5 Tips for leading your company out of a crisis
Getting out of a crisis is difficult and requires extraordinary measures and great efforts from a company and its people. Since we’re here to help, we’ve listed 5 tips for leading your company out of a crisis or turnaround situation. Read on and make smart use of these tips.
1. Identify (and solve) the problem
The first step to overcoming a crisis is to identify the main problem that caused it. You can’t deal with a crisis until you determine its core issues. It can be caused by internal factors such as poor financial assistance by management accountants or external factors such as natural disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic. To solve the causes of underlying problems, you should analyze the common signs of distress listed below.
Distress signals
- Declining or negative cash flow;
- Declining stock price;
- Regulatory inquiries;
- Large or unplanned workforce reductions;
- Increase in outstanding accounts payable;
- Resignations of key finance staff;
- Management turnover;
- Shrinking EBITDA (Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) margin.
2. Find (and retain) talented people
One of the few good sides of a crisis is that the opportunity arises to find the next level of talent in an organization. As a turnaround manager, you should look beyond the leadership team for people with institutional knowledge. They know all the ins and outs of the company and are essential to realizing the impact of potential changes on the business. Be aware though, in many cases, they are the dissatisfied ones, unhappy with the company’s performance. But because of this, they are willing to point out the painful truths – and that’s just what needs to be done on the road to leading a company out of a crisis.
You should also keep an eye out for people that want to add value and impact. In most cases, you won’t find these people sitting around the table at the beginning, but two or three levels down – waiting for an opportunity to be part of something greater than themselves. Retaining these people isn’t always about money and bonuses: it’s about figuring out their individual needs and get them involved.
3. Approaching financial experts
A crisis is usually not the result of a single decision but an accumulation of multiple unsound decisions. Trying to deal with it by yourself and not asking for help can be an unsound decision. Financial advisors are adept at solving cash flow issues that are stifling the growth of an organization. Their strategies can be useful in a crisis scenario that requires you to make hard choices as well. Getting help from experts such as chartered accountants and business support advisors can lead your company out of a crisis.
4. Concentrate on cash
In general, the board and management of most companies focus on complex, long-term metrics like EBIT and turnover. There’s nothing wrong with that, but unpleasant surprises are waiting when no one is concentrating on cash, especially during a crisis. So, the opposite needs to be done to keep a company financially healthy. The best way of doing this is by finding out which investments are making or burning cash, and by subsequently bringing your business back to its fundamental element of success.
Monitoring your cash flow will help you understand your company’s income and expenses. Every asset the company owns, from investments, physical assets to services rendered should be numbered and assessed for monetary value. When going through a crisis, it is critical to make sure employee salaries, credit payments and invoice payments can be met. You should also consider loans to ease through the current deficit. But make sure to not burden yourself further since banks and other financial institutions charge high interest on loans.
5. Dare to criticise your own business plan
The best thing you can do to avoid distress is to periodically review your business plans and see how the company scores on operational and market performance. Find out where you stand as a company using essential financial and cash flow milestones, and do the same concerning your business and competitors. If that shows that you’re not moving with – or outpacing – the rest of the industry, then your business plan may be out-of-date.
Conclusion
According to recent reports, the corporate crisis has increased in Ireland due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Getting out of a crisis may take some time and effort since it can’t be controlled instantly. At last, don’t forget to analyze your past mistakes, get help from experts like business advisors and accountants, make an effective strategic plan and manage your company’s finances. By following the steps mentioned above, you will be able to recover and overcome the ongoing crisis.