The new issue of Optimal Knowledge is about resilience. Here is an excerpt from the leading article of Anita Ryan: “At The Crossroads: The Keys to Organizational Resiliency”: “American businesses, large and small truly are at a crossroads. Those organizations resilient enough to have survived the longest economic downturn since the Great Depression are now faced with dual dilemmas that could challenge their continuing success. On the one hand the uncertain global financial situation requires businesses of all types to maintain vigilance related to cash reserves, workforce expansions and internal project investment. On the other hand in certain sectors there has been an easing of recession pressures. An increase in sales has been accompanied by a simultaneous rise in external customer demands and an internal strain on human resources that are already at a breaking point.
The layoffs and hiring freezes that were required at the height of the recession placed an ongoing burden on remaining employees. Increased hours and productivity demands could be sustained for a certain period of time. However, now that 3 years have passed, top employees (and they are the top employees because lower performing workers were cut at the beginning of the downturn process) who have not been sufficiently supported are beginning to respond to the call of recruiters from competing businesses. Suddenly these hard working top-notch people are saying “enough” and considering other options.
Although businesses want to maintain the fast reacting strategies that have enhanced their survival capabilities, now is the time to pull some mid and long terms strategy tools out of their organizational toolboxes.The loss of underappreciated highly skilled key employees is as big a danger to continued corporate resiliency as are poorly constructed or executed sales and marketing plans. So what are these tools?...” Keep reading...
