360DigitalInfluence

The metaphors are seemingly irresistible. For every so-called “green shoot” that’s identified as a potential sign of life in the economy, there’s a patch of brown grass, a withered leaf, or a dead sapling.

They may not be as dramatic as the 735 enormous cargo ships anchored off Singapore, but every day employees see signs that the recession is not yet over. For me, it’s the fact that the train station where I park – chock full by 7:25 AM when I started commuting – is now one-third empty at 8:45 AM. For my husband, who drives a couple of hundred miles a week on sales calls, it’s that there’s no traffic – ever (and in northern California, that’s a big change).

To reach employees in these times, it’s important to acknowledge these realities, not pretend they don’t exist. Why not start a meeting by asking employees to identify the signifiers they watch? Drawing a parallel between the signs they watch and the signs the company watches can help employees understand where the company is and what it needs to do – and how they can play a role.