Leadership - Getting Back to Business: Managing in the Post-Recession

5th August, 2009 - Posted by L. John Mason -

Many economic indicators are pointing to the “bottoming out” if not the gradual conclusion of the recession. Now is the time to gear back up your leadership management skills to prepare for the return of business and expansion (rather than contraction.) It is time to prepare yourself and your team for “creating” the new business to drive your upward trending bottom-line.

It may be hard to get yourself out of cataclysmic thinking. It may be difficult to lead the process of motivating your organization, but now is the time to get this in gear. You may want to prepare your mind and emotion for all the positive mental attitude leadership that will be required to keep out in front of the competition.

Step 1.: Building positivity through Positive Team Communication. Yes, it is time to get negative “back-biting” and blaming behaviors to stop and mutual positive supportive behaviors to begin, or to re-start. Ask for positive suggestions from all your personnel that will increase productivity and creative problem solving. Positive rewards for innovative thinking and actions are a huge management tool. Understand your key personnel communication styles and “mirror” their styles to develop rapport. Understand your key personnel attitudes beliefs, and their real motivation so you can reward each key individual in the most appropriate way.

Step 2.: Rally the troops! Many organizations have been buried by insecurity and negative thinking due to restrictions and cut backs. Lay the foundation for success by creating positive scenarios that will lead to success and work satisfaction. Get your promotional people and sales force ready for new markets, new products, and new customer business. Get your manufacturing units or service providers emotionally geared back up to deal with new orders and new business. Get your support staff ready emotionally to support the sales force and manufacturing units. Create rewards and celebrations for every step in a positive direction. If you are a great leader, you will create the “vision” of success and plan the path to achieving this success with all key people understanding their roles and supporting this vision. (Get them to contribute to creating, planning, and pushing toward the “vision.”)

Step 3.: Prepare Yourself! Build your leadership skills and develop your ability to communicate with all the key stakeholders. Build your teams and work groups with the proper personnel and materials for them to be successful. Support your managers and front line leaders. Keep yourself healthy and fit, AND be the role model for self-care. This includes using goal setting/planning and every Positive Mental Attitude technique that you know. Expect success. Request success. LIVE success.  There is no room for negativity or creating mental or emotional blocks.

If you can not figure out how to lead success, get coaching or mentoring now! You want everything in place to begin to move in positive directions as this economic situation begins to improve.

More articles and coaching services are available through our website at www.dstress.com Good luck and success to you!

L. John Mason, Ph.D.