RLT Associates

Personnel Advisers

By Roy Lecky-Thompson | RLT Associates | roy@rltassociates.com

1. Remain sceptical about any government pronouncements about imminent strong recovery, bearing in mind the tough action that will be needed by any new administration to balance the country.s books.
2. Be prepared to update strategy and take considered strategic business decisions to invest cautiously in the future - with no hope of any government subsidies - while factoring in universal higher taxes and constraints on international tax sheltering as part of your risk modelling.
3. Revamping VAT seems probable, with a maximum rate of 19% - as in Germany . or 20%. How will this affect your business?
4. Consider innovative IT utilisation where it can be shown to be likely to provide competitive advantage.
5. Even if uncertainty continues in your sector, keep your communications with your staff at the highest level possible, and be prepared to listen to considered views on options.
6. You can justify freezing total reward during a painful recovery so long as you can demonstrate its fairness and actively consult with the people affected. The treatment of co-directors must be equally restrained.
7. As a CEO, you need to demonstrate confident leadership without being a bully. Seek feedback from your senior colleagues and especially your HR chief. If she is not your confidante, why not, and what are you doing about it?
8. Rehearse your responses as a Board to possible disasters and get early media training.
9. As an experienced HR director, you should be confident enough to avoid sheltering behind legal niceties to defer difficult decisions. Take some risks if needed to confront both tough issues and awkward people at an early stage.
10. If you are in the public sector, pre-empt further top-down productivity reviews by objectively analysing the efficiency and effectiveness of your functions. How essential is the work being done?

First published 6th January 2010 | Send to a colleague