Help! Team Morale is Low

Inbox Zero

Welcome to Inbox Zero, the podcast where I, Bianca Lager, help busy entrepreneurs and small business leaders reclaim their time, cut through the noise, and solve the challenges piling up in your inbox. If you're looking to grow your business without the burnout, we’re here to share actionable insights that make space for what really matters—the high-quality life you're seeking.
This week I am joined by Carina Harlow - PR and internal comms expert.
Question of the week:"I’m a COO of a 7-year old start up (is that still a start up? lol) and a quarter ago we found out some tough news about one of our largest clients. Basically we are losing revenue so we have had to get cash scrappy. I'm really good at this kind of thing since I have a history with shoe string budgets in small businesses and I get along well with the CFO so we recommended some ideas together. My problem is how the CEO has decided to communicate these changes to the team (or lack thereof). We're on a "need-to-know" basis so sometimes he cuts thing out without me know that even affect my own team and I'm stuck scrambling with an explanation I don't have. I know this has also affected our client facing teams too and sometimes I find stuff out last minute that I know will be a huge deal to certain reps. Our CEO's philosophy is to wait and see what people complain about before we react. That seems crazy!! He doesn't want to freak out the staff by announcing these budget cuts or at least not more than we have to. But my team trusts me and they tell me that everyone whispers and now, everyone’s worried about job security, and morale is low. I’ve noticed a dip in productivity, and a few of my employees are openly job hunting. The truth is, they SHOULD BE job hunting but I want to keep everyone motivated, and I’m not sure how to be honest about the financial situation without making them panic and annoying the CEO since I could also be on the chopping block and this job economy does not look fun! I would appreciate any advice on how to handle this as it feels like an ethical and a business dilemma. Is there any hope for us?"

Thanks for listening!
For more episodes, webinars and and to learn more about Bianca Lager, visit me at biancalager.com