In today’s economy, you have either been directly affected by a Reduction in Force (RIF) or know someone who has been. Leaders of organizations, both large and small, who have had to make those tough decisions (because let’s face it, nobody goes into business in order lay people off) also have to deal with the inevitable feelings of doubt and insecurity from their remaining workforce.

 Doubt and insecurity reduce the effectiveness of your staff at the exact moment you need them to be at their most productive. If not managed well, this can turn into a spiraling vortex of badness that ends up exacerbating the exact thing a RIF was supposed to prevent.

 In my humble opinion, there is no use trying to spin a lay off. It’s a bad thing. It should be treated with the respect it deserves and trying to twist it into something it’s not is, frankly, disingenuous. However, showing your employees exactly what they can do to keep the company moving forward can be powerfully engaging but it requires information.

 The key to managing this change can be summed up in one word: Access. The last thing leaders should do in situations like this is keep the secret sauce to themselves.

 The employees who are still with you will, certainly, feel grateful for still having a job, but, more importantly, will want to know exactly what they need to do to make sure the company meets its short-term and mid-range goals.

 Give your employees a number to strive for – X amount in dollars in revenue everyday, Y amount of widgets produced each week. In whatever way you measure the success of your company, be sure your employees know what they need to do to hit those goals. And then do one more very important thing. Open the books.

 Opening the books is an incredibly powerful engagement technique. Let your people know how things are going – daily. Good or bad. It will instill ownership, buy-in, and leadership among your employees so the effects of a RIF are quickly mitigated and you get the best out of your people when you need them the most.