1. How do we do necessary layoffs?

I recommend Chapter 16, “Failure, Employee or Company” of my book Perfect Solutions for Difficult Employee Situations. It’s a quick read – just 12 pages, and it covers the best way to handle layoffs and even firings.

2. You raise an implicit issue of distinguishing between layofs and termination for cause.

I’m talking about the underlying reality. Sometimes, we choose a layoff legally, so the person can get unemployment benefits, but there is really termination for cause going on. If the position will be open for someone else to fill, or the role will be done by someone else, this is a termination for cause, not a layoff. Now, the cause may not be the employee. Most of the time, in fact, it isn’t. Richard Nelson Bolles, the job-hunting guru of What Color is Your Parachute fame, was fired eight times. And he was probably a very good worker! The cause is often a failure on the employer’s part, such as not defining the job well, hiring the wrong person, or not communicating well and supporting the employee. But if that situation goes to far, separation is the only option.

The first case you cite as a layoff is actually this type of termination for cause. What is most important is an apology! It must be carefully phrased to avoid legal exposure, however. The boss’s effort to get the employee interviews is excellent.

3. Not knowing what’s going on and waiting too long

The major issue in the second case is that the company was not in touch with the reality of what is going on in the team. This is a recipe for disaster. If the situation had been managed earlier, two good people might have wanted to stay and been able to stay. And whatever didn’t work out that caused the shift in priorities might have worked out. This links back to the central theme of the blog you commented on, “The Sword – Discernment and Swift Action.”

4. Transparency

It is important to understand that everyone in a company is a stakeholder affected by corporate decisions such as terminations and layoffs. Even a friendly departure is significant to everyone. When someone leaves, we want a clear, true, and unintrusive statement, such as “she left to pursue personal goals” or “we thought he was excellent, but not a fit for the position.” We need equal transparency and care in presenting firings and layoffs. If a layoff is done right – and I’ve helped a client do this – the team that remains is stronger after the layoff than before.

5. Reliance on predictions

Paul, you ask “What if all the best forecasts don’t predict the fall-off in business”? This is a good question. The key is that the business leaders are thinking inside the box. They are only considering options they have ways of forecasting. They ahve not stepped back to the strategic level and asked, “What are all the logical possibilities? Are we ready for anything?” This is a short exercise – unlikely possibilities are not worth a lot of time. But it is an essential one if we want our team to trust our leadership. We should be ready to lead our team even when reality catches us blindsided – especially these days.

True leadership comes from within, and does not rely completely on external techniques such as forecasting.

I’ve seen two recent handling of layoffs. One involved a guy who wasn’t doing the job he was hired to do in a small startup–small enough so he couldn’t move to a new job without displacing someone else. However his boss using his contacts got him interview offers. Another case involved three people laid off–of whom two were let go because of changing priorities and both those guys had been interested in leaving, but the third person had a history of taking credit for other people’s work and it took three years to figure out that he wasn’t producing and other people had stopped cooperating with him.

One serious problem with the second organization is that it did NOT announce the layoffs in a straightforward manner, and remaining staff ended up being afraid and uncertain. (I winced.)

Thank you Sid!

And we must use this talent to express ourselves on points which are not agreeable forcefully. Why should you buy before you have earned enough to pay for it? Saving a decent amount regularly is a virtue, taught in Indian/Asian schools. Can be easily duplicated in other parts of the globe. How does one keep a track whether pupils learnt? Do people display good behaviour once they grow up, do they save enough? If not, they haven’t learnt.

Our homes should be made on the basis of strong foundations of earning, saving and then spending, strictly in that order. Few exceptions such as sudden expenditures, mishaps, should be covered with insurance. This behaviour will automatically show consumerism its door.

People will learn the discipline about saving early on. And feel happier with that they deserve. And one day they will rightfully have what they set out to have. Happiness, Health, Fulfilment, Good relationships can be achieved by any responsible person who works hard enough.

The beginning of the team work starts at home. Though family relationships are supposed to be based on love, how many can cross their hearts and say they have freedom in dealing with their spouse, children, siblings, parents, etc.?

There should be friendship in all relationships. Where there is sufficient choice and one feels open to discuss matter freely. This brings to the fundamentals of listening, enquiry to understand better. And then make oneself understood. Be with the other person in their own world.

Once you have done this and has been acknowledged by the other person. You are home, in rapport, with the other person. And in this state, you can achieve marvellous results which will baffle you all. Truly, achieving win-win. Do you need any more tests for leadership.

Once charity has begun at home, it can be duplicated in any other social formats. Ultimately, where there is harmony at home, there is order in the nation, when there is order in nation, can world peace be far away?

I loved this article/blog posting. Are we ready to fall into OURSELVES? It seems as things heat up all around, the crucible calls to authenticity, boldness and stepping forward into community building like never before. As I ponder and meditate, twist and backbend myself, I am more and more aware of ‘the natural me, the natural state.’ It is essence. If we can strip away the chaos of driven life and fear…..what we find is the tenderest of self……floating between the spaces of awareness. So much to see. Even more to hold….and yet…we float. The ‘bearable’ lightness of being.