The Career Encouragement Blog

If I were in charge of layoffs...

I've helped many organizations run layoffs, and I think I do a pretty good job of convincing client companies to be as fair and generous to the employees as possible given what I've usually had to work with.  That said, in an idea world, I'd run layoffs much, much differently if I were in charge from the beginning rather than serving as a resource pulled in once the decision has been made to cut staff.

So, since a slew of layoffs are expected in the corporate ranks in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, here is what I would like to say to the executives who will be making these decisions:

First, in an ideal world, I would like to see the possibility of layoffs brought up long before business results or broader economic forces create a "crisis."  By this, I don't mean that I think companies should keep their people in a state of fear, but they should educate their employees on how money comes and goes from the organization and how the investment in payroll is connected to profit.  I think many companies don't like/want to do this because they don't want the employees to know that in good times, a few at the top are making a lot more than the "worker bees."

Second,as you business leaders are beginning to spot concerning trends (please tell me you are continually scanning and identifying trends!) tell your the employees about what is going on rather than hunkering down in the Board room for 3 days of secret strategic planning.   Get out in the halls and cubicles!  Tell the troops what is going on and ask a few questions: "Here is what we are seeing.  Are you seeing this?  Here is what we are thinking.  What ideas do you have?"  You'd be surprised at the perspective this gives you.  And - if down the road you need to do layoffs, you'll have a much better handle on who the real talent is that you want to keep around.

Third, if the trends start becoming imminent realities, have frank and factual discussions with employees and engage them in solving the problem: e.g.:

 "Marlene, I know you love your role coordinating our Customer Appreciation program.  You're good at it, and you have lots and lots of creative ideas.  But here's the thing.  Currently we are spending more money on thanking current customers for past purchases than we are taking in with new client accounts.  If this trend were to continue we would be out of business in under 6 months.  What I am saying Marlene, is that the work you currently do - the work you are used to doing - is not top priority right now.  Bringing in new clients is our top priority and that's where we have to focus our efforts and resources."

From here, engage Marlene in talking about what she thinks the company should do, and how she can be involved and help the company be successful.  I know HR folks and Hiring Managers who would say that this approach is dumb because it will foster fear and Marlene may go look for another job.  I disagree for 5 reasons:

1. It demonstrates respect for the employee as a person, not merely a chess piece in the "game of business".

2. We need to trust employees that they want to do the right thing, and given enough of the right information they will honestly try to do the right thing.  Too many companies don't share the right information (i.e., business trends and concerns) with employees.  The unfortunate result is that the employees sense that something is wrong but don't know what, so they commence working harder and harder AT THE WRONG THINGS. 

3. In Marlene's current role she works with customers who are (theoretically) happy.  She just may have some great ideas about how to find more of them.  At a minimum she could have some client facing skills that could be useful to your Account Managers who are working to secure more business - in other words, her skills could be more usefully deployed on behalf of the business long before the reality of a layoff comes true.

4. If Marlene does end up being laid off, she leaves your company a smarter and wiser business person.  This type of practical, daily education - from Managers and Executives to employees - is the most critical form of education in the workplace.  Yet most organizations avoid doing it whenever possible. 

5. Finally, if Marlene were to start looking for another job and leave, it saves you having to lay her off and pay out severance.  Further, it gives her agency over her exit - at a little dignity is not a bad thing in a tough economy!

Finally,if layoffs do become an unfortunate business need at your company, please give employees as much time as possible to adjust to the idea.  Don't hire security guards and grief counselors to come run the "layoff event" for you.  Unless there is a real concern of a security risk, it's nice if you can give employees "transition time" where they continue to come and go from the office as they close out/transition work, but they can also take time as needed for their job search. Typically during this transition phase, I would expect to see employees on full pay and benefits.  I have worked with clients who escort people who have been laid off out of the building like criminals. And I have worked with companies that give employees "transition time." The latter companies are much happier places to work overall.  Not surprisingly, they tend to have better business planning practices in general.

In sum, what I am asking business leaders to do during this precarious economic time is to stop and think!  Is "business as usual" (i.e., layoffs during a financial down turn) your only option?  Really, it's not a very creative or innovative approach when you think about it. If you have been brought in or otherwise commandeered with the task of "turning this thing around" ask yourself is layoffs really constitute a turnaround?  When I see executive resumes that say, "Brought in to revive failing division and increased bottom line results 40% in first year" I immediately ask the candidate if he (it's usually a he in these cases) did layoffs.  Most of the times he did.  Then I start asking really picky questions about his thinking and process around the layoffs.  Most of the time I hear, "blah blah blah made the tough decisions blah blah blah." 

Heres the thing: Laying people off is NOT a tough decision.  It's not special, it's not hard, and it doesn't really require that much thought.  Helping employees understand and connect to real business needs, and then redirecting their to profitable assignments - now THAT is special. That is different.  That is creative.  That is what I want on my leadership team.

Good Advice for Job Seekers

The longer I engage in the work of running search committees and listening to hiring managers debrief candidates, the more I become convinced that most job seekers stand or fall on the basics.  It's painful to see potentially qualified candidates "blow it" because the make one of many classic errors in their cover letter (e.g., "I, me, I"), their resume (e.g., 3 pages riddled with typos), or the interview (e.g., dissing the receptionist in the lobby or failing to shake hands).

