How Not To Lead In a Bad Economy

The down economy stresses everyone in the workplace - including the boss.

But unless you are implementing an overall reduction in force, the last thing you want to do is threaten employees. It costs a substantial amount of money to replace an existing employee.

Yet that's what's happening in many businesses right now - here are some examples:

• Managers are more reluctant about granting sick leave or holiday pay.
• Employee reviews are more negative than usual, perhaps due to the fact that managers are paving the way for a justified firing (so they don't have to do a layoff).
• Employees are forced to do the work of two people without getting additional compensation.

Not the way to lead!

Find ways of making employees work better - and more efficiently. Consider any of the following:

• Flex scheduling that accommodates school visits, doctor appointments-or just personal time
• Telecommuting, from one day a week to full time
• Compressed workweek (for example four 9-hour days, or three 12-hour days)
• Job sharing (where typically two people share one full-time job, often overlapping for 1 day)
• Part-time seasons for full-time workers (that is, like a school schedule—work full time most of the year, part-time or not at all during the summer)

Courtesy Eve Tahmincioglu in msnbc.com