Thursday, August 03, 2006

My thoughts on the stressed workforce....

1) Everything is cyclical. Remember back to the late '90s. The economy was great, jobs were plentiful, and all of the power was in the hand's of the work force. Then it all came tumbling down...companies cut bloated costs, rightsized, outsourced, and started treating people like poo. At some point (and I think the time is nearing, the balance of power (read supply and demand) will shift back to the employee, and those employers that want to thrive, will need to address both the monetary and non-monetary issues that impact the stressed-out workforce. Those companies that do this best, will succeed, and those that do not get on board are doomed to failure.

2) Employees will push back. I'm seeing more and more people pushing back against poor working conditions (too many hours; inept management; too many "critical" priorities....etc.) This becomes contagious. Some companies (and managers) will resist, while the best will respond in a positive manner and act upon the feedback. Also, and perhaps more importantly, we will all stop pushing each other, and begin to act in a more civil manner. Those of us that aspire to be leaders, and that possess good people skills (when we are at our best), will serve as role models to help drive positive change.

3) On a related note, change will come from within. Ultimately, it is up to each of us, as an individual, to say "I've had enough!!", and in so doing, to begin taking the steps to enact positive change. We can be roll models for each other, and through our behaviors, begin to make a difference. In theory, this will make "us" more successful (less stress; better results) than those that do not make positive changes. Success will drive imitation and innovation, and a cycle of positive results will (hopefully) follow.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home