One of the reasons I started this blog was to share some of those basic errors in the job search in order to help job seekers be more successful in their quest.  Jason Monastra at Lambentpath has done the same thing.  A veteran recruiter, Jason blogs about job search tips and strategies to help seekers be successful. 

I like his recent posting on having a professional e-mail address.  I've had candidates with e-mail addresses like "supermodelwannabe" and "gottafish."  Monikers like that are fun for friends and family, but unfortunately can distract potential employers from more important things in your cover letter and resume.

I also like that his postings are instructive and encouraging rather than snarky.  If you are conducting a job search in these competitive times, take a look around Jason's blog and you'll find some good advice and encouragement!

Carnival of HR

The latest edition of the Carnival of HR is up over at Ask a Manager ... actually it's been up for a week and I am behind on plugging it - so go check it out!

Lather-Rinse-Repeat

A while back I asked, "What are you scared of?"  Here's my career fear: I am scared that I will forever be "just mediocre" as "The Career Encourager."  I'm not so much scared of being a crashing failure.  Failure and recovery is the American way!  I'm certainly not scared of being a raging success - that's a great part of the American way.  But I am afraid of being mediocre - of not doing anything exciting or special - of not fully using my talents - of forever being stuck in the lather-rinse-repeat phase of work. 

Part of this fear comes from my upbringing, no doubt.   People with my background - especially girls - just aren't supposed to make it big in a white collar world.  I think part of this fear also comes from a media-saturated world where every story is a dramatic story of triumph and achievement. The business publications have picked up on this and report tales of incredible entrepreneurship where the protagonists are amazing, and laser sharp, and incredibly globally conscious and a host of other over-the-top descriptors guaranteed to make me feel like a schmuck because I can't even seem to manage drop off for 2 kids at 2 different schools and get through the basics in my in-box without trauma.

Some time ago uber blogger Penelope Trunk coined the nifty phrase "mommy porn" to describe the glossy multi-page photo spreads the entertainment magazines do on Hollywood moms.  I wonder if industry magazines haven't also gone the route of "business porn" with their over-the-top portrayals of business professionals who seamlessly track and forecast trends, create new markets, and become "thought leaders." 

I could go on about where my fear of mediocrity comes from, but that would simply lead to a condition that Ann Bares once hilariously described as "slow death by self-introspection."  Instead I will concentrate on how to overcome this fear of mediocrity.  My plan includes:

Get busy! The Director of Sales at my favorite client company likes to tell his team "Activity defeats doubt." Sitting around and self-introspecting isn't going to get me anywhere, and my to-do list is miles long and already in priority order so it's not like I don't know what needs to be done.

Eliminate distractions!  The election is over so that's one big distractor gone.  I made the decision to change my Internet homepage from msn.com to a site focused on spiritual development.  Amazing the amount of distraction and stress it has removed from my life in just a short time!

Start small!  Finish this blog posting.  File the stuff that's been sitting on my credenza for the past month.  Most of these small things are also distractions, and eliminating then frees up energy for me to use on more worthwhile activities.

Make sure each small task is connected to a bigger goal.  Do I really need to read that particular magazine article?  D I really need to stay connected with that person?  Do I really need to keep those files?  If I find myself unable to stop doing something, and yet it's not connected to a larger goal, perhaps I should re-think my larger goals!

Do one scary thing a day!  Pick up the phone and schedule one networking meeting.  Meet with the business lawyer to talk about setting up the corporation.  Each item on its own is not scary once started.

Spend time with my encouragers.  I've said it over and over - know who your top 5 encouragers are and spend time with them.  Last week I was in a situation where I had to spend time with 2 people who routinely discourage me.  One was a work situation where I had no choice so I just had to see it through.  The other was a social situation that I voluntarily entered out of habit.  Not a good decision on my part.  This Friday I have a fun book swap event planned and some of my top encouragers will be there so I am reallly looking forward to that!

I think that's a good list to get me started.  Interesting to note that most of these items actually fall into the "lather-rinse-repeat" category.  None of them are big.  They are ongoing, mediocre tasks.  Yet, when accomplished with excellence, I believe that the sum total of these tasks can add up to a great career. 

What other "mediocre" items do you think I should add to the list?

Somebody Like Me?

Much has been made of how the recent election is important - in part - because for the first time many people can see that "somebody like me" is in charge.   Hat tip to Ann Bares for sharing this quote from Peggy Noonan's article in the weekend WSJ:

"It is a matter of profound importance that everyone in a nation know that with whatever facts they start their life, there is a clear and open route to rise.  It is a less great country in which routes, and heights, are closed off or limited by things that, if you some day get to heaven, you will look back on and realize were silly, stupid; class, color, condition.  That country will be greatest that offers its citizens the most possibilities in which to find happiness.  There is power to be had in the full unleashing of human capital.  So: a great night for America.  I’ve yet to meet up with a conservative, a Republican or a McCain voter not aware of and moved by this aspect of the election’s outcome."

