The document is a summary of a webinar on management best practices as the recession eases. It discusses that while the recession may technically be over, the economy has not fully recovered. It identifies mistakes to avoid, such as rushing to hire or ignoring performance issues. It also outlines new best practices, such as being transparent with information, taking more risks, and retaining top performers. The webinar aims to help managers transition strategies as ambiguity remains about the strength and pace of the economic recovery.

1. Ready, Set, Recover! Management Best
Practices as the Recession Ebbs
Leila Bulling Towne
The Bulling Towne Group, LLC
http://www.thebullingtownegroup.com
coach@thebullingtownegroup.com
+1.415.744.1991 San Francisco Office
+1.800.789.8449
January 21, 2010

2. The Facts of the Day
• US stocks ended 2009 with best gains since 2003. But wait a second . . .
• President Obama asks CEOs for insight on government efficiency
• Conan O’Brien receives $40 million Hollywood handshake
• Cadbury accepts Kraft’s bid that values it at 11.7 billion pounds
• Devastation and despair in Haiti
• JAL files for bankruptcy
• Israel and Germany hold joint cabinet session in Berlin
• US unemployment 10% in December 2009 (unchanged)
• State of the Union set for January 27
• World Economic Forum in Davos January 27-31. Theme is Improve the
State of the World: Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild.
• Winter Olympics

3. And the Recession?
“From a technical
perspective, the
recession is very
likely over.”
Ben Bernanke,
September 2009

4. Maybe the Question isn’t . . .
Is it really
over?

5. Maybe it is . . .
When will
we feel it?

6. The Mood

7. Not Quite There
• Holiday shopping up
3.6% over 2008
season
• Take away the extra
shopping day and a
longer season and it
was an increase of
1%

8. Our Webinar Goals
Manage with the worst
behind us—and
ambiguity ahead
1. What Still Works
2. Mistakes to Avoid
3. “New” Best Practices

9. What Still Works
1. Set Goals
2. Give Feedback
3. Coach

10. Why the Fundamentals
Still Work
1. Set goals
a. Ambiguity prevalent: employees must hear what is expected
b. Metrics crucial for individual, team, and company performance
2. Give feedback
a. No guessing on where we each stand
b. Metrics crucial for individual, team,
and company performance

11. SMARTie Goals
S pecific
M easurable
A ction Oriented/Aligned
R ealistic/Relevant
T imebound
i nnovative
e thical

12. Goal Categories
1. Goal
2. Deadline & Project Period
3. Measures of Success
4. Sub Goals, Milestones, or Steps
5. Resources/Dependencies
6. Goal-Change Scenarios
7. Goal Owner(s)
8. Behaviors/Values/Competencies
9. Tasks

13. Why the Fundamentals
Still Work
3. Coach
a. You can’t do it all: delegation is essential
b. As managers we are under the microscope; allow SMEs to
shine
c. Top performers want to contribute in more robust and tangible
ways

14. Our Webinar Goals
Manage with the worst
behind us—and
ambiguity ahead
1. What Still Works
2. Mistakes to Avoid
3. “New” Best Practices

15. Mistake #1: Rush to Hire
• Tempting, terrible mistake
• Consider the full picture of what it costs to employ
someone: salary, employment taxes, materials, benefits,
etc.
• Think about the contingent workforce
• Assess what skills are essential for existing projects, for
how long, and at what depth.

16. Mistake #2: Failing to Think About
Next Year—and the Year After
• Day to day = deadly
• Project to project = painful
• Strategy counts—a lot
• Verify you are spending time and resources on the next
generation of your product or service
• Innovation doesn't just happen. Make it happen.

17. Mistake #3: “I don’t need to talk
about this anymore.”
• “Now that things are ‘better,’ I can scrap all those
conversations with employees about how to stay focused
and motivated during the recession, right?”
• Avoid like the plague:
1. Saying nothing
2. “The worst is behind us!”
3. “Don’t worry. Things are getting better.”
4. “Whew, what a relief. Back to normal—finally!”

18. Mistake #4: Failing to Evaluate
Jobs
• Consider evaluating who is doing what
• Review job descriptions
• Coach clients on how to involve employees in this
activity
– “How do you see your responsibilities contributing to the bottom
line?”
– “What do you feel you need to start doing?”
– “What do you feel you need to stop doing?”
– “What behaviors and tasks should you continue?”

19. Mistake #5: Ignoring
Performance Issues
• Is it too late to manage out? No. NEVER.
• Don’t assume that the “mood” will influence
performance—positively
• Bring back performance reviews

20. Poll
Which mistakes will your company struggle with?
1. Rush to hire
2. Failing to think about next year—and the year after
3. I don’t need to talk about this anymore
4. Failing to evaluate jobs
5. Ignoring performance issues

21. Our Webinar Goals
Manage with the worst
behind us—and
ambiguity ahead
1. What Still Works
2. Mistakes to Avoid
3. “New” Best Practices

22. “New” Best Practices
1. Lessen the power of the past
2. Be information transparent
3. Have more people take more risks
4. Make innovation the new “required” skill
5. Put money back on the table
6. Retain top performers as if your livelihood
depended on it

23. 1. Lessen the Power of the Past
• Those who repeat the past are . . . Yeah, yeah
• The known is nice—but it has its negatives
• Avoid temptation to fall back on comfortable best
practices for compensation, promotions and title
changes, and recruitment
• Strategy is a daily skill
– Tangible, specific action plan
– Emphasizes the future with the
knowledge and metrics of the past
– Belongs to everyone
– Allows no experts to make sole decisions

