Stop the Bleeding: When Things Start to Go Wrong

Stop the Bleeding: When Things Start to Go Wrong by Elizabeth W. Gordon

When things start to go wrong in business it can be a slippery slope. One person deciding to leave the company can erupt into a downward spiral and suddenly you’ve got a mass exodus on your hands. While this would be a crisis at any company, for a smaller organization, it can cut heavily into the owner’s pockets and even be life threatening for the company. At the first sign of this kind of bad blood, you need to find a solution before your business gets into serious trouble. The best thing you can do when a problem is detected in the office is to uncover the cause not just identify the symptoms.

A few months ago, I met with a prospective client who was eager to have our team provide him and his business partners with advice and consulting for their 25 year-old thriving company. He and I had an initial strategy session at which time the client (I’ll call him Bob) revealed to me that in the last six months the company had experienced significant turnover. They had lost six people in six months. That’s a lot for a thirty person company. The previous Monday, yet another employee announced they were leaving. In our strategy session, Bob decided it was time to arrange for an impromptu meeting on the following Wednesday in order to “stop the bleeding” (Bob's words). During the meeting Bob asked all of the remaining employees including support staff to fill out an anonymous written survey. It should also be known that the company was about to dole out raises so Bob expected to see complaints about pay rates. Instead, the feedback that came in was not about money at all. On the contrary, the employees said things about office tensions, the need for a bigger and better equipped break room, and an updated website. One person wrote one word only on their feedback card, phrased as a sad and desperate question: “fun?” It seemed that the employees were all desperate for better a quality of life at work. An unhealthy corporate culture was making the office environment oppressive.

The initial survey helped Bob find the root cause of his problem. Now the company needed a solution. I suggested that they use an emotional intelligence coach to work with everyone from the owners to the managers to the support staff in order to create positive change and an environment in which everyone was working with each other in a healthy manner. Then, I suggested that he let the company know that he was interviewing developers to custom create an up-to-date website that his employees could be proud of. Rather than having the owners as the primary drivers of the change, I told him that he should get input from his managers and everyone on their teams, to get suggestions from a grassroots level. I also suggested that they take money from the Christmas Party budget (which had a measly attendance last year) and revamp the kitchen, update the appliances and add small tables and chairs for people to sit down at during lunch or a break along with providing a supply of complimentary snacks like popcorn and sodas. If they donated the old furniture to a local charity for a tax write off, the effort wouldn’t cost much at all. Rather than have one big party once a year, why not make your employees happy everyday? After surveying the office space, I also suggested that they add a foosball table in an out of the way and unused corner, where people could de-stress for a few minutes with a friend. The last change I suggested was to start a bowling team for anyone interested in some after hours fun, as a cheap and easy way for people to socialize with colleagues in a more relaxed environment.

It’s been four months now and this client has yet to lose another employee. The next time you find that your company is hemorrhaging, be it money, clients or employees, find out the true cause, form a solution and take logical and creative action in order to stop the bleeding. For more information about how you can improve your business, visit www.flourishingbusiness.com.



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