Engaging employees to ensure organizational alignment and commitment is the most important leadership practice to achieve business goals in tough business times, according to more than half of senior leaders and human resource professionals surveyed by Right Management.
Right Management polled over 650 senior leaders and HR professionals in North America to gain insight into their most important leadership practices to achieve business goals in tough times. According to the survey, the most important leadership practices are:
- 51% – Engaging employees to ensure organizational alignment and commitment
- 21% – Clearly defining roles and expectations
- 13% – Making efficient and informed personnel decisions
- 15% – Developing current skill base and capabilities within organization
The weak economy and chaotic financial markets are hitting businesses hard and forcing them to make tough people decisions, said Owen Sullivan, CEO of Right Management. “It’s in times of hardship and uncertainty that leaders are investing more in engaging and aligning their employees to reap the utmost commitment, productivity and focus. Leaders know that it’s only the collective talent of their workforces that will pull them through.”
Sullivan notes that in tough times leaders are reconsidering their priorities to ensure the viability of their organizations. “Leaders are being forced to make very tough business decisions in order to not only survive, but to come out stronger. Leaders need to convey difficult messages that help their workforce understand the rationale for current actions while also instilling confidence and commitment so that objectives can be met.”
