My company is actually doing quite well during the recession. The sales guys still bleat on about pipeline, leads and not getting enough from marketing, but we know the drill with all sales people, don’t we??
“Pick up the phone? Who? Me? I don’t do follow ups.” (they’re all the same wherever you go).
Our half year results got the financial analysts excited – our share price has rocketed and the CFO is talking positive numbers all the time – externally. To the outside world, it’s positive result for a British company during the “worst recession” in 60 years…inside the company however, it’s not all rosy.
170 people are at risk of redundancy (or have already gone depending on where in the world they are located). All social functions have been cancelled. And there’s a sense of unease across the entire company.
The decisions and selection criteria for those at risk are not yet final. Consultation is still in progress. I watch and wait as I see good people go through this process – hopeful they will get a stay of execution based on their performance and feedback from others. At the same time, I hope that the non-productive, obstructive, rude and aggressive people will go. Some of the selections to date make no sense.
One of the things it has highlighted is that no matter how senior you are, how hard you work, how much of your personal time you devote to work (that’s over and above your contracted time), when cuts are to be made, you’re just a number. And, it’s a numbers game.
So, tomorrow when you think to yourself ‘I’ll just finish this document/project/report’ and it means you don’t get out at a reasonable time – remember that’s time you can’t claim back and the more ‘overtime’ you put in (and don ‘t get paid for) the more you devalue your skills and abilities. You will never get that time back. So go home, see your kids, play golf, go to the gym or just relax with your loved ones.
It’s a numbers game, and you are a number. Sadly.
The Trouble with Tribbles 