In much of the last few years, companies have had to figure out a way to lighten the load of a downward economic roller coaster. For some, this included lay-offs. For others, it included flat compensation for the new fiscal years. And for even others, it was cost cutting, including no more snacks in the office or no more amenities that the last economic hype added for many.
In a team, it is so important to share the burden with others, but what is the right way or wrong way to share the burden? Is it a matter of fairness that has to be taken into consideration, or is it a matter of factness that has to be taken into consideration?
Example: We have more people than job hours.
Fact based response: Fire those who might not be performing to accommodate the difference in chargeable hours verses man power hours.
Fairness based response: Keep all employees and carry the weight of the team because we will need those people later on when the economy picks up.
Now, I am not saying that either way is right or wrong, but in most situations, management would fire the “excess”. Leaders might handle the situation in a more fairness based way in which every team member counts and even though it might not make sense at first, the long-term vision of the company from a leadership perspective can have a positive effect on a company.
It is very hard to have to deal with a situation as the one that has come over the past couple of years, but management must learn creative ways to be leaders in the wake of the economy. To put on a management hat can be very easy, but where is the leadership hat? Management must begin to find a balance between managing and leading. It is hard to figure out a balance, but once a team does, the potential is endless.
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