24. 2. Be Information Transparent
• Stop being the feudal lord of information
• Share more than you want to: hand over control
• Share with employees
 How you make decisions
 The metrics you use
 The expectation that questions are mandatory
 That it’s OK and required they make their own decisions
• Key: allow people to know more than you
• Goal: grassroots employees
• Fear isn’t good

25. 3. Have More People Take
More Risks
• Being information transparent makes it possible
• Formerly, risk taking was a management skill
• Key: being nimble and acting upon a balance of gut and
good data
• Start by
 Speaking to the fear of failure
 Sharing the risks you have taken—and will take
 Acknowledging when risks are taken
 Reminding people that there will never be enough information
 Using a risk/reward calculator

26. 4. Make Innovation the New
“Required” Skill
• #2 and #3 build on each other to create an environment
where innovation is the norm
• “What can you do for me?”
• Grassroots is key: capture and act upon ideas
• Define what it means for your organization. For example,
how can the receptionist be innovative?
• Start reading Fast Company

27. I Stands for Innovative
Tangible and intangible

28. Questions to Ask Yourself
• Are we doing the same things we’ve always done?
• Do they work? If the answer is yes, how do we know
that? What evidence do we have?
• How are we accomplishing those items? What behaviors
are we using?
• What can be original, innovative, new, pioneering,
groundbreaking, novel, and inventive?
What do people want next?

29. 5. Put Money Back on the Table
• As the economy stabilizes, employees will wonder,
“What’s up with salaries? Are we getting raises?”
• Watson Wyatt reports 2009 raises projected to be 2.5-
3% (2009-2010 US Strategic Rewards Survey)
• What is your stance? Are you prepared?
• What will your managers say—if you don’t coach them?
• Can’t do it? Be ready to address why. Be transparent.
Volunteer information vs. wait for an inquiry.

30. Practical Steps for #5
 What can you afford?
 What is your projected growth?
 What were your retention efforts for top performers—so
far this year?
 Confer with management team on priorities
 Get good data
 Don’t forget about 401K matches

31. 6. Retain Top Performers as if Your
Livelihood Depended on Them
• . . . Because it does
• “Sit it out” strategy has been used by top employees
• Do now:
1. Build a high potential program. Starting small is OK.
2. Find executive mentors for top performers.
3. Push for merit increases.
4. Do the 4 Ps assessment

32. The 4 Ps Assessment
1. People
• “With whom do you want to engage more?”
2. Practices
• “What do you want to learn how to do?”
3. Processes
• “What processes can you change here? What do you
want to do differently?”
4. Projects
• “Identify the projects you wish to work on or lead.”

33. “New” Best Practices
1. Lessen the power of the past
2. Be information transparent
3. Have more people take more risks
4. Make innovation the new “required” skill
5. Put money back on the table
6. Retain top performers as if your livelihood
depended on it

34. Poll
Which best practices will most difficult to
implement?
1. Lessen the power of the past
2. Be information transparent
3. Have more people take more risks
4. Make innovation the new “required” skill
5. Put money back on the table
6. Retain top performers as if your livelihood
depended on it

35. HR’s Opportunity:
Coach Managers
Scenarios:
Manager John comes to you and wants to know if since the
economy is back on track, he can give raises.
Manager Reena comes to you and wants to know if she
can change Ricardo's title because she fears he will quit
Manager Erik comes to you and mentions that he has a job
offer for more money but he doesn’t want to leave. He
wonders if he should talk to his manager.

36. How Do You Operate?
• The most common choice is to administer advice and
swiftly direct these managers toward a solution
• Think bigger
• Coach them to coach
• Consider yourself the consultant

37. Realities Updated: January 2010
 Are we in a “W”? Or maybe a “U” or a “V”?
 The holiday shopping season was a bit better
 Things are not getting easier in DC
 Health care is still a HUGE expense
 Other companies have been planning for an upturn—for a while
 If you sit back and wait, you’ll be left behind
 Turnover of top performers will be devastating
 If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will NOT get you
there
 Permanent shifts in behavior aren’t just desirable; they are
necessary
 Things won’t return to the way they were

38. What Leaders Will Do Next
• Consider sustainability (HBR Article, September 2009)
• Remember: practices for hard times are, at this moment,
practices for the best times.
• Get very scared about top performers leaving
• Start asking, “How can you help revenue?”
• Walk about the office
• Keep the door open
• Learn about EQ

39. Carpe Diem
Becoming a coach to your clients is crucial: help them
move beyond the tactical elements of today and you help
yourself.
“I have this naïve belief that bosses are the cure, that
bosses can make organizations work better, that bosses
can retain the best employees - but only when bossing is
made a priority.” Bob Rosner

40. Thank You
Questions and comments? Share them now—or later.
For a copy of the “Ready, Set, Recover” assessment,
email us shrm@bullingtowne.com.
Also, resources from past webinars (including updates) for SHRM
members at www.bullingtowne.com/shrm
Leila Bulling Towne
The Bulling Towne Group, LLC
http://www.thebullingtownegroup.com
coach@thebullingtownegroup.com
+1.415.744.1991 San Francisco Office
+1.800.789.8449
Skype: leilabtowne