Changing with the Times

Marcianne Kuethen

October 31, 2012

Remember what happened to Blockbuster in 2010? They failed to heed the winds of change and reposition themselves for the market change. It was both sad and puzzling.

Today, an article caught my attention for the opposite reason: One company realized the need for change and began a 5-year restructuring plan, which is now nearly complete. “The bottom line is we are all about making this company world-class,” said the CEO of Harley-Davidson. “We are not interested in anything other than that. It’s really for the betterment of the company. It’s for the long-term sustainable future of the company. And so we’ve had to make a lot of changes.” He admits the changes weren’t easy, but the results are worth the pain. Their employees, who had largely lost faith in their company, now believe again in what the company is doing.

We all want employees who are engaged and truly believe in our mission. With these polar opposite examples paving the way, if your employee morale is faltering, take this opportunity to consider what changes you can make to regain their faith in your organization.

Want more info on hiring employees who will stick with you? Read The Surprising Truth about Mis-Hires.

Article published on bizjournals.com by Jeff Engel.