The Find: Everyone wants to know how they can be a better manager in these challenging economic times, and management guru Tom Peters has tips: just don’t expect any miracle cures.- The Source: The blog of Tom Peters.
The Takeaway: Declining profits and the specter of lay-offs are haunting many a company, and managers are wondering how they can keep morale up and their companies afloat through these challenging times. As a respected management expert, Peters gets this question a lot and, recently on his blog, he gave his unvarnished answer. There are no quick fixes or easy solutions when it comes to managing in a recession, according to Peters. Instead, take a deep breathe and prepare yourself for some hard work. He gives a long list of things you need to do during a downturn, here are a few of his key ideas:
- You work longer.
- You work harder.
- You may well work for less; and, if so, you adapt to the untoward circumstances with a smile—even if it kills you inside.
- You volunteer to do more.
- You fake it if your good attitude flags.
- You literally practice your “game face” in the mirror in the morning, and in the loo mid-morning.
- You forget about “the good old days”—nostalgia is for wimps.
- You eschew all forms of personal excess.
- You simplify.
- You sweat the details as you never have before.
- You raise to the sky the standards of excellence by which you evaluate your own performance.
- You behave kindly, but you don’t sugarcoat or hide the truth—humans are startlingly resilient.
- You eventually read the gloom-sprayers the riot act.
- You network like a demon.
- You redouble, re-triple your efforts to “walk in your customer’s shoes.” (Especially if the shoes smell.)
For the full list, have a look at Peters’ blog.
