The current framework: Between retreat and signal effect

Europe is currently experiencing cautiously positive growth: in the second quarter of 2025, seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.1% in the eurozone and by 0.2% in the EU compared to the previous quarter.(European Commission)

There are also signs of a tense business climate in Germany. According to the ifo Institute, the ifo Business Climate Index fell to 87.7 points in September 2025, down from 88.9 points in August.(ifo Institute)

Economic growth in Austria is expected to stagnate in 2025. Instead of a decline, GDP is expected to be close to 0%. Moderate growth of +1.2 % should not be possible until 2026. (WIFO Economic Outlook)(WIFO)

These indicators suggest that companies in many regions are acting cautiously – caution is particularly evident when it comes to investment and consumption. In many companies, HR and managers are feeling this uncertainty directly: Investment freezes, cost brakes, job considerations and
-reductions, restructuring everywhere. However, this external threat of shock must not be allowed to legitimize internal passivity. The framework conditions are challenging – volatile yes, but not without alternatives. Those who act strategically can turn current headwinds into long-term opportunities. How can you do this? In this blog article, I will show you four steps on how to move from passivity to action and provide you with a clear 90-day plan that you can implement on your own or together with us.

From reaction to strategic design: four core elements with a focus on the ability to act

1. shift from a focus on problems to a sense of responsibility
The first step is mental: companies that only ever list external reasons (“The market is bad”, “Politics…”) relinquish their power to act. The ability to act arises when teams and management ask themselves questions:

• What is within our sphere of influence?
• What decisions can we make now that will have a real impact?

In other words, a change of perspective from “What is happening to us?” to “What are we doing?” This sounds banal, but it carries weight: those who set the agenda instead of waiting for it react. This internal shift makes companies flexible and resilient, especially now. In workshops and management meetings, the question must be asked openly: “What levers do we have and how can we use them? Where are the opportunities that we have not yet considered?”

2. focus on the essentials
In turbulent times, it seems necessary to respond to everything at once – cost pressure, market changes, competitive shifts, staff turnover and a shortage of skilled workers. There seems to be an immediate solution to all challenges. Wait a minute, companies that want to remain capable of acting in the long term need to be sharp:

• clear priorities,
• Allocation of resources to a few key initiatives, and
• Courage to be disciplined, less, but to do it with punch.

If you manage 20 projects half-heartedly, you will get bogged down – so take a step back to consider whether you are driving the right projects forward. A guiding question could be: “What are we really good at, what are our strengths and how can we develop these potentials further?”

All the activities you put in place now need to pay into this objective so you keep heading into the storm.

3. look inside the organization: minimize frictional losses
You often need to tidy up internally first – within your own structure

• too many meetings,
• redundant reconciliations,
• hated reporting,
• lack of decision-making processes.

Companies that have been growing for years know this: A significant proportion of daily working time is lost to internal friction. If you recognize and reduce these “internal inefficiencies”, you will gain dramatically more power to act than through external subsidies. This also includes measures such as streamlining processes, access rules for decisions and targeted experimentation to change working methods. Look for internal “pain points”, where there are blockages in work processes, especially those that limit your strengths should be eliminated now.

You will also recognize that employees often prioritize visible work instead of impact-oriented tasks (performative work). The so-called “productivity theater”(https://www.visier.com/blog/productivity-survey-shows-performative-work/) is in full swing and ensures that you do not act in a strength-oriented manner and with a clear focus. This way of acting is exacerbated when personnel discussions are unavoidable.

Those who visibly show how much they have to do have a better chance of staying because they are irreplaceable. But now you need precisely those who act in an impact-oriented manner – and these are usually the very people who are the first to leave when uncertainty arises.

4. leadership as a cultural attitude – trust as a raw material
The basis for this, technology, structure, processes – these are all necessary building blocks, but without cultural anchoring they are often toothless. Trust is not a nice-to-have, but a central lever. Teams in which psychological security prevails make bolder decisions, learn more quickly and cope better in a crisis. Studies and reports on corporate sentiment show that Trust and leadership actions correlate strongly with economic recovery trends. https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/document/download/5ceece97-d15b-4994-9950-b61c5f36ef1a_en?filename=bcs_2025_09_en.pdf

Managers must be role models: the way they deal with uncertainty, communicate openly, encourage innovation or invite criticism strengthens a team and brings strength-oriented work to the fore. Pulse surveys on psychological safety, targeted reflection sessions and micro-measures in day-to-day management are not a luxury, but the core of resilience.

Outlook and practical implementation – achieving greater empowerment in 90 days

In this phase, technologies and AI tools provide valuable services – but they cannot replace culture. Their strength lies in automating routine activities (e.g. reporting, data aggregation), simulating scenarios and providing decision-making aids. This creates space – space for strategic focus work and humanity – if managers really use the potential. Incorrect use, on the other hand, can undermine trust (e.g. if AI is misused to justify staff cuts).

Better linked can help you stay on course in transformation processes and develop clear, jointly supported guidelines for a secure view of the future.

An exemplary implementation plan could look like this:
– Together we define your three priorities for the next quarter. They are clearly formulated with a focus on strengths.

– At the same time, we start an audit of internal friction together with your team and scrutinize meetings, reports and decision-making cascades. Everyone has “pain points” that are not actually needed.

– We then define initial experiments (e.g. halving meetings, delegating decisions autonomously) and thus create space for innovation. Perhaps strength-oriented knowledge has been buried by too much “action”.

– In the fourth week, we will launch a Pulse survey on safety & motivation, which will be followed by the first micro-measures.

– Weeks five and six are dedicated to reflection, adaptation and roll-out of these measures.

Important: In all these processes, you have clear leadership and we ask the right questions. You already have the knowledge and strength within the company to master even difficult phases.

If this process is successful, an organization will gradually emerge that does not constantly react, but rather shapes: with employees who understand in which direction they lead, why they work and how they make their contribution. This is the path from uncertainty to self-efficacy.

Conclusion: The inner compass is decisive in a crisis

Today’s data testifies to uncertainty: however, this range does not represent powerlessness – but an opportunity: companies that strengthen their internal architecture now will have an impact later.

The fundamental decision is: complain or create. Those who shape things draw energy from clear decisions, internal efficiency and a cultural foundation of trust. This is the power that not only carries companies through the crisis – but can also turn them into winners.

