The Guardian on Monday was amongst a number of publications to report on a recent survey of finance directors/managers (Fears rise among leading firms that UK faces double dip recession, says Deloitte) that public sector spending cuts and slow economic growth around the world has caused business confidence to fall over the last few months. This has led to fears that we may be heading for a double-dip recession and will raise a number of questions about businesses growth prospects in the coming months.

There is one thing for sure, double-dip recession or not, no matter where you look around us, things are changing rapidly, whether business, economic, political or social. No organisation however big or small is going untouched. There are several outcomes of this if you own or manage a business or team. Here are some that spring to mind:

• Fluctuating morale
• Inconsistent communication throughout organisations
• Insecure employees
• Customer nervousness
• Leadership unsure of what direction to go in
• Vulnerability to competition

One of the outcomes of this type of uncertainty is that there may be more redundancies. Whilst it is saddening when this has to happen, many organisations, following a set of redundancies, can flounder and lack direction as they roll on in survival mode. But, what about the people and existing customers that still remain? How are they feeling? I think it is very easy in such times to focus on the present and try to minimise loss. However, what can get forgotten and is equally important is the future and the remains of your team and your customer base. I believe they still want to be motivated, they still want a purpose, they still want to be led and they still want to be taken care of.

Successfully navigating change can be a challenge but as leaders and entrepreneurs this is one of your primary tasks.  Here are a few things to consider that, I believe, that you can do to help and boost your growth prospects:

1. Keep the lines of communication open and honest throughout your organisation
2. Share as much information and as frequently as is appropriate
3. Reassess and communicate corporate goals and direction even if they are short-term
4. Be honest and upfront about bad news with your employees. The impact will be worse if they find it out on their own
5. Don’t react too hastily and make changes on what you believe may happen
6. Talk your customers through any changes/news. They will be just as nervous as your employees
7. Recognize that most people fear change…the less they know the more likely rumours will start to circulate and performance will suffer
8. Encourage ‘out of the box’ and reality thinking at all levels of your organisation…what do you have to lose? A time of change can be a time of opportunity.

A lot to consider?  Perhaps.  But, if you want to create a growing and thriving organsiation in this time of uncertainty and change, you might want to spend some thinking time about these points.

What else would you add to this list?

Thanks to svilenn001 for the photo