Management Centre offers tips for surviving the recession
Howard Lake | 8 December 2008 | News
The Management Centre (‘=mc’) has published five management ‘survival tips’ for charities to help them survive in the current recession.
The tips are designed to guide chief executives, trustees and managers in taking the necessary measures to ensure sustainability.
The recommendations are:
* take a firm lead – “your staff are looking for leadership in times of uncertainty – you need to provide it (or make sure that someone above you is!)”
* communicate – “talk to your staff and be honest about the impact of the economic downturn upon the organisation. They may well be feeling insecure or unsettled and, if you hide bad news from them, they will only assume the worst and staff morale will fall”.
* motivate staff – “tap into individual motivations and be creative about what rewards you can offer your team even when money is tight. Additional leave? Child care vouchers? A close early Friday? A thank you?”
* build your in-house skillbase – “now may be the very time for your staff to undergo relevant training and team-building exercises… Good training will motivate staff, as well as improve performance”.
* expand – “this is not a time for inertia, but to stick your head above the parapet and ensure that your organisation continues to get noticed; building brand awareness and striving for increased donation levels… There is an opportunity to snap up some new talent from the glut of workers coming on to the market”.
Katy Murray, Principal Management Trainer of The Management Centre, said: “It is all too easy to bury your head in the sand and continue on, business as usual. But, the current economic crisis requires action.
“While every charity has a unique path to follow in order to survive the downturn, there are some simple yet vital principles that remain the same. We would urge senior managers and HR professionals ensure their organisation doesn’t become yet another casualty of the downturn and be bold in making the necessary changes to ensure survival.”
www.managementcentre.co.uk
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.