The current figures confirm how challenging the situation is. Across Europe, we are looking at weak economic growth of 0.2% for the eurozone in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the previous quarter. In Austria, the picture is sobering: according to WIFO(https://www.wifo.ac.at/news/oesterreich-kehrt-langsam-auf-den-wachstumspfad-zurueck/), the economy has remained stagnant for several quarters, private consumption remains depressed and export demand is weak. In company surveys, managers report falling capacity utilization, growing uncertainty and increased price pressure. The mood is in the basement – and it is precisely this mood that acts as an additional catalyst for inability to act.

But the question is not whether the crisis is real. The question is: how do we react to it?

Complaining doesn’t help, it only paralyzes. If you start to shape things, you will gain a decisive advantage. The first step is to sharpen your own focus. Companies that rely exclusively on negative headlines lose perspective. A sober look at your own key figures, supplemented by market analyses, often reveals a more differentiated picture. Overall demand may be weak, but certain segments are nevertheless developing positively. Starting here means freeing yourself from a state of shock.

A second decisive step is active customer retention. If no new orders are coming in, it is worth focusing on existing customer relationships. This is not achieved through standardized newsletters or social media posts, but through personal conversations. Entrepreneurs who call their customers directly, ask how they are doing and listen to what problems they are currently experiencing often come across specific starting points. Sometimes this does not result in an immediate order, but in a long-term relationship that is later sustained. Studies by the Gallup Institute(https://www.gallup.com/workplace/241766/customers-coming-back.aspx) repeatedly show that companies with strong emotional customer loyalty achieve up to 23% higher profitability – and it is this emotional bond that determines whether customers stay or leave, especially in times of crisis.

A third way out of helplessness is to focus on what you can control yourself. When demand collapses, companies can review their internal processes: Where are we losing time, where are we burning resources? Even small efficiency gains can secure liquidity. Some companies use the crisis to train teams, drive innovation or expand sales channels.

Acting with the future in mind: From helplessness to the ability to act

Look ahead, the future can be shaped through conscious action. It has been shown that companies that activate internal resources, network with others and consciously think beyond industry boundaries find new ways to act. In this blog article, I present 3 specific examples and the tools that have led to greater capacity to act.

One example of this is looking inwards: Many organizations underestimate the innovative power that already lies within their own team. A production company that has been losing orders for months introduces regular “Innovation Days”. Employees from different departments come together to develop new ideas. The result: a service that not only expands the portfolio, but also reaches a completely new customer base. Innovation happens because the company not only looks for solutions in management, but also incorporates the entire knowledge and creativity of the workforce.

Cooperation is just as valuable: Crises show time and again that lone fighters quickly reach their limits, while networks can survive. A merger of several small hotels shows that guests can be looked after across regions, making the vacation a “tangible” experience. This would have been impossible for each individual hotel – together, a value chain is created that not only enables survival, but also new perspectives. Here, sustainability means entering into targeted alliances and having the courage to share resources.

A third way is to consciously look beyond the boundaries of your own sector: A retailer with declining footfall in its stores took its cue from the fitness sector: instead of running discount campaigns, it introduced a subscription model for monthly surprise boxes. The idea came from a completely different sector, but became a successful model for customer loyalty in the retailer. The future is created where companies have the courage to adapt, experiment and translate the existing into new forms.

Use the knowledge of many, especially when things are difficult! You create trust through encounters, which results in effectiveness

This is exactly where Better linked comes in. After all, action geared towards the future cannot be achieved through new strategies or structures alone – it starts with the people in the company. In times of crisis, a lot depends on whether employees find spaces in which they can recharge their batteries, develop perspectives and regain their effectiveness. Better linked supports organizations in focusing on encounters, trust and effectiveness.

Encounter means creating spaces for dialog that are more than just another meeting. It is about giving employees the opportunity to share their concerns, ideas and experiences – beyond key figures. These formats show: No one faces challenges alone, and energy is created when responsibility is shared.

Trust is the second element. Especially in times of economic uncertainty, transparency is more important than whitewashing. Companies that provide information openly instead of concealing problems and that also take critical voices seriously create loyalty. Better linked helps managers to create a culture in which trust can grow – through clear language, feedback methods and an honest exchange.

And finally, it needs effectiveness. Nothing weakens a team more than the feeling of not being able to make a difference despite all efforts. It is therefore crucial to open up scope for action – be it through small pilot projects, clearly delegated responsibility or spaces in which mistakes are expressly permitted. Better linked supports organizations in creating such spaces so that paralysis can be turned back into action.

Conclusion:

The future belongs to companies that dare not to try to solve problems on their own, but instead use the potential of their people, their networks and their openness. Because this is precisely where the opportunity lies: not only to emerge from a phase of uncertainty in a stable position, but to enter the future stronger, connected and effective.

If your company currently feels stuck in a state of complaining, now is exactly the right time to open up new scope for action. Better linked supports you in this by creating spaces for encounters, strengthening trust in leadership and cooperation and bringing effectiveness back into everyday working life. Come and talk to us – and let’s work together to shape the path from helplessness to the ability to act.

Have you ever had to give notice or have you been affected by a dismissal as a manager?

A dismissal never only affects the person who has to leave. It always has an impact on the remaining team, the management culture and the long-term credibility of the company. In this blog article, I look at the impact of dismissals on the individual players and on your corporate culture. I will show you how you can involve all those affected and emerge stronger from a well-managed separation management process.

It is precisely at this interface between practice and humanity that Better linked comes into play. Because how this process is designed determines whether an organization loses trust – or gains maturity.

What studies show: The silent consequences of layoffs

Current research findings clearly show how far-reaching the effects of dismissals are – far beyond the individual interview.

A study published in 2024 (“A Multi-stakeholder Study on the Effect of Layoffs on Separated Employees, Survivors and Organizations ” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0258042X241259538) shows that layoffs not only affect the employees directly affected. Those who remain – the so-called survivors – also experience a significant decline in motivation, confidence and psychological well-being.

Studies on downsizing also show that the loyalty of the remaining workforce drops massively if the process is perceived as unfair, non-transparent or un-empathetic. “Gartner (The Empathetic Leader’s Guide to Layoffs https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/the-empathetic-leaders-guide-to-layoffs) points out that poorly managed layoffs can quickly lead to declining morale and reduced employee loyalty – the more empathetic and transparent the process is, the lower these negative effects are.”

