America may or may not be in a recession, but ask any leader and he or she will tell you that something is going on. Employees are afraid of their companies failing, of being downsized, of losing their homes and everything they’ve worked so long and hard to achieve. What’s more, they feel like failures. In creating a strategic communications plan to help staff better deal with their fear and get more productive, consider these tips:

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• Get real. It’s far better to take the “It’s fear; it’s here; get used to it” approach than pretend you’re all on a butterfly hunt. Tell employees, “Yes, the economy stinks. It isn’t going to get better soon, it will exact a price from everybody, and it compromises many aspects of our lives.” Such openness will help reduce anxiety and allow people to focus on productive work.

• Encourage and reward people, especially salespeople. Salespeople are doing everything short of pleading and begging and end up completely emotionally disengaged. That said, when a salesperson takes a risk to generate sales leads, praise that person. If the risk yields results, reward them. Not only will you encourage repeat success, you’ll encourage coworkers to follow that person’s lead.

• Live by the theory of abundance. This theory holds that there are infinite resources available to you, and you can pick and choose opportunities that mesh with your values and that ultimately benefit you. Look at it this way: People still need your product or service and they have to buy it from somebody. Why not you? Focus on being the best at what you do, and move forward confidently. You’ll not only keep your customers, you’ll probably gain new ones.

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