Tough Times, CCL, Jenah Crump Photography

How do you deal with downsized workforces populated with employees who suffer from any or all of the following negative emotions: insecurity, dread, apathy, passivity, carelessness, and resentment?

How do you lead people through change in times of extreme turbulence?

Making tough decisions, implementing change, and telling people that this is the way it is – really isn’t the same as getting them giving them the inspirational motivation to accept how things are and to work well.

As Michael Hammer – former Business Process Re-engineering guru of the last recession – now says: “The human side [of change] is much harder than the technology side and the process side. It’s the overwhelming issue.”

Daniel Goleman ["Primal Leadership"] has eloquently articulated the principle of a style of leadership that resonates with people – that speaks from the heart and offers a measure of re-assurance and certainty of conviction about the direction in which they are being led.

But how you do you translate that into action? How do you actually provide inspirational motivation for people? What are the keys?

In his article, Stephen Warrilow summerizes nicely what can be done. I fully agree with the fact that the Human Side is the most difficult one for change. It needs a lot of attention, energy and focus. But it cannot be overseen.

(read the full article)