Five ways to manage a workplace crisis

A crisis at the workplace can take many forms — there may be a reputational or litigational issue, or there may have been a natural disaster. It may also happen that decreasing revenue has led to cost-cutting and downsizing. During such times, the onus falls to organisational leadership to plan the way forward, and reassure employees that

1 Be Transparent

Any kind of crisis, whether internal or external, will have employees worrying about how they will be affected. “Communicate clearly and don’t hide the big news. Be transparent about the crisis, and act cautiously,” said Anish Sarkar, country leader of Mercer India.

2 Be Confident

As a leader, you’ll be expected to show the way forward in tackling the workplace crisis, whatever form it takes. “Make interventions wherever required, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box for solutions,” said Biplob Banerjee, executive VP - human resources and CSR, Jubilant FoodWorks.

3 Be Honest

Trying to sweep a crisis under the carpet and hoping things will work themselves out simply isn’t the way to go. “Meet employees personally to reassure them that the crisis is being taken care of. Townhalls are also a great way to align action with a sense of positivity,” said Banerjee.

4 Face It Head-On

A collaborative approach to tackling a workplace crisis can make all the difference. “Set up a war room, gather the company leadership and thrash out ways to handle the situation. Often giving a physical dimension to problem-solving will encourage employees to think

5 Ask For Help

Reaching out and asking for suggestions doesn’t make you an incompetent leader, it makes you a pragmatic one. “Asking peers, or even the company board, for their inputs can go some way towards alleviating the crisis,” said Sarkar.