Yesterday the Dow closed down over 700 points and today it was up over 400 points. Banks are being purchased and jobs will be eliminated. In the coming year unemployment will like increase. So how do you use this to your advantage? First, you need to admit your job is likely on the chopping block just like everyone’s job. Second, you must step-up your productivity and quality to decrease your chance of getting the pink slip. The easiest way to do this is to make your boss look awesome. He or she will realize their job is more secure because of your efforts. With this knowledge you can now motivate your staff by telling them in their next staff meeting, if you want to keep your jobs we have to make my boss look great and that means you guys have to make me look good.
If your team is not generating your desired output then you need to motivate them. One way to do this is to create a nice plain manila folder labeled with whatever title your company calls “writing up staff so we can terminate them with cause later.” I also suggest filling the folder with copies of all related policies and blank forms. Then leave it on top of your inbox so your staff see it often. If this begins to lose its effectiveness move to to step two and pre-print all of your employees names on the forms and leave the folder open during one-on-one meetings. If you play your cards right, your team’s performance will be awesome and you will be able to work less.
Until next time, start them early, keep them late, and keep them scared.
