With Amazon’s proposed purchase of Whole Foods, managers of Whole Foods stores are now worrying about keeping their own jobs. But they also need to keep their work force motivated and engaged.
Whole Foods workers expressed their concern to Reuters. The response was what you could expect. Fear of layoffs in anticipation of automation and robots taking their place. Or the possibility of loss of benefits and current pay scales.
No one knows for sure the reason Amazon is purchasing Whole Foods. And whatever the reason, it could be months before anything happens. And several months after that as Amazon lays the groundwork for change.
Keeping Employees Motivated Before a Take Over
How do managers keep their employees engaged after major announcements? Especially when they aren’t sure of their own fate?
- Instill Pride – Even though Whole Foods has been struggling, there is someone out there who thinks enough of the company to pay $13.7 billion. Or whatever someone is paying for your company. You are part of the reason. So, act that way. Encourage employees to step it up to show why the company is worth purchasing.
- Be Realistic – No one knows exactly what will happen once s takeover is completed. The purchaser will be looking to those who understand and know the business to assist to some degree. And while it is likely not everyone will keep their job in the long haul, you improve your chances to stay if you show your value and worth. In the meantime, clean up that resume. And help others do the same.
- Education – Encourage employees to expand their skill knowledge. Whether it’s in this industry or following a dream… education enhances your marketability if the robots take over!
As has been proven over and over throughout history – change is not always bad. It’s just … change.
What Happens When No One Knows What’s Next
A PriceWaterhouseCoopers report describes how automation will increase productivity. Which is a good thing. The same report goes on to say historically, while automation has increased productivity, it has also led to similar levels of human employment, just in different industries and with different jobs.
If you are an employee or a manager stuck in the middle of not knowing what is happening next, take it as an opportunity to be motivated to show your worth, assess where you are, and acquire the tools to make yourself marketable to the new company or another employer.
Have you been ‘stuck’ not knowing what came next? Or keeping employees motivated? Share what you did to keep yourself and your employees engaged through the process.
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