How would it feel if you knew business was slow and your boss was in closed door meetings all day and didn’t make eye contact much less say hello, good night or anything in between to you all day long, day after day? Would you feel secure, appreciated and valued as an employee? Of course not.
Simple, sincere and brief acknowledgement from managers asking employees about this or that project or how their six year old is doing in kindergarten goes a long way to improving staff morale and productivity. Effective communication is what causes employees to feel valued and respected as a professional and as an individual on a daily basis.
The worst thing senior management can do when sales are down and the economy is challenging is to bury their heads in the sand and not engage with the staff. This is the fastest way to get the rumor mill going and cause employees to feel edgy and insecure.
