I was sitting at Valle Luna earlier this week. Next to me in the booth were 2 employees and a manager from the same company. Besides the fact that they were speaking fair loud, I couldn’t help but hear their intriguing conversation. It is just another example of what NOT to do as a manager.
The one employee had been in a previous factory position. The factory was going through some changes, and many of the employees had heard that their was going to be a factory shut-down. Some of the employees had asked the manager about this shut-down. The manager completely denied that this was going to happen. Well, guess what happened… Two weeks later there was a factory announcement – they were shutting down. The employees were going to get an opportunity to search for new positions or take a severance package. They had about a week to decide what to do.
Many of us have been through these type of scenarios. As managers, what is our responsibility to our staff when something of this magnitude happens in our organization?
The #1 trait that employees look for in a manager is integrity. Even though the manager above may have felt they had no choice but to lie, there are certainly options the manager had rather than telling out right lies. Because of his decisions, this manager will never be trusted again by these group of employees, some which stayed at the company.
How can we be honest with employees without breaking the “code of silence” bestowed upon us by the senior management staffs? First of all, be as honest as possible. You can tell them that change is inevitable in your industry and you are aware that some changes are going to happen. Let them know you don’t have the details yet, but that you will be sharing them as soon as you can. Ensure your staff that any changes that happen will be followed with an in depth transition plan. This will give them some security and uphold your level of integrity with them. Then, follow through with what you said. Ensure their is a solid transition plan: will you help them find new positions, do you have an onsite or contracted career center, will their be a severance package, etc.
Overall, be a manager that is honest with the highest level of integrity. This will show off your leadership ability more than any other skill you may have.
Have a great week!
Jessica Pierce
jessica@atdsuccess.com
480-284-5284
Posted by atdsuccess 