Leadership Consultation

If you are anticipating a potentially disruptive workplace event or have experienced an unanticipated disruptive workplace event, helping your employees maintain resilience is key. Leaders, however, are not necessarily trained to handle such situations or properly equipped with tools to support restoration of employee focus, productivity, and morale.

 

Disruptive events can take many forms. Some, such as mass layoffs, directly affect the workforce. Others, such as community protests, take place outside organizations, but still manage to interfere with normal operations.

Such disruptive events, anticipated or not, create the distinct need and opportunity to fully support employees and teams in order to reduce downtime and distress.

 

Resilience after a layoff

“Remember, don’t say you’re sorry!” Andrew Donaldson said to Jeffrey Dell before hanging up. Jeffrey sighed and stared at his cell phone before putting it in his pocket. Andrew, the VP of operations for the retail department chain, wasn’t known for his “touchy-feely” ways; and this conversation was just one more example. Jeffrey, the general manager for a store with low sales, now had to lay off 10% of his employees.

 

Jeffrey looked at the list of employees to be let go. Some had been with the retailer for years and were extremely loyal and hardworking. While Andrew’s biggest concern was making sure the company didn’t admit fault, Jeffrey wanted to make sure they understood the context.

 

Years ago, Jeffrey had been on the other end of a layoff. He wasn’t the only one affected then either, but at the time, he felt as if he’d been singled out. He recalled being summoned to the manager’s office, given the news, asked to collect his belongings in a cardboard box, and leave with a security escort.

 

Jeffrey felt that if employees had to be released, they should be let go with dignity. And extra care needed to be given to the remaining employees – for they were the best employees, and how the company dealt with the layoff could affect not only how they viewed the organization, but Jeffrey as a leader. He had to make this go as smoothly and as thoughtfully as possible for both groups of employees.

 

Although he’d fired individuals for cause, he’d never orchestrated a large-scale layoff like this. He needed some direction and support on how to do this effectively – and he knew that support would not come from Andrew.

 

Helping leaders maintain workplace resilience and performance in the midst of disruption

R3 Continuum’s leadership consultation provides proactive planning, tools, and ongoing support to help leaders prioritize goals and effectively respond to employee needs before, during, and after disruptive events. Appreciating that your time is limited, leadership consultation is available on an ad hoc basis and initiated when you call our Clinical Consult Center. Our master’s level clinicians will provide you with clinical support to thoughtfully address the needs of your employees and workplace culture.

 

When should you use Leadership Consultation?

If you anticipate or have had a disruptive event at work, including robberies, acts of violence, on-the-job accidents, deaths or reduction in staff; when your management team can benefit from objective feedback and coaching on handling difficult employee issues; or for telecommuting leaders or leaders who are at work sites in remote areas, our leadership consultation can provide the right amount of support, just as you need it.

 

Leadership consultation provides:

• Emphasis on proactively anticipating employee needs before, during, and after a disruptive event
• Confidential consultation
• Coaching for managing and supporting employees
• Practical suggestions and tools for self-care, team care, and employee interaction which can be immediately implemented

 

On the other side of the aftermath

Just two weeks after the layoffs, Jeffrey was surprised at how smoothly the department store was running. Yes, there were longer waits at the registers this weekend, but associates on the floor quickly responded to open more registers when needed. They’d had a great session last week about teamwork and staffing levels, which helped to promote more collaboration this week.

 

It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies, Jeffrey admitted, but everyone who wasn’t laid off had shown up for their shifts. Jeffrey was confident that his handling of the layoffs and R3’s tips for coaching, which he’d passed on to the department managers, had helped. Associates appeared more at ease this week, talking and laughing a little more with each other and even with him.

 

The retail business was uncertain and who knew what might happen next, but whatever it was, Jeffrey was committed to helping his teams get through challenges with as much understanding, care, and resilience as possible.

 

Effectively manage disruption

Leadership consultation helps leaders be more confident and effective in supporting workplace resilience and performance in the midst of disruption.