In short: dismissals are not an isolated event. They shape the corporate culture, trust and future viability of an organization.

Quitting with attitude: Why humanity becomes the strongest leadership quality in a crisis

Dismissals are not purely management decisions. They demand courage, clarity and humanity from managers at the same time. It is always about two sides of the same coin: business necessity and human dignity.

Empathy is required – and no two conversations are the same. Many managers have never learned how to not only make difficult decisions, but also how to communicate them. Prepared scripts rarely help: Every word too much can be unsettling, every word too little can come across as cold. Nevertheless, transparency and clarity are needed to ensure a fair and professional separation process – especially when several employees are affected.

Trust is fragile. Terminations violate it.
A separation has an impact on the entire company. Questions arise: “What will happen to me?”, “Am I next?” – Uncertainty spreads, employees withdraw. Teams stagnate, innovation and commitment are lost.

My advice: get your team on board as early as possible.
Moderated discussion rounds or “safe spaces” help to address changes before they become shocks. Open discussions take the pressure out of the process and create space for mutual understanding.

Separating with dignity can be learned.
Hardly anyone is prepared to have such conversations – the emotional strain is enormous. But every company must learn to be able to separate if necessary. The difference lies in how this happens. Because everyone is affected: those who have to leave, those who resign – and those who stay.

Don’t forget any of the players, it’s not just about those who have to go

For employees affected by dismissal, honest communication is the foundation. Being clear about the reasons and criteria are just as important as the willingness to hold discussions in person and with sufficient time. You do not want to say goodbye to the dismissed person in self-doubt, but in a self-effective manner. Respect sticks and has a long-lasting effect. How the separation is communicated and what support is offered has a lasting impact on how companies are rated, for example on job platforms.

Those conducting the conversation are also affected. They have to deal with difficult emotions and are unsure themselves, weighing up every word several times. Many managers tell me that they sleep badly after dismissal interviews or go over the situation again and again in their heads. This emotional strain is often underestimated – and yet it shapes how authentically and humanely such discussions can be conducted.

And those who remain – the survivors? They are usually forgotten, because “they can be glad their job still exists”. They need guidance too, because they are also affected. After redundancies, there is uncertainty, often shame and guilt. Terminations tear gaps in the team and in the entire organization. Wounds are created. The “open door policy” turns into a “closed door policy”. My tip: This is exactly where companies need to start, because open discussions help to reunite the team and find a new goal. This is the only way to maintain trust.

Conclusion: Termination = trust, culture and humanity

Better linked supports companies at precisely this sensitive interface. We bring people back together in dialogue rooms and formats to process dismissals and stabilize teams after separations. Those who support teams after a dismissal and establish follow-up structures ensure that organizations remain capable of acting.

Terminations are difficult; they affect not only numbers, but also trust, culture and humanity. But they can be a moment of maturation. With empathy, clarity and aftercare, companies become stronger and grow even in difficult times. How someone leaves always shapes how the company stays. Better linked helps to shape this path in a mindful, trusting and future-oriented way.

The answer is rarely to be found in strategy papers or processes. It lies deeper: in commitment, relationships and trust.

If companies today expect performance, motivation and the assumption of responsibility, it is no longer enough to formulate goals and create structures.

In the company, you enter the deal at the point of performance, because for you, performance is the basis on which the collaboration is built. Period. But you forget:

“Without trust there is no performance and without connection there is no trust.”

People need to feel connected, be able to trust and experience psychological security. Only then will they be willing to perform – and take responsibility as a matter of course.

This logic describes the trust-based performance chain. It reveals the building blocks that need to be in place in companies to ensure that performance is not forced, but is created with conviction and energy.

1. bonding & relationship – the foundation

No power without a connection.

People only really get involved where they feel they belong. Companies often underestimate the extent to which the quality of relationships – not just tasks and roles – forms the basis for commitment.

Examples from practice:

• According to the Gallup study, teams with a high level of emotional attachment are 21% more productive.
• Lack of commitment is one of the top reasons for resignations – far ahead of salary issues.

What this means is that companies should not just rely on the “we-feeling” in communication, but should systematically ask and examine how sustainable bonds actually are.

Questions for reflection that you should consider in your employee survey:

• When was the last time I experienced that colleagues supported me – even without a formal occasion?
• Where do I feel emotional closeness in the company – and where do I feel distance?
• Do I experience that diversity and belonging are supported emotionally – not just emphasized communicatively?

2. trust & psychological security – the breeding ground for growth

Commitment alone is not enough. For people to get involved, they need a climate in which they can speak without fear, make mistakes and express doubts.

The research is clear:

• Amy Edmondson (Harvard) showed that teams with high psychological safety have a 12% higher success rate.
• Google’s “Project Aristotle” identified psychological safety as the most important factor for successful teams – even before intelligence or specialist knowledge.

What this means: Trust is not “nice to have”, but a measurable performance factor. Companies need to know: Where do people feel safe – and where not?

Questions for reflection that you should ask your employees:

• In which situations was I last able to express doubts – without embarrassment or rejection?
• Where has my manager openly admitted mistakes – and thus strengthened trust?
• Are there places where feedback and new ideas are welcome – even if they are uncomfortable?

3. willingness & ability to perform – strength from relationships and trust

Performance does not occur in a vacuum.
People only go beyond what is expected when they are sure that their efforts will be seen, recognized and supported.

Psychological safety creates the space for:

• Creativity: People express ideas that would otherwise remain unspoken.
• Ability to learn: mistakes are not hidden, but used for growth.
• Commitment: Employees invest energy because they feel a sense of purpose and support.
• Empowerment: Employees support each other because they feel the connection.

Studies (e.g. Haufe 2023) show: Companies with psychologically secure teams record up to 27% less fluctuation and significantly higher innovation rates.

You can also use questions for reflection here:

• When was the last time I experienced that I performed above and beyond what was expected – because I felt safe?
• What motivates me in the team: clear goals, recognition, purpose – or mere presence?
• How strongly does the emotional climate (support vs. control) influence my willingness to take responsibility?

