wallydownundy

Much will be written on Victoria’s devestating fires - tales of personal loss, tragedy, injury, arsonists and arrests. Yet today’s The Australian contains a gripping first-hand account of one man’s battle in the midst of inferno. Gary Hughes escaped with his life and counts himself fortunate. To date 108 have perished in the flames. Read how a silly, gift keyring from his daughter saved a family’s life.

“THEY warn you it comes fast. But the word “fast” doesn’t come anywhere near describing it.

It comes at you like a runaway train. One minute you are preparing. The next you are fighting for your home. Then you are fighting for your life.

But it is not minutes that come between. It’s more like seconds. The firestorm moves faster than you can think, let alone react.”

I implore you - read the full story.

To make a donation for families of the fires, go to Red Cross Australia.

I had an email from a former colleague “back in the days” at Ford Motor Company. He left for a senior role in a financial services company, then was recruited into another large company. The last role didn’t work out and today he’s looking for work. It’s a shock to go from a top-level role to unemployment.

I also had a “didn’t work out” job after Ford. I joined an agency in New York and didn’t fit. Maybe I was shattered goods - maybe they were the wrong firm. Regardless I was out - and floundering.

When I first arrived in Detroit the long-timers at Ford said I’d never fit in. Car companies are that different - very few newcomers make it. I lasted five years and worked really hard to integrate. But looking back maybe Ford should have been the one trying harder to help a newcomer fit in. Their reliance on set ways and approaches made them inflexible - and not an employer of choice.

At the time I felt humiliated and disabused. I tried but didn’t make it in Detroit. I couldn’t wait to get out. But hindsight’s a wonderful thing, no? Especially today as Ford and GM and Chrysler all teeter on the brink of oblivion.

Life after Ford wasn’t easy. But the issues the company faces today means we all may face a life after Ford. That company needs to reinvent itself or join the ranks of Pan Am, Enron, TWA, Bear Stearns and other “too big to fail” once-were-giants.

Last Monday companies in America announced 70,000 job cuts. That was one day alone. In the USA unemployment tops 10% in numerous states and the national average is inching up daily (especially on Mondays, right?). Nearly every company worldwide is looking to make cost cuts - and most times that involves letting people go. Yet too often it’s handled poorly leading to longer-term problems. Remaining employees are demotivated, restless and scared - “survivor’s guilt” mixed with “am I next” pangs.

So if you’re preparing to shed jobs, here are a few rules to consider:

1. Be Prepared
   Works as the official motto of the Boy Scouts - so it might work for you. Spend time planning the TOTAL cutbacks and then go to your employees. There is nothing worse than “death by a thousand cuts”. Do what you have to do and be done with it. But don’t re-start the sackings a month later. It’s bad planning and even worse management.Also remember all the audiences these employees deal with on a daily basis. Will you have the resources to contact key clients? What about supplier relationships? What critical knowledge needs to be transferred - and how will you manage all your external relationships with a pared-back workforce?
2. Tell It Like It Is
   We’re all adults (mostly). We can handle the bad news. (”Your puppy ran away” may have worked when you were a kid but if the dog is dead tell us the dog is dead.) Explain why the cutbacks are necessary and what it means for the remaining employees. Some will see an increase in workload. Try to motivate the remaining employees to help keep the company viable. McKinsey points out that employees can accept bad news better when they understand the underlying business strategy. Treat us like grown-ups and explain why this is necessary.
3. Treat Everyone With Dignity and Respect
   Fired employees are people, too. Just because they’re superfluous to your business doesn’t mean they’re worthless. People will be in shock when you break the news. Make sure you keep the messages simple - and have on paper all your key points. Most questions centre on the mundane - entitlement pay-outs, long service leave, company car access, etc. But being prepared with these details will eliminate the majority of the trauma. And manage their emotions. They are likely to be in shock (followed by anger).Try to avoid patronising language (”I know how hard this is for you” sounds hollow if you get to keep your job). This is not about you or the company. When you’re talking to people who are losing their job keep the focus on them, their needs, their next steps, etc.
4. Tell It Again (And Again)
   Saying it once is just the start. People need messages to be repeated again and again. We’re currently managing communications for a company under Voluntary Administration. Yet despite letters, web updates, emails, meetings and the like every day someone calls trying to understand the basics. Why are they closed? What’s this mean to me? I reckon people begin to understand the third or fourth time they’ve heard a message - that’s why advertising is effective when repeated. Don’t “launch and leave” - make sure you tell it again and again.
5. Be Prepared for the Unexpected
   No matter how much advance planning, there’s always a surprise. When letting go 300 stockbrokers in Hong Kong for a client, the people who were to be told first in an 8:00 am meeting found their computer access cut off the morning they showed up for work. HR told IT and all PCs were cut off. Those arriving for the 8:00 am meeting were already aware - and angry. A healthcare company in New Jersey I had as a client was working to close a plant. Employees learned the day prior when electricity to certain areas of the plant was cut. Again, a supervisor took remedial action to cut costs.

None of these lessons is foolproof. There will still be slip-ups and surprises. However doing the hard planning in advance and preparing your materials will save a lot of pain and embarrassment - for you, your employees and your former employees.