Do you have what it takes to survive this recession?

By: Perlita G. Tiro

The current condition of the economy causes jitters to a lot of people. Managers and executives obviously have a heavier load to carry at this time, as the survival of their respective companies lie very much in their hands. Employers have become more critical in the types of people they employ and retain.

What are the essential traits sought by employers nowadays? For you to keep your safety net, ie your job, or to obtain a new position these days, you would need these basic traits.

1. Creativity - In his book In Search of Excellence, Tom Peters says "stick to the knitting". However, you should also be able to create new concepts and ideas to cater to the needs of the changing market conditions, so long as they are within your fields of expertise. Don’t go into a field which is completely unknown to you.

2. Dogged resilience - You should be capable of pursuing your ideas persistently, if you think they are winning ideas. Once you have evaluated and decided to pursue an idea, you cannot start a new venture or project and just drop it without proper follow up. You should also be persistent in getting your team pursue the same goals and aspirations.

3. Ability to work under pressure - Make hay while the sun shines. Hence, you must not only be persistent but also able to make things happen under time constraints. The market is more demanding and more competitive. You should therefore have to get in there ahead of your competitors.

4. Flexibility to cope with various changes - The market is volatile. You therefore ought to be flexible enough to cater to changing needs of your market. You should have defined goals, but at the end of the day, it is the bottom line that determines whether your company or division survives or not.

5. Ability to work hands-on - You may have a team working with you, but you may have to roll up your sleeves to carry through ideas immediately before you miss the boat.

6. Being proactive in business development – Whether you are in a marketing and sales role or not, you have to take initiative in developing business for the company within the scope of your own functions. You cannot wait for instructions to come to you to assist in this role.

7. Sharpening your "saw" - You should be multi-skilled. This is the time to update your skills, if you haven’t already started doing so. Chances are, two or three roles would be combined into one person and you would prefer to expand your role than be retrenched. Don’t be counted among the dinosaurs, by refusing to be computer literate. If you are able to keep your job, you should be ready for the next uptake in the economy.

By: Mrs Perlita Tiro is the Managing Director of Tiro Consulting Services Pte Ltd