Thought 09JAN2009

MANAGING EFFECTIVELY
Managing effectively is difficult enough when a company is doing well, but it gets a lot tougher when business is off or when the company is in the midst of downsizing. The trap : letting your concern for employees who are understandably nervous about their future interfere with your ability to lead. Here are four suggestions on how to avoid this trap and how to motivate employees when they need it the most.
Communicate Openly. Avoid the tendency in tough times to withhold information, even if the information is unpleasant. The rationale : the less you communicate, the more you fuel the rumour mill, which is actually the case.
Create added job satisfaction with more responsibility. Instead of playing the roles of "cheerleader" or "psychiatrist", neither of which will work very well anyway, give employees an opportunity to prove their mettle by increasing their responsibility (assuming, of course, the employees are capable of shouldering the responsibility).
Stay visible. One of the most reassuring sights for employees nervous about their company's future is to see their managers carrying on their normal tasks. The message : don't allow the situation to force you into a shell. Make yourself available and be prepared for constant questions about what's going on in the company.
Stay in control. People worried about their situation tend to thrive on firm leadership.
Extracted from Bits & Pieces, The Economics Press, Inc., Fairfield, New Jersey, USA. From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid

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A liar should have a good memory - Quintilian, De Institutione Oratoria