Emerge Alive in Business West Springfield MA

By Bill Hofius

"Women and children first" might be the right plan to follow when a cruise ship is sinking, but it's definitely inappropriate when you're trying to save your lumberyard. Those who need help will benefit from those who are alive, coherent, and able to help. This is the most important time for leaders emerge to guide the rest to safety and security. As always, people will look to the leaders for vision, integrity, and accountability.

Here are three key things you need to do to emerge alive:

• Build a new business plan and vision. Do this with the help of trusted advisers and other industry experts. Sometimes our own entrepreneurial enthusiasm may require a reality check. With a business plan built to survive in this market, layoffs and closings serve a purpose.
  
  Protect your intellectual and skilled collateral--your people. A room full of chiefs won't get the job done. This may mean removing some management or supervisors before yard men, drivers and clerks. When it comes to position, most people will step up to help; very few will step down.
• Be truthful. This is especially important for employees. Not knowing what the future holds is hard on people. Let your core employees know who they are and those at risk know who they are. This will allow the employees at risk the freedom to move on while the core employees will be able to focus on building the new business. Someday this market will be a memory.

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