Change Management News

This relates to my recent post on layoffs.

My web sleuth found my Alternatives to Downsizing article from 1996 just tucked away on my website.

Back in the mid-90s I wrote about the problems with downsizing and tried to advise my clients to avoid it. I was bolstered by a report Wayne Cascio wrote for US Department of Labor where he identified nine alternatives to downsizing. I added four more alternatives to his list and wrote an article that was met with resounding indifference.

One of my clients told me that people needed to wake up. The old cradle-to-grave employment contract was over, so get used to it. It took awhile, but I started to believe what he said. I still didn’t like the human impact of downsizing, but I started to think that maybe serial monogamy was just the way things were these days. Perhaps it was new world.

My friend Wendy Mack made sure I saw the article in the recent issue of Newsweek titled Lay Off the Layoffs by Jeffrey Pfeffer (one of my favorite business writers.) (more…)

I was quoted in Lin Grensing-Pophal’s online article Getting Even in Human Resource Executive Online. The foucs of the article  Anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that employees are increasingly reacting to their layoffs and terminations with varying degrees of revenge. HR leaders need to create processes and procedures that minimize that risk. I hope you’ll take a look.

In my work on resistance I talk about Level 2, an emotional reaction to change. The root of this is often fear. Fear that I’ll lose my job, I’ll lose face, or Ill lose control. But it’s getting worse. Level 2 is now fear to the nth power. The New York Times (2/08/09) reported that Canon in Japan was terminating contract workers. These are people who get none of the protections that a regular employee might get. Many of these workers live in company provided apartments. They were told they are losing their jobs and will need to move out of these apartments.  (more…)

I just wrote a white paper titled Leading in Turbulent Times. You can read the full article at Leading in Turbulent Times

Here are a couple of paragraphs:

With so much at stake, it is easy to put on blinders and get immersed in the numbers that drive your business. If this worldwide problem continues to grow (as many suggest it will), the temptation will be to spend even more time focused on finances. Given that this is a critical responsibility for a leader, it may be easy to forget an important asset and that is people.

People matter. Of course, we all know that, but under stress we focus on survival and those people down the hall or across the globe many not be part of our survival plan. I suggest that they should be. (more…)