The Five Essential Steps of a Successful Business Turnaround

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Creating a New Vision of the Future
The Five Essential Steps of a Successful Business Turnaround
When companies fail, employee morale and confidence is degraded, and many high performers will look for employment elsewhere. Most employees in these situations want their company to prosper, but they don't know how to accomplish it. They believe that they have done an admirable job and will resent those who say otherwise, especially if employees from other departments lay blame on their department. This not only creates low morale but also degrades teamwork, a necessary ingredient in success. In these situations it is imperative that a new vision for the company be formulated and effectively communicated to all employees. Don't expect this to be an easy task-it usually isn't. Most employees believe they have been on the right course, and they see the company's failure as due to the ineffectiveness of other departments, not theirs. When the new vision is communicated, expect employees to fall into three categories: those who embrace it with enthusiasm, those who sit on the fence to wait and see how things go, and those who do not buy in, who resist the change and are open and verbal in their opposition. The sooner management resolves these last two groups, the better. The fence-sitters and the resisters must quickly reverse their positions and enthusiastically support the new vision-or find employment elsewhere. The sooner management converts these groups, the better. Powerful companies have sales organizations that embrace a vivid vision of the future and employ sales representatives who are confident in their management and in their employment with the company.