4. responsibility – the visible result of a trust-based culture

At the end of the performance chain is responsibility – not as a requirement, but as a natural consequence.

What is important is that responsibility is not created through pressure or specifications, but through a combination of trust, clarity, room for maneuver and feedback.

Companies that create these conditions experience that employees:

• Make conscious decisions,
• stand behind their actions,
• and live responsibility visibly even in difficult phases.

Questions for reflection, this time your managers are asked to take a closer look:

• Where do I see examples of people surpassing themselves – because they felt safe and included?
• In which areas does responsibility live – consciously and visibly?
• As a manager, do I myself set an example in terms of responsibility?

Conclusion: No performance without trust, no trust without connection

The trust-based service chain makes things visible:

• Bonding and relationships are the foundation.
• Trust and psychological security are the breeding ground.
• Only then do willingness and ability to perform arise.
• Responsibility is the result – and at the same time the touchstone of a strong corporate culture.

Without emotional connection, there is no trust. Without trust, there is no psychological security. Without psychological security, motivation remains abstract. And without a willingness to perform, there is no real assumption of responsibility.

The trust-based performance chain describes this causal relationship:
Commitment → Trust → Performance → Responsibility

Companies that take this chain seriously not only create a “friendly climate”. They build a culture in which people work together instead of side by side – and in which performance is not forced, but is carried with joy and responsibility.

How Better linked supports you

We make this chain visible – through targeted surveys, workshops and dialog formats that focus on relationships, emotional quality and psychological safety. Together, we identify barriers and open up spaces in which responsibility is not demanded, but lived.

Was genau ist Präsentismus?

Presenteeism means that employees turn up for work despite illness, exhaustion or mental stress – in the office or now also remotely. They “work to rule” even though their body or mind would actually require a break. According to recent studies, depending on the industry, around one in two people come to work sick, exhausted or exhausted at least occasionally – a silent epidemic in the modern working world. According to a recent job study by management consultants EY, the “work-to-rule” factor alone is 28% in Germany. Unlike sick days, presenteeism is hardly recorded statistically in companies and therefore often remains invisible, but the effects are much more effective than the often-discussed absenteeism.

Unsichtbare Kosten und die Folgen

While absenteeism is measurable through days of absence, presenteeism slips under the radar – with much higher economic damage – if you measure absenteeism alone, you only see the tip of the iceberg. The measurable costs of sick leave are usually only 10% of the total losses due to presenteeism. The costs you incur by ignoring issues such as exhaustion, demotivation or withdrawal run into the millions, even in medium-sized companies!

Studies show that employees affected by presenteeism perform up to 30% less – a 40-hour week is effectively reduced to 28 to 32 hours of productive work. Other colleagues have to compensate for this loss of performance by working overtime and paying you 100%. The result: demotivated teams, hidden conflicts and an increase in mental illness, which cannot be measured in the balance sheet, but can be felt in everyday life.

Please ask Better linked for the specific calculation for your company!

Wurzeln des Präsentismus

Why do many people tend to work even if they are only mentally, emotionally or functionally able to work to a limited extent? There are many reasons:

Studies show that presenteeism is often caused by social contagion or implicit norms (“People work sick here too”) – a culture of overwork normalization.

Economic or social pressure (“I don’t want to be a burden on my colleagues”), fear of losing my job, insecurity or unclear expectations also play a role in why people are present but not fully productive.

Last but not least, leadership and corporate culture are also key factors: Is there psychological security? Are weaknesses allowed to be shown? Or is there a climate of control and mistrust?

Früherkennung: Worauf Führungskräfte achten sollten

Precisely because presenteeism comes along quietly and invisibly, a watchful eye is needed – especially for these signals:

• Withdrawal and decreasing participation in the team, less commitment.
• Accumulation of small mistakes, decreasing diligence or the absence of creative impulses.
• Changed body language: rapid retreat, evasive gaze, restlessness.
• Passivity in meetings instead of getting involved – “service by the book” is becoming the new norm.

Empowerment als Schlüssel

The solution lies on several levels. Empowerment starts with the individual, but is not very sustainable without structural support. Managers are called upon to consciously create spaces for dialog, reflection and honest feedback. Clearly defined roles, freedom to make decisions and a climate in which burdens can be discussed openly prevent withdrawal and promote genuine presence.

Psychological security is crucial: only when employees do not have to fear being “punished” for openness do they turn creeping absence into visible participation. This is where modern leadership approaches and companies such as Better linked come in. The aim is to specifically disclose presenteeism, identify causes and develop concrete measures – always inclusively, always at eye level.

Fazit und Ausblick

Presenteeism is not an individual failure, but almost always a symptom of a corporate culture that either causes fear or has lost sight of meaning and security. Organizations that focus on empowerment, psychological safety and connecting dialogue transform silent presence into active participation.

The investment: more energy, more innovation, more joint corporate success – and a culture in which everyone is really there. Then mere presence becomes genuine participation. People contribute energy, motivation and responsibility – not because they have to, but because they want to.

Better linked helps to make presenteeism visible and to anchor sustainable solutions – so that performance and health are not mutually exclusive, but grow together.

Making a company crisis-proof is not a matter of chance. Resilience can be built up systematically. And it pays off not only in times of crisis—but every day: in the speed of decision-making, employee retention, and the ability to deal with change productively.

This article highlights the seven areas that determine a company’s resilience—and explains how you can assess where you stand today in each of these areas.

What Resilience Really Means in a Company

Building resilience in a company does not mean avoiding crises. It means remaining capable of taking action under pressure—and learning from the experience rather than remaining stuck in the same place.

What sets resilient companies apart from others is that they identify problems earlier. They address them more openly. And they have structures in place that ensure relevant information reaches the right people in a timely manner—rather than getting stuck in hierarchies.

This capability does not emerge during a crisis. It is built up beforehand—through culture, leadership practices, and organizational structures.

According to a 2023 McKinsey study, companies with high organizational resilience achieve measurably better results during periods of economic pressure: lower employee turnover, faster decision-making, and a higher rate of innovation.

The Seven Areas of Resilience in the Workplace

1. Values and Purpose: Do your employees know what they’re working toward?

Companies that are resilient in times of crisis have one thing in common: Their employees not only know what they’re doing—they know why. Values and goals that are embedded in everyday life—and not just stated in a mission statement—provide guidance in uncertain situations.

