Planning for 2009 – A Different Approach

More than just retaining the work force, it makes sense to get feedback from the staff. A Strategic Conversations exercise with employees is an inexpensive way to extract information and benefit from the knowledge that your employees possess. You can ask about how the company can perform tasks faster or better or cheaper, and where there are areas to improve. By calling upon your employees, you demonstrate respect for their knowledge and opinion. You may even uncover keys to cost control and re-engineering.

Recently, we performed one of these exercises with the employees of one of our clients as part of the overall planning process for 2009. With the goal of finding the smartest and fastest way to do things, we asked what irritates employees about their jobs. What we heard back were ideas of how to get better efficiencies from existing processes, thoughts on the inadequacy of training, input about how systems could be used better, and feedback heard from their customers about the company’s performance.

Keep in mind that these opinions were from employees who have a perspective unique from that of the CEO or upper-level executives. All of the answers you get will not be 100% perfect or accurate. But where’s there’s smoke, there’s fire. Your employees may be describing only a symptom of the problem, but you may reach the root cause with more digging and thinking.

The recession most certainly will threaten the revenue line. But by working smarter—not just harder—you can control the cost line to absorb some of the impact without carving apart your workforce.

Please read this related post by William Taylor , co-author of Mavericks at Work, which we reviewed in an earlier issue of Trekking.