Everyone Contributes to the Bottom Line

We are all aware of the economic challenges in the global economy.  In fact, it seems that you can’t even turn the TV or radio on without hearing about it.  Staying profitable in these difficult times is obviously a top priority for leaders, including in my organization.  But despite the media coverage of businesses going under every day, I have been surprised at how many employees in my organization and others I work with are not concerned about the business’ profitability.  It appears to me that the attitude is as long as they have a job, getting a paycheck, and can generally make ends meet, they aren’t as concerned about bottom line performance as they probably should be.  Yet, when business are not profitable or can’t make it, look at the indirect trickle down affects on job loss, charitable contributions, the viability of communities, and the lifestyle we have all grown accustomed to.

Ironically, employees are the life blood of our business, and in fact, have a tremendous impact on bottom line performance.  In many cases, I don’t think employees completely understand how they contribute to or influence revenue streams, cash flow, expenses, or other factors that have an impact on profitability and in turn how to make adjustments in their performance in a way that will benefit them and the organization as a whole.  With supporting metrics and leader feedback about their performance in key areas, I believe we can keep even the employees engaged in contributing to the success of our organization. So as leaders, let us recommit to helping our team members see how they directly influence the bottom line and motivate them to perform at higher levels during these challenging times.