Managing Change – What can this koala tell us about resilience in difficult times?
February 14, 2009 by Di
Filed under change, opportunity, recession-proof, resilience
Take a moment to consider the Australian state of Victoria. Over the last few weeks, the temperature was reported to be above 44 degrees with burning wind, out-of-control bushfires and catastrophic power outages. The toll in human life continues to rise, with record mortality rates amongst the elderly due to the heat and hundreds of lives lost in the firestorms. The hearts of many Australians are heavy as we come to terms with the scale of these losses.
We’re also reminded of the impact these events are having on domestic pets, livestock and the local wildlife population. Losses which cannot be calculated. But amongst all this, are stories of hope and inspiration – take this wild koala.
Beware the pitfalls of downsizing, restructuring and employee redundancy
January 31, 2009 by Di
Filed under Downsizing, Redundancies, change, change leadership, change management, leadership, organisational restructuring, recession-proof
The last economic downturn to affect Australia saw a widespread cut back in apprentice training. While the effects weren’t experienced immediately, the absence of new talent entering the workforce on such a large scale meant that it was nearly 10 years before Australia returned to the same level of technical skill it enjoyed prior to the downturn. Arguably, the detrimental impact of the “solution” turned out to be far more serious to the country than the initial problem. This is just one example of the potentially harmful downstream consequences of downsizing and cutbacks that business is pursuing in the current economic climate.
Being mindful of the pitfalls of large scale downsizing and employee redundancy was the clear message that Heather Ridout, Chairman of the Australian Industry Group gave to business in a recent 7.30 Report Interview. Heather is not a lone voice in the wilderness on this topic. In the wake of weekly announcements that big business is shedding staff in mammoth proportions, other business and political leaders are joining a growing voice around the world warning of the consequences of these knee-jerk reactions to sustain short-term business viability.
My name is Di Worrall, and I'm an author, corporate change specialist and executive coach. I wrote the new release book - A Climate for Change - How to ride the wave of change into the 21st Century and create a more sustainable and prosperous future for you and your business. You might be a business leader or you might be in the business of coaching, consulting or training business leaders. I created this blog as a companion to the book and to help you and your clients navigate the current climate of change and uncertainty, and lay the foundations for a more sustainable future.
