Google's CEO has a brilliantly simple plan to protect his staff against the recession. Any business can use it

In a recent email to all staff, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai referenced the potential for a recession and how it could affect the company . “We must be more enterprising in working with greater urgency, sharper focus and more hunger than we showed on sunnier days,” he wrote. Many thought Pichai's words sounded grim, according to TechCrunch, which missed the overall message in the email.

What Pichai really meant was that he has a brilliantly simple plan to help the best employees not only weather uncertain times, but weather the recession as well. It boils down to three words: “be more enterprising”.

As one of the most sought-after employers in the world, Google naturally has some of the most sought-after employees in the world. By encouraging employees to act "in a more entrepreneurial way," Pichai is helping Google employees grow even further. In return, which makes them all the more valuable.

So rather than downsizing to reduce costs, the plan is to leverage staff so that they become more productive and more valuable to the business. This shows that there are ways to cut costs without cutting staff. And it's something almost any business can deploy as a first line of defense in times of economic uncertainty.

As Pichai takes the first step in setting expectations and advising staff to act according to their plan, there are three key ways employees can make the connection between acting more entrepreneurially and increase productivity to effectively reduce costs. And that's not just for employees, but also for entrepreneurs looking to navigate the changing tides.

1. Get out of your comfort zone

It's easy for the staff of a trillion-dollar company to get a little too comfortable. With "cushy" roles, more money than most can really imagine, and thousands of employees around the world, it's easy to settle into a specific role and reside in the box that holds it. But it's important to get out of the comfort zone and feel some degree of uncertainty like entrepreneurs do.

Entrepreneurs are used to operating under great uncertainty. Without knowing what will happen after each round – or even knowing when the rounds will happen – entrepreneurs have to work harder and be very calculated about how they will achieve their goals. Going off autopilot, you get the hunger and innovation that comes with it.

2. Be resourceful

Early-stage entrepreneurs typically operate on a limited budget and few resources. For this reason, it is essential to maximize existing resources as much as possible to help build or maintain sustainability. By taking this frugal approach, they maximize their resources, save them money, and operate much more efficiently. However, employees are often not as aware of the resources they use and how they use them. If you can encourage them to take an entrepreneurial approach, there is not only less waste, but much greater efficiency.

3. Be motivated by challenges

Entrepreneurs generally enjoy the hunt that comes with chasing something bigger, because they tend to see more than there is, and instead see what could be. Entrepreneurs and employees often differ on how they perceive the obstacle. By being more enterprising, employees will also view challenges as motivators rather than burdens. They will be excited about them, instead of stressed.

In an ideal world, every employee would think like an entrepreneur. It not only gives them that hunger that drives them, but leads them to become the best employees possible. It's what inspires innovation, drives change, and builds a trillion-dollar business.

For employees who want to be excited about what they do, Pichai's plan will help protect their seat at...