How to get your people fired up during this downturn?  More and more we’re seeing managers and leaders communicating, planning and acting with their people.  TELL your people you have a plan to get through the recession, JOIN with them in developing and executing the plan, and TAKE ACTIONS yourself with your people.

 Jim Alampi, consultant and Vistage speaker says it best:  “The single thing that causes employees the most angst and fear is believing their management has no plan.”  So have one!

To paraphrase Morrie Schechtman, consultant, author, and speaker:  stop trying to talk people out of their feelings — you can’t; talk reality with them, this recession will be long and deep; get your people’s feelings on the table, talk about the negatives.

Then, encourage your people to reach high, since they are talking themselves out of doing so — in other words, we’re thinking ourselves into failure, so don’t, and instead think that it’s okay to reach high and sometimes fail; what this means is challenge the buyer to buy like never before! 

Finally, use the skills that fit this recession, not your everyday 2007-08 ones.  For that one sales moment, put your emotions aside and dive in like never before!

On every front the same message emerges:  engage with your people, plan with your people, execute with your people.

As always, hope this is helpful advice from literally dozens of articles and folks we keep hearing from.  Very best to you, Kraig