5 things to keep in your lifeboat… Part II

As promised in my last blog, it is time to talk about the importance on hanging onto your Productivity Expectations (#2 on the list of items to keep in your lifeboat).  You could be in any business for this rule to apply. For example our company is focused on Indianapolis Staffing, yours might be focused on making cookies.  Almost every business has been impacted in some way by the economy and hiring trends.  Well, if business is tough, how are you to expect your staff to perform at the productivity levels you have always expected?  Is that even fair?

If you listen to the experts, they will tell you that to expect high production during difficult times, as a leader you have to inspire the will to be productive.  How? If you listen to Antoine de Saint-Exupery (The Little Prince)

"If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."

Or, you could listen to Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks when he states that "People want to be part of something larger than themselves.  They want to be part of something they are really proud of, that they’ll fight for, sacrifice for and trust."

So, what does this have to do with holding onto your productivity expectations?  It’s easy to do if you set the stage for your employees to really WANT the company to succeed.  If you lead by example and maintain consistency in your own performance, love for the business and trust in the leadership, even when the waters get rough, productivity will soar.

Lead with passion and enthusiasm during the most difficult of times, and they will follow.  If they don’t, you likely did not want or need them in the first place.

Next Blog, we talk about #3 on the list of 5 important things to keep in the lifeboat while the waters are choppy.

1)  Your sense of humor
2)  Your productivity expectations
3)  Your Integrity
4)  Your Patience
5)  Your best people