Sad but True, Time to Get a Clue

Brian worked for the organization 13 years coming to them from IBM. He was a senior manager from day one. The president and owner of the company he reported directly to developed some serious health issues and was forced to sell the company six months ago and retire.

The new owners had Brian lay off a third of his workforce within a month of the purchase. Yesterday they came knocking on his door. They escorted him out of the building and informed him although they didn't owe him anything since he'd "only been with the company for 6 months," they would graciously give him two weeks of severance.

13 years invested as a senior executive and you are literally escorted from the building like a criminal and "graciously" offered two weeks of severance. Love ya. Mean it.

There are right ways to do tough tasks and there are wrong ways to do tough tasks. The lasting damage this poorly executed lay off will have on the remaining workers and on Brian himself is incalculable. This is sad but true, and those executives who mishandled this need to get a clue.

It reminds me of the joke sign that reads: The firings around here will continue until morale improves. Not so funny when executives are actually putting that idea into practice.

As you navigate your difficult times in this economy, you will have to take some unsavory steps and make some tough choices. That is part of being a leader and that is part of being a boss. How you handle those tough choices will determine if your staff is working with you or against you.

After reading true stories like this one, is it any wonder employees offer no loyalty to the companies they serve? If you want a workforce to be committed to you, you have to be committed to them, even when you have to lay them off. It's just smart business.