Here are my 3 tips for an effective recovery:

1.  Strategic Agility does not equal Execution Agility

Many economists are predicting a U-Shaped (i.e., Slow) recovery as opposed to V-Shaped (where you crash and then immediately soar upwards).   U-Shaped recoveries require Companies to have tiered strategies  to take advantage of growth opportunities regardless of how slow/fast a rate they occur.    This means that your 1st Quarter strategy probably won’t apply in the 3rd Quarter.  Assuming that you have a plan (most companies do), then the next step is to make sure that your employee’s understand the plan, what they need to do to support the plan, and how to re-focus when the plan changes.  Put simply, it’s no good to have “Strategic Agility” if you don’t have “Execution Agility.”  If in Q3 of next year your employees are still executing against your Q1 plan, then you’re going to leave significant value on the table.   Companies with the best Business Alignment will win in the recovery.

2.   Let People Inform the Strategy

You should seriously consider taking a talent inventory of your current (often downsized) organization.  A lot has happened in the past 2 years:  Workforce Reductions,  slashed development budgets, and artificially high productivity (due to unemployment).   If your CFO and Head of Sales are the only two people attending strategic planning sessions, then you’re going to devise a plan with which you simply don’t have the resources to execute.  World-Class People Performance is still your best bet now and in the future.

3. It’s Time to Make Amends

If you’ve cut headcount, frozen pay, slashed benefits, decreased hours, etc… Then at some point in the near future you’re going to have to start to make amends.   People are grateful to just still have their jobs, but that simply won’t be enough over the long-term.  Your employees don’t just view work as a transactional relationship (a dollar’s pay for a dollar’s work) — According to David Rock, author of “Your Brain at Work,” what drives high performance is a person’s social and emotional connection to work.    The recession has in many cases forced a transactional relationship as people worry about their futures, their jobs, and their families.   According to Rock, Status and Fairness (equity) are two of the main drivers of performance.   I would argue that the economy has focused employees needs for status and equity outward (”Two of my neighbors lost their jobs, I’m just happy to have mine”), but at some point in the near future they’ll return their focus inside the four walls of your organization and you better be ready.  You’ll need to make sure you get ahead of the curve in terms of recognition and reward or you’ll likely lose many people as their employment options increase.   Put simply, you need to reengage the workforce.