Real-World Test: Can your employees spontaneously name the corporate values that are specifically evident in their daily work? And can they describe how they would know if those values were missing?

If the answer is unclear, the foundation is missing—and everything else becomes less stable.

2. Adaptability and Willingness to Learn: Is your company learning fast enough?

Resilient organizations think in terms of feedback cycles. They experiment, evaluate, and adapt—without months-long approval processes. This requires structures that enable feedback not only from the top down, but from all directions.

Specifically: As a manager, schedule 10 minutes each week for one-on-one meetings with your most important direct reports—not just to check in on project status, but also to ask: What do you need right now? What’s holding you back? This is the standard for all management levels in the company.

Feedback loops that work in a timely manner are not an administrative burden. They are an early warning system.

3. Transparent Communication and Psychological Safety: Do your people say what they really think?

You can recognize resilient companies by the fact that employees contribute ideas—even risky ones, even uncomfortable ones. A culture of learning from mistakes doesn’t mean that mistakes don’t matter. It means that mistakes can be discussed openly without fear of consequences.

In a five-year study (Project Aristotle), Google demonstrated that psychological safety is the strongest predictor of team performance—stronger than the team’s qualifications, composition, or experience.

Specifically: After each completed project, hold a structured recap meeting in which all participants share both professional and personal lessons learned. Consistency makes all the difference—once a year isn’t enough.

4. Structural Flexibility and Knowledge Sharing: What happens if a key person is unavailable?

Making a company crisis-proof also means ensuring that expertise is not tied to individual employees. Knowledge that only one person possesses is a structural risk.

Real-World Test: How long would it take for your company to keep running if your most important specialist were unexpectedly absent tomorrow? 48 hours—or several weeks?

Building a well-maintained knowledge database and a functional buddy system are not luxuries. They are operational risk mitigation measures. In this field in particular, you need an early-warning system that also monitors work overload—because key personnel who are constantly overloaded will sooner or later become a bottleneck.

5. Quality of Relationships and Commitment: Is trust structurally embedded in your company?

All other areas of resilience build upon this one. Without strong relationships between leaders and employees, between teams, and across hierarchical levels, no other component can function effectively in the long term.

Connection and relationships are not simply a matter of good will. They either develop or fail within specific structures: Are there spaces—beyond mere functions and roles—that allow for genuine interaction? Are processes designed in such a way that people come into contact with one another—or do departments work side by side without any real connection?

It’s not a question of whether you, as a manager, feel that you have good relationships with your team. What matters much more is: How do your employees experience it?

This gap—between self-perception and lived reality—is one of the most common blind spots in small and medium-sized businesses. It costs money every day: in the form of rising absenteeism, high employee turnover, and declining motivation.

Gallup finds that employees with a high level of emotional engagement are 87% less likely to leave and are 23% more productive than their less-engaged colleagues.

6. Self-efficacy and personal responsibility: Can your employees really make decisions?

Building resilience within a company also means giving employees genuine leeway to make decisions—and clearly defining that leeway. Self-organization alone is not enough. What empowers employees to act independently is the experience of effectiveness: the moment when someone understands the specific contribution they’ve made to the success of a project—and receives recognition for it.

This requires constant communication and a culture of error that does not punish mistakes. After all, it is only when people know that mistakes are treated as opportunities for learning that they will take responsibility without needing constant reassurance.

Real-world test: How often do you find yourself making decisions that the team could—and should—actually be making? Every escalation to higher-ups that could have been avoided is a sign that decision-making authority is unclear or that people lack the confidence to exercise it.

7. Future Focus and Strategy: Do your employees know where the company is headed?

Companies that are resilient in times of crisis have employees who can put short-term setbacks into a broader perspective. This requires a clear, well-communicated vision for the future—not an abstract corporate philosophy, but a concrete answer to the question: Where are we headed—and why?

Sustainable and forward-looking strategies only work if they are supported by the corporate culture. A strategy based on participation and trust is more resilient than one imposed from the top down—because people who have been involved in shaping it will stick with it even during difficult times.

How resilient is your company today?

Building resilience within a company is not a one-time project. It is an ongoing leadership responsibility.

The good news is that each of these seven areas can be developed and improved. And the investment pays off not only in times of crisis—it is evident every day in the quality of decisions, in the retention of key employees, and in the ability to deal productively with change.

Where should you start? Where the gap between expectations and reality is the widest. Not where it’s most comfortable to look.

Sources:

• Burnard, K., & Bhamra, R. (2011). Organizational resilience: development of a conceptual framework. International Journal of Production Research.
• Edmondson, A. (2019). *The Fearless Organization*. Wiley.
• Lengnick-Hall, C. A., Beck, T. E., & Lengnick-Hall, M. L. (2011). Developing a capacity for organizational resilience through strategic human resource management. Human Resource Management Review.
• BSI (2020). Organizational Resilience: A Summary of Research.

Three questions customers often ask me about this topic

How can I tell if my business is truly resilient—or if it just runs smoothly as long as nothing unexpected happens?

The most reliable test of a company’s resilience is not its current performance—it’s how it behaves in exceptional situations. Specifically: What happens when a key employee is unexpectedly unavailable? How quickly is an unexpected market change communicated internally—and how is the company responding? Can employees make decisions on their own when a manager is unavailable—or does everything come to a standstill? You can recognize resilient companies by the fact that exceptions do not paralyze the system but rather create opportunities for learning. Companies that function well only under optimal conditions have not built resilience—they have simply had favorable conditions.

What’s the quickest way to build resilience in a company—if I can’t tackle everything at once?

The most effective starting point is almost always the area of relationship and bond quality—because all other areas build on it. Without a solid foundation of trust between leaders and employees, feedback cycles cannot function, a culture of learning from mistakes cannot develop, and personal accountability cannot grow. The quickest concrete step is structured, regular one-on-one feedback—not as a performance review, but as genuine listening: What do you need right now? What’s holding you back? Any leader who begins to truly practice this will noticeably change the team’s atmosphere within 4 to 6 weeks. This isn’t a program. It’s a shift in attitude with measurable consequences.

How long does it take for measures to build resilience within a company to have a measurable impact?

