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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Why Job Cuts and Layoffs

How Corporate Mentality Chokes Job Productivity?

The news is bad. Job growth has become job loss, with hundreds of thousands of job cuts and layoffs announced everyday, and it's happening all across the world. It looks like the 'safe and secure job' many of us have been enjoying is a thing of the past. Let's review how jobs were created in the past, why layoffs are occurring now and how to survive a layoff in an economic downturn.

The routine for most of us is as follows: Every day you either arrive at work either early, on time, and even on occasion a little bit late. You start to work immediately, have a productive day, and then at quitting time you go home happy with your achievements.

Eventually this gets the attention of your boss. He is surprised to see you happily producing so much while working without any supervision. He thinks perhaps with a little supervision you would produce much more than without supervision! He recruits a supervisor who has extensive supervisory experience and who is excellent at writing reports. A new job is created, thanks to your hard work.

The supervisor's first decision is to set up an attendance system for your department. He also needed a secretary to help him in preparing his reports. He recruits a secretary for this task and to manage the archives and monitor all his phone calls. Thus a new secretarial position is created within your organization.

The chief is thrilled with the supervisor's reports, he asks him to produce graphs to describe production rates and to analyze trends that he can use in his presentations at the board meetings.

The supervisor of course has to buy a new computer and a laser printer but has no idea how to install them so he recruits an IT manager to manage the IT department, and a new IT managerial position is created.

You who had once been so productive and relaxed now hate this new excess of paperwork and meetings which uses up most of your valuable time!

The chief notices a slight dip in production and comes to the conclusion that it is time to nominate a person to be in charge of the department where you have worked to get things back on track. You get a brand new highly experienced manager who of course is in need of a comfortable chair and desk for his new office. Thus another new managerial position is created.

Your new manager is also in need of a new computer and a personal assistant. He purchases the new computer and promotes his former colleague from the previous department to help him prepare budgets, control, plan strategies, and optimize the operation. Consequently, a new personal assistant job is created and another job position is left unoccupied in the other department. (which will of course be filled very soon - school is out and someone's nephew needs a summer job).

Your job in the department now consists mainly of paperwork, is now similar in its nature to the work of a letter carrier, and your actual production has dropped drastically.

Then over lunch your new manager convinces the chief of the absolute necessity to expand and diversify. After the chief reviews the costs for running the department where you are working, he finds out that profits are down because the production is now much less than before.

The chief recruits a prestigious and renowned consultant to investigate the lack of productivity and to suggest a solution. With the new business opportunity a new consultant's position is thus created.

The newly recruited consultant spends a couple of months investigating your department and comes up with a report, in several volumes, that conclude: "The department is overstaffed."

Guess who the chief lays off first?

You of course, because you have become unproductive, show a lack of motivation and have a negative attitude towards all your "superiors".

If you have been unfortunate and got laid off recently, here are some tips to help you survive in an economic downtime.

  • Stay positive and optimistic for the future.
  • Don't worry or stress yourself about things that are beyond your control such as the layoffs, job cuts and the bad economy.
  • Reduce your exposure to the news, it adds stress to your life about things that are beyond your control.
  • Read only good news headlines and look for opportunities.
  • Walk away from negative people who are always too anxious.
  • Don't get involved with social conversations that talks about lay offs and job cuts.
  • Think positive. Don't indulge in negative thinking.
  • Reward yourself for all your successes regardless how small they were.
  • Say thank goodness that I'm healthy and still able to work.
  • Laugh at your problems and you'll see them going away.
  • Start exercising, eat healthy, and do something different to expand your horizons. Take a course!
  • Keep in mind that other people aren't as lucky as you are.
Layoffs aren't the right answer during economic downturn and companies are making the economy worse by cutting too many jobs. CEO's and high level managers find it the easy way out to protect their jobs and justify their huge salaries.
Express your opinion, share your thoughts or experiences by adding a comment below.