Transitional Behavior

Q: How can businesses effectively deal with major transitions such as a buyout or location change?

Executive and personal coach Reneé Kennedy-Edwards, of Coaching4Success in Bonita Springs, answers:

Southwest Florida is growing so fast, many people are having difficulty adjusting to all the changes. While change can be good, it can be detrimental to a business if it isn't handled with care.

A business experiencing a major transition faces several issues, the most important of which involve employees and customers. When a big change occurs, your employees are a key component in handling the transition effectively. If they trust the company and feel confident their jobs are not threatened, they will have a more positive outlook regarding the changes and will most likely pass this along to the customers.

Everyone fears change. It forces us to step outside our comfort zones into unfamiliar territory where risk is apparent. The more up-front and honest you are with your staff about the expectations and goals of the company and how it will affect their positions, the easier the transition will be.

Some businesses make the mistake of withholding information from their employees to prevent panic. But when small pieces of information leak out, rumors ignite and spread quickly.

This, in turn, breeds panic-and the negative energy finds its way to the customers. Customers may also panic when they discover a major change is happening at their regular place of business. They worry about how it will affect their lives. Will they have to drive farther to the new location? Will they lose benefits as a loyal customer? Will they experience deficiencies in their current level of customer service? If the company changes ownership and loses its quality employees, clients may feel abandoned.

Follow the steps below to assist both employees and customers in effec-

tively dealing with the transition.

n Provide as much information as possible about the transition. This helps limit the opportunities for rumors to propagate.

n Be honest and direct with your clientele and staff regarding the change. Customers and employees appreciate the truth, even if it is disappointing. It enhances trust and integrity.

n Retain quality employees. By keeping key staff, you build on a solid foundation. Loyal customers appreciate familiar faces.

n Train employees to handle customer concerns about the change. Clients need to know they will be taken care of. Employees may need to do some handholding to assist customers with the change.

n Evoke a positive environment surrounding the change. Throw a party, grand opening or ribbon-cutting to celebrate.

Modeling a positive outlook helps everyone feel more comfortable and excited about the transition.

It is especially important that the leaders of the organization express themselves in a positive manner. If management is negative, employees follow suit-and customers are likely to be next in line.

Learn more about executive-coaching issues at www.coaching4successinc.com or e-mail Kennedy-Edwards at info@coaching4successinc.com.Q: I have some good employees who report to me, but sometimes they don't do what I expect. How can I get them to do the job?Jan Kantor, a business consultant and executive coach in Naples, answers:Criticism is a powerful tool. Managers can use it to either build up or tear down an employee. It can be constructive or destructive. It can help an employee understand the problem and even help fix it, or it can lead to fear, resentment and anger. The ability to use criticism in a positive, effective way is an extremely important skill for a successful manager.

Destructive criticism is a lose-lose situation, just as constructive criticism is win-win. How managers offer criticism affects their own chances for success. After all, criticism is an integral part of managing others-and if you can't do it effectively, chances are you won't last long as a manager.

Constructive criticism clearly describes the problem and provides information on how to improve. Criticism that simply addresses what's wrong is always counterproductive. Worse yet, it is degrading to the employee, destroying self-confidence, depleting initiative and taking away the employees potential to contribute. Unlike praise, which should be given both in public and in private, criticism should never be offered in public.

One of the best techniques is to serve up criticism with a slice of praise, which puts the problem in perspective. Let them know you value them as employees, but that there are things that need to be worked on. Then be specific and clear about what you expect. You always win when you make your employees feel like winners.

Learn more at Kantor's Web site, www.jankantor.com, or e-mail him at kantor716@comcast.net.