The first changes in team dynamics—more open communication, earlier problem escalation, fewer confirmation loops—are typically noticeable after 6 to 10 weeks when implemented consistently. Measurable through metrics such as sick leave, turnover, or project delays, these indicators respond with a lag of 3 to 6 months. What has the fastest and most reliable impact is the moment when employees experience for the first time that their feedback has actually made a difference. This moment is the strongest building block of resilience a company can create—because it shows that openness does not go unnoticed but is rewarded. From this point on, behavior within the team begins to change structurally.

Corinna Häsele is a business psychologist, management consultant, and CEO of Better Linked. She helps medium-sized companies treat resilience not as an abstract concept—but as a measurable leadership and organizational task that can be developed in a concrete and systematic way.

Every crisis reveals the same dividing line—not between strong and weak companies, but between those who look ahead early on and those who wait until the crisis is obvious.

What’s recognized too late comes at a cost! Yet people often focus only on the numbers. But crises also take a toll on people.

Leadership during a crisis means two things at once: understanding what the organization needs right now—and knowing what CEOs and executives themselves must contribute to ensure the company remains capable of taking action.

The Real Risk: What Happens Behind the Scenes in Times of Crisis

The visible risks of a crisis are well known: declining revenue, rising costs, market shifts, and geopolitical uncertainty. These issues are on the agenda—and rightly so.

What rarely makes it onto the agenda: what’s happening within the organization at the same time.

Employees who used to be full of energy are becoming quieter. Managers who used to communicate proactively are now limiting themselves to the bare minimum. Teams that used to contribute ideas are now waiting for instructions. No one says anything. But something is changing.

It’s called “quiet quitting”—mentally checking out while still showing up for work. And it’s the most costly consequence of the crisis, one that doesn’t appear on any balance sheet.

According to the 2023 Gallup Engagement Index, only about 15% of employees in Germany are highly emotionally engaged. In times of crisis, when uncertainty and exhaustion converge, this figure drops even further. Employees with low emotional engagement are up to 23% less productive—and are six times more likely to leave the company.

What CEOs Need from Their Organizations During a Crisis

Leadership during a crisis cannot function without feedback from within the organization. Those who, in times of crisis, rely exclusively on external data—markets, competitors, numbers—and leave the internal reality to gut feelings are making decisions based on incomplete information.

What CEOs Specifically Need in Crisis Management:

An honest picture—not a sugarcoated one.

Traditional employee surveys consistently yield biased data during times of crisis. Employees tend to hold back in their responses because they fear repercussions or because they feel that nothing will change anyway. The real issues remain hidden beneath the surface.

Early warning signs—not escalations.

Managers who wait until layoffs are on the table or projects are stalling to take action are acting too late. The warning signs—changes in communication patterns, a decline in initiative, and withdrawal from decision-making—appear months in advance. Those who have a tool to systematically track these signs can intervene effectively.

Clarity about where the organization truly stands.

Not where she stands according to the organizational chart or the latest survey, but where she stands today. In which teams the substance remains—and in which it has already evaporated.

Better Linked operates precisely on this principle: The platform reveals in real time what remains hidden in leadership discussions and surveys—so that decisions made during a crisis are based on a complete picture.

What CEOs Must Do During a Crisis

Crisis management in small and medium-sized businesses rarely fails due to a lack of strategies. It fails because of what leadership does—or fails to do—on a daily basis during a crisis.

Three specific things CEOs must do in times of crisis:

1. Focus Instead of Optimism

What unsettles employees the most in uncertain times is not the crisis itself—it’s the uncertainty. Those who don’t know where the journey is headed and what role they play in it tend to withdraw.

Leadership in a crisis doesn’t mean pretending that everything will be fine. It means providing guidance even when things aren’t going well. What happens next. What won’t happen. What has been decided—and why.

Employees who understand why decisions are made stick with it. Employees who are left wondering give up.

2. Consistency in Behavior

In times of crisis, employees observe leadership behavior with a level of intensity not seen in normal times. Every reaction to mistakes, every communication decision, every way in which difficult news is conveyed—all of this is scrutinized and interpreted.

What builds trust during a crisis: not what is said, but the consistency between what is said and what is done.

In a study on crisis management (2023), McKinsey found that companies whose leaders demonstrate consistent, transparent behavior during times of crisis recover measurably faster—both in terms of employee retention and operational performance.

3. Space for the Unspoken

In times of crisis, there are always two kinds of conversations: the official ones—in meetings, in emails, at town hall meetings—and the unofficial ones, which take place in the hallway, after the meeting, or during lunch breaks. The latter are the more honest ones.

Leadership in a crisis means not ignoring the second conversation. It means creating spaces where the unspoken can be safely voiced—not as a channel for complaints, but as a structured early-warning system.

Organizations that maintain psychological safety during times of crisis suffer less damage. People who know that their voice matters are less likely to burn out.

Stabilizing Companies in a Crisis: What Makes the Difference

There is a clear difference between companies that emerge stronger from crises and those that take years to recover afterward.

It rarely lies in the strategy. It lies in what leadership did—or failed to do—on a daily basis while the crisis was unfolding.

In its study on the changing world of work, the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) has demonstrated that companies with higher-quality leadership—as measured by transparency, employee engagement, and clarity of communication—experience significantly lower absenteeism and employee turnover during periods of economic pressure.

What keeps companies stable during a crisis is not the absence of problems. It is the ability to identify problems early, acknowledge them openly, and address them together.

This is not a matter of corporate culture as an abstract concept. It is a matter of leadership behavior, communication structures, and tools that ensure the right messages reach the right people at the right time.

Conclusion: Leadership in a crisis is determined on a daily basis

Crisis management in small and medium-sized businesses isn’t just a matter of having the right strategy during quarterly meetings. It comes down to how executives deal with uncertainty on a daily basis—and whether they can pick up on the signals coming from the organization before they turn into real risks.

Anyone who now has a clear picture of how the organization is really doing—not just how it responds to surveys—has a decisive advantage. Those who wait until the warning signs become obvious will pay the price.

The decision won’t be made in six months. It will be made now.

Three questions customers often ask me about this topic

As a CEO, how can I tell whether my organization is weathering the crisis well—or whether we’re quietly losing ground?

