cared about by the organization, they will pass that on to customers. This will give everyone confidence in the relationship and encourage them to be more willing to stick it out for the long haul. - Katie Ervin, Park University
Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
5. Remember It's A Changing Cycle
Having experienced several economic downturns in my career, I've learned that it is always a cycle. It's important to let employees know how important they are to the success of the company, even in a downturn. It's also important for the employees to remain engaged with customers, assuring them that this downturn will turn into an upturn and it's only a matter of time. - Richard Polak, American Benefits Council
6. Recognize Loyalty
Recognize the behaviors you want to see more of. For employees, ensure that pro-social, ethical and customer-focused behaviors are recognized in a timely fashion because what gets recognized gets repeated. Recognition is also a great way to boost morale. For customers, make an effort to thank and recognize your loyal customer base that has stuck around, and recognize new customers too. - Nicole Fernandes, Blu Ivy Group
7. Express Empathy By Reaching Out
The key to maintaining long-lasting relationships with customers is communication. Fluctuations in the economy are inevitable, and although they may affect some industries more than others, customers who can weather the storm are far more likely to remain loyal to those who show they truly care by reaching out and serving as a resource, even when the customer is currently unable to do business. - John Feldmann, Insperity
8. Increase Employee And Customer Interactions
Making an effort to increase personal interaction among both employees and customers can help a business weather an economic downturn. In many cases, being more diligent about responding to customer feedback and requests, as well as providing an "open door" for employees to discuss their concerns, can be reassuring and provide an added sense of security during an uncertain time. - Laura Spawn, Virtual Vocations, Inc.
