Leading People Through Difficult Periods With Empathy and Inspiration!

Nov 30

Economies, businesses and organisations experience cyclical patterns, and as business owners and leaders, we frequently find ourselves steering through demanding business cycles. Navigating through these challenges requires adept leadership, particularly in the realm of communicating and leading the workforce, which highlights our focus on People First in business.

Within the realm of challenging business cycles, businesses frequently encounter obstacles pertaining to cost management, employee morale, sales optimisation, and strategic planning for business cycle recovery. Human Resources (HR) consultants are pivotal in aiding businesses to navigate these complexities and emerge resilient such as Agility Business.

Here are the key areas of focus during challenging business cycles:

Communication Style: Communication that demonstrates empathy towards the present situation and delivers inspiration to foster motivation, resilience, determination, and endurance. This helps individuals navigate through the current phase and focus on building momentum for a strong or stronger return as the cycle evolves,
Organisational Design: Review to ensure the design and structure is focussed on delivering core business goals and greater efficiency,

Resource Planning: Evaluating the required staffing levels and positions that will support the business during the current cycle, its core business goals, and its message of communication. Avoid additional resourcing unless necessary, so as to avoid future downsizing requirements. Maximising existing positions with a focus on increasing revenue and reducing costs should be a core focus of each role,
Right person, Right role, Right direction: We see so many instances of the right person in the wrong role or with the wrong leader/manager and the business is wondering why they are underperforming. In a People First strategy, always, Right person, Right role, Right direction. Always!
Profit Focus Mindset: Encouraging and leading your teams with a Profit Mindset will enable improved decision making in your business. Roles focused on increasing revenue, reducing costs, and thus improving profit will incrementally improve or maintain the financial longevity of business,
Productivity and Efficiency Improvement: Review and assess job and workflow design including standardisation, streamlining, and automation including the use of technology and artificial intelligence, use data analytics to assess the effectiveness of HR initiatives, provide business insights and enable data-driven decisions.
Remote, Hybrid, and Work from Home Policies: Help in crafting and implementing remote work policies to adapt to changing work environments,
Technology Integration: Assist in integrating technology tools that support remote collaboration and communication, and improve position productivity and efficiency.
Cadence Check Ins, Coaching, Feedback and Recognition: Implement Cadence Check Ins that includes goal setting, obstacle assessment, and encouragement and coaching for high performance. Recognition strategy to maintain motivation and high performance and work enjoyment,
Training and Development: Offer cost-effective training programs to enhance employee skills and adaptability, and develop skills that will expand their professional career and prepare themselves and the position held as the market changes,
Natural Leaders: During challenging business periods you may be able to spot Natural Leaders in your business, who can be calm, clear, decisive, and encourage great work during challenges. Developing their natural tendancies is a great opportunity for them and your business to recognise their skills and future develop them.
Outsourcing: Identify opportunities for outsourcing non-core functions to reduce overheads to an as needs basis,

For your Employees, the key focus should always be in your leadership. How you lead the business, lead your self, and lead your team during this time. Your Employees need your

vision, direction and enthusiasm for the business. It’s infectious, so spread it around!,
your expertise in communicating the information they need to perform the work you need them to perform in a clear and invigorating style,
employing the right people, for the right role, and with the right direction,
the need you to provide the direction and encouragement to perform well and have fun,
the need you to provide the tools and equipment to deliver their roles,
they will see more in the business than you communicate so if something unexpected whether negative or positive is to occur, communicate in advance with as much information as you have and that they need to know.

The outcomes of the above are designed to:

adapt to the challenges of a business and market cycles and survive and thrive,
develop new opportunities and grow into new markets,
reduce time and financial wastage,
maintain and invigorate employee morale and thus higher performance, and
position themselves for the upswing and future success.

If you don’t have these in hand now, the benefit of doing so will be far less than there current cost an impact in your business!

Your Next Steps

Contact Us or book a Discovery Call, let’s develop robust strategies to lead your people and business through challenging business periods.

AGILITY BUSINESS | Making business life from the first conversation

Disclaimer - This information is designed to be general business and employment information. You should seek professional advice that is based on your business circumstances prior to its use. Purchasing and/or utilising any of our templates, tools, agreements, documents does not constitute professional advice including legal advice.