I am genuinely happy for everyone who finally feels that "somebody like me" can make it.  It IS profoundly important for this country that this event has occurred.  I'm just waiting for my turn to feel that way.

You see, that's partly why I was eager to look for the positives in Sarah Palin.  I saw her as somebody like me.  She is clearly  a bright woman.  She has a lot of potential and talent that is just screaming to be developed and expressed.   But Sarah grew up in the wrong place, participating in the wrong extracurricular activities, and went to the wrong schools.  Her work-family existence wasn't a clear cut path.  Instead it was a hodge podge of taking time off for kids, spending a lot of time volunteering, going for it with career opportunities when they did come along, and always trying to grow and use her talents.  She had a habit of talking too much and was open and unashamed about her faith.  Frankly, it's a lot like how my life has come together.  And lo and behold it seemed like that ad hoc approach just might add up to something big.

But the media and other detractors were quick to point out that she lived "on the wrong side of the tracks" so to speak, her education was deficient, and her family life simply not good enough.  In short, she was from the wrong social class.  Yes folks, feminists proclaim to be concerned with issues of "race, class, and gender" but the dirty little secret of the recent political go-round was that class matters in a BIG way, and if you are from the wrong social class, you'd best mind your place or you will be skewered and mocked for daring to dream big. 

I found the attacks on her accent to be particularly telling.  Were Sarah Palin from India, the Middle East, or Harlem, it would have been UNTHINKABLE to mention her accent.  But because she was from Alaska and spoke with the flat twang that those of us with rural backgrounds understand instead of those condescending errs and ummms that distinguish "elite" speech, her manner of talk was fair game.  If you don't like her politics, fine.  But to highlight her accent?  Could you be any more transparent in your disdain of those of us raised working class?

But there were plenty of other mothers who were prominent figures in this election.  Surely I  identified with them, right?  Not true.  Hillary Clinton is a working mother, but she had an elite education and a clear career trajectory from early on.  Nope - not a bit like me.  Michelle Obama is also a working mother.  But profile after profile pointed out that although she grew up with limited financial resources she came from a loving home with parents who encouraged and supported her in setting and going for big goals.  I'm happy for Ms. Obama, but that experience in no way mirrors my childhood.  Rielle Hunter?  After all, she talked openly about her spirituality!  Ahhh, let's not go there...

Further evidence that social class matters for ambitious women more than ever these days?  Check out 85 Broads- they proclaim themselves to be the "smartest women in the smartest companies worldwide"   Big diss to oh so many of us who were born and raised "cracker" through no choice of our own.  Despite the fact that I am working on my 2nd graduate degree, I do not qualify for membership because none of the schools I attended is an elite school. 

Yet, despite the overwhelming odds I still believe it when Peggy Noonan says that for anyone in this country, "With whatever facts they start their life, there is a clear and open route to rise." 

I have to believe it, or else go back to bed and stay there.

Concerned about your 401(k)? - Follow-up

If you think yesterday's post was a joke, take a look here for a little lesson on what happens with government authorities monkey around with private retirement funds, and remember:  "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Are you concerned about your 401(k)?

There's a little buzz going around the HR blogs about proposed legislation to eliminate 401(k) tax benefits.  I was going to write a post linking to them, but just found that Ann Bares has already neatly summarized them - read her posting here.  Ann and the others urge HR and reward professionals to pay close attention to this legislation. 

I'm urging you - the employee- to pay close attention! With the results of the recent national election, there's significant excitement about the potential for change in this country, but I don't think this is the type of change that you - the hard-working employees - are looking for.  I'm concerned about legislation like this from an individual perspective for the following reasons:

#1.  Government has many roles, but there are two clear priorities that must be assured before any expansion of governmental purview is considered:  balancing the budget, and securing national defense.  Our national leaders clearly have much work to do on these priorities before attempting to delve into personal money management.

#2.  The foundation of any national economy is personal savings.  Taxing 401(k)'s is a quick way to dis-incent people from saving.  The recent housing market collapse provides plenty of evidence what happens when personal savings rates drop.

#3.  With layoffs on the rise, the last thing I want to see happen is for another industry to go belly up.  The personal finance industry employs hundreds of thousands of white collar workers many of whom will lose their jobs if the government over-reaches into private retirement account management.  The new jobs that will be "created" will be bureaucratic paper-pushing assignments.

#4.  This nation has always been all about opportunity.  The freedoms and wealth we have today are a result of the magnificent sacrifices that were made by generations that came before us.  The results of the recent election are a testimony to what hard work and merit can do for anyone from anywhere.  For many families, the 401(k) has been a means of building assets and creating opportunities for intergenerational transfer of wealth that assures a future for grandchildren and those to come afterward.  Dis-incenting people from making sacrifices today for the betterment of future generations will disincent the trend of self-sacrifice that has benefited our generation.

Pay attention to this legislation - then call your elected officials and make your voice heard.

Recovering from Career Disaster

Almostgotit's posting today is a nice change of pace from all the election hoo-ha.

Go hereto learn how to pull a save after a major job screw-up.  Very funny - and also some good advice!