The most reliable early warning sign is neither sick leave nor employee turnover—these metrics react with a delay of several months. The earliest signs are behavior-based: managers who ask fewer questions in meetings than they used to. Employees who no longer contribute unsolicited ideas. Teams that simply wait for instructions instead of taking the initiative on their own. These patterns often emerge 3 to 6 months before the first visible problem arises. To recognize them, you either need very close leadership relationships—or a structured tool that captures what isn’t said in one-on-one conversations. The difference between companies that emerge stronger from crises and those that struggle afterward usually lies precisely in this: how early did they start looking?

What is the most common mistake in leadership during a crisis—and how can it be avoided?

The most common mistake isn’t a lack of communication—it’s communication that informs but doesn’t engage. Leaders who, in times of crisis, simply “broadcast”—communicating decisions, explaining plans, offering reassurances—without opening up a dialogue, end up achieving the opposite of what they intend: distance instead of connection. What keeps employees going during a crisis isn’t the knowledge that everything will be okay. It’s the feeling that their perspective matters—even if it doesn’t change anything. This requires formats in which feedback can be given safely and without repercussions. And it requires that what is heard is actually acted upon—not always with solutions, but always with acknowledgment. Leaders who achieve this see a measurable reduction in internal resignation during times of crisis.

How long does it take for a medium-sized company to return to its previous performance level after a crisis—and what factors influence that?

The research is clear: The strongest predictor of the speed of recovery after a crisis is not the severity of the crisis, but the state of the leadership culture during the crisis. Companies that have invested in open communication, employee engagement, and early detection during times of crisis recover measurably faster—because there is no damage to trust that needs to be repaired. Companies that focused primarily on cost-cutting and control during the crisis often struggle for 18 to 36 months afterward to regain employee engagement and innovative drive. Investing in leadership quality during a crisis is therefore not a “soft” measure—it is insurance against a prolonged recovery.

Corinna Häsele is a business psychologist, management consultant, and CEO of Better Linked. She helps medium-sized companies identify early on where value is being lost during times of crisis—and take structured steps to counteract it before it shows up in key performance indicators.

In times of economic uncertainty, CEOs focus on markets, cost structures and strategic adjustments. They optimize budgets, analyze profit margins and focus on efficiency. But while the focus is on external challenges, the biggest risk – and this lies within the company – is often growing unnoticed: declining employee loyalty.

Your best people are not leaving the company because of the economic situation. They are leaving because they no longer see any prospects. While you are thinking about savings and market adjustments, the most important asset of your company – your team – starts to lose value.

The real threat is not inflation or stagnating markets. It is the gradual loss of top talent. Especially in times of crisis, high-performing employees are looking for stability and direction. If they don’t find this in your company, they will find it elsewhere. Dissatisfaction is often invisible. Employees don’t even have to resign to be lost – many stay, but their commitment drops drastically. They work only mechanically, lose motivation and employee loyalty and no longer drive the company forward.

Meanwhile, your competition is not sleeping. Other companies are exploiting precisely these weaknesses, positioning themselves as attractive employers and attracting the best minds. The question is: do you really know how loyal your managers and high performers are?

Why employee retention is not an HR task – but is crucial to your business success

Many CEOs consider employee retention to be an HR issue, a “soft” topic that has little to do with the actual business. But this is a dangerous misconception. Employee retention is not an HR metric – it is a key business driver.

Every lost specialist costs your company between 50,000 and 150,000 euros – depending on qualifications, training time and loss of expertise. Unmotivated employees work inefficiently, reduce team performance and can reduce a company’s productivity by up to 40 percent. The damage is even greater when managers leave the company. Not only do they leave a gap in the organization, but they also take valuable knowledge and strategic foresight with them, while the process of replacing them often takes months.

The problem is that most CEOs only recognize these risks when it is too late. Resignations are often the last visible sign of a problem that has been simmering for a long time. The real danger lies in the months of silent frustration beforehand – in declining innovative strength, in decreasing initiative, in management teams that manage processes but no longer inspire.

Meanwhile, other companies benefit from this carelessness. They not only gain individual employees, but also gradually attract the entire innovative power of a company to their side. Those who do not take action now will not only lose talent, but will also lose competitiveness in the long term.

Why now is the decisive moment for employee retention

Times of crisis are not just economic challenges – they are also decision-making moments. Your employees are watching closely how you act now. In six months’ time, it will become clear which companies have acted early and are heading into the future with a stable, motivated team – and which are struggling with redundancies, frustration and a weak corporate culture.

The reality is: top talent is always in demand – regardless of the economic situation. If you don’t actively work for them, you risk losing them to other companies. And this process often happens quietly and insidiously. If you don’t actively retain employees and invest in employee loyalty, you will lose them. If you don’t create clarity, you risk uncertainty. If you don’t offer prospects for the future, you will end up losing them.

The question is not whether you should act – but whether you can afford not to. Do you want to stay in control or do you risk being surprised?

How you can take countermeasures IMMEDIATELY

Many companies regularly conduct employee surveys – but the reality is that these are often too slow, too inaccurate and not honest enough. Employees do not always answer openly because they are afraid of the consequences or believe that nothing will change anyway. The real problems often remain hidden beneath the surface.

This is exactly where Better linked comes into play. The platform offers an anonymous, data-based analysis that provides you with an unembellished picture of how your company is really doing. You not only receive a picture of the mood, but also clear, measurable insights into where your company has risky weak points in employee retention.

Better linked shows you where your top talents are insecure, where the first signs of frustration exist and in which teams innovation is already waning. You don’t receive abstract HR data, but concrete recommendations for action that help you to start where it really counts and where employee loyalty is lacking.

The moment of decision – act or lose?

Every week that you do nothing, the risk of unnoticed declining performance, creeping redundancies and lost momentum increases. The question is not whether you will act – but when.

Companies that wait lose energy. Companies that act now ensure that their talent not only stays, but also contributes fully to the future of the company.

The choice is yours. Do you want to know what your best people really think – before they decide on their next career move?

Then let us analyze now where your company really stands. The future of your company starts today.

New leadership: The crisis as a catalyst for change

The accumulation of crises makes it clear that many companies have failed to make their structures fit for the future in the past, have you? The new economic environment requires a change in management culture. In addition to strategic and financial skills, social intelligence, empathy and communication are taking center stage. Instead of authoritarian top-down decisions, participative and transformative leadership styles are gaining in importance.

Managers must not only be able to lead their teams, but also actively involve and inspire them. Companies that establish an open communication culture and focus on transparency create an environment that increases employee motivation and innovation.

The rise of the “new leadership”

Managers today – they have to be inspirers and mentors, are you already that in your company?

The results of the survey in figures:

• Emotional and social intelligence as well as empathy are in the foreground with 53%
• Traditional management skills such as performance management are now only seen as crucial by less than 10%
• 94% of respondents expect managers to act as role models in dealing with mistakes

Managers are also expected to exemplify a good work-life balance and use flexible working models.

New leadership is defined by clear objectives, meaningful work and transparent communication, which can be felt in everyday company life. Managers must be prepared to actively engage with their teams on an equal footing and actively utilize their input.

This new leadership style is not just a moral development, but a decisive success factor. Many companies I work with have already recognized that participative and transformative leadership approaches create an environment in which employees remain motivated, innovative and committed in the long term. This visibly strengthens not only employee loyalty, but also the quality of results and competitiveness in times of change.

Supporting new leadership – what can you do? Employee participation and open communication

Transparency and open communication are crucial for successful employee participation and new leadership. Managers should regularly share important information about company goals, projects and changes and use various communication channels to reach all employees.

An open dialog is essential to give employees the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings. This creates an atmosphere of trust and cooperation, which is important for the successful implementation of change. Managers should actively listen, respond to concerns and involve employees in decision-making processes.

In order to make pressure and stress transparent, managers should:

1. Hold regular discussions that go beyond pure project management
2. Recognize the first signs of changed behavior, declining performance or unusually high absenteeism at an early stage
3. Use an anonymous “company safe space” for feedback in order to identify difficult topics and changes in mood at an early stage
4. Creating a trusting framework for honest communication

By involving employees at an early stage, managers are given concrete starting points to tackle conflicts at the root and defuse them quickly.

Rethinking leadership: integration instead of top-down

The future belongs to companies that rely on participative leadership. Employees don’t just want to follow instructions, they want to actively contribute to the company’s development.

Satisfied, valued teams are more productive, creative and resilient. Companies that set the course for a new leadership culture now will be more successful. Use the open dialog in an anonymous“corporate safe space” as a strategic advantage and build a corporate culture that not only reacts to crises, but also proactively shapes the future.

The future belongs to the brave

Managers who have the courage to break old patterns now and establish a new management culture will be the winners of tomorrow.

New leadership means sharing responsibility, giving trust and growing together. It is the way to not only survive but thrive in a complex and uncertain world. Are you ready to rethink your leadership and make your company fit for the future?

Your most valuable asset – your employees – is often neglected in the analyses. Functioning is the order of the day, adapted to the processes and as flexible as the projects require.

What is often overlooked is that the cause of productivity changes lies not only in processes or technologies, but also in the well-being of employees.

A healthy, valued team works more creatively, more motivated and more efficiently – saving time and money.

But how can this be measured?

Measurable factors for more productivity

Employee satisfaction plays a decisive role. You regularly use surveys to measure how motivated and committed employees feel. You believe this gives you a good insight into your company. The standardized questions and answers ultimately provide a changed picture over time. Low values, lower satisfaction – however, the key figures are often not brought into line with more or less productivity, or usually do not explain what kind of connection there should be between more productivity and increased satisfaction. Unsatisfactory?

The absenteeism rate that is often used can provide an indication of the working conditions; a low sickness rate is often linked to a healthy working environment. However, if the absenteeism rate is high, you cannot make a clear statement about the connection to productivity based on the sickness rate. More productivity does not only require less absenteeism.

The fluctuation rate – an important indicator: frequent resignations indicate dissatisfaction and can result in high costs. If your company is already in a spiral where you are experiencing increasing fluctuation, you may have increased productivity by reducing the number of employees, but you have not gained anything overall.

You can also use an engagement score to see how strongly employees identify with their work. Again, you probably have several measuring points and see changes over time. But there’s no clear link between engagement and increased productivity, is there?

A high creativity index, i.e. the number and implementation of ideas, indicates a dynamic and innovative environment. You will be pleased to hear that more creativity could also mean more productivity, but it doesn’t have to.

The quality of collaboration also has a significant impact on productivity. The collaboration index helps to assess team dynamics and communication. You will certainly see that teams that work well together are more productive – but good collaboration is difficult to prescribe from the outside and what actually constitutes good collaboration?

So now we have lots of KPIs, each of which has a certain value in itself, but we still haven’t answered the question of how more productivity can be achieved, and certainly not the question of the correlations.

So what can you do?

Involving and involving employees

If you involve your employees in the search for a solution to the decline in productivity, you can be sure that you will quickly identify the pain points that are preventing greater productivity. Everyone can make a contribution, and other colleagues may also share their own difficulties and obstacles to greater productivity. The commitment of the employees becomes tangible and everyone recognizes that changes are possible within their own sphere of influence.

This allows you to recognize connections that may not have been obvious, see that a positive change in one area has led to a negative change elsewhere or that skills need to be trained. Especially in difficult phases, companies need a sensitive early warning system that keeps an eye on all areas.

Better linked as an early warning system

Every employee perceives changes from their own role and perspective. This diversity of perspectives is valuable – it ensures that signals or undesirable developments do not go undetected.

An anonymous “company safe space” ensures that everyone can get involved. A safe space for open exchange prevents people from only seeing what they want to see. Transparent communication, in which everyone can contribute without fear of disadvantage, increases productivity and also helps to identify challenges at an early stage. If you ask yourself: “What am I not seeing?” and actively include the perspectives of your team, you can make better decisions and make your company more resilient, competitive and innovative.

The key to assessing well-being and increasing productivity

Without actively asking, you can see whether employees feel valued and heard. You also see how well they work together as a team and across team boundaries. You experience how employees are committed to creating a health-promoting environment for everyone, thus ensuring lower stress levels and greater well-being. Through involvement and participation, employees experience that their work is meaningful and thus ensure greater productivity.

Companies that actively look after the health and satisfaction of their teams benefit from higher productivity, less fluctuation and sustainable corporate success. Use your KPIs as a starting point and let’s optimize productivity together.