The news of the day (yesterday, July 3) was that Sarah Palin is resigning as governor of Alaska. The news of the week for me was that I had hired and just brought on board two incredible sophisticated sales people for my team.
Unfortunately, I had to fly to a particular metropolitan area to fire an individual a week ago and could not announce one of these new hires until I had let the other go.
Letting people go is always painful. I did the best I could knowing that this individual has a family with family needs, and, let’s face it: who wants to be let go? It’s never a good thing.
However, I was totally convinced that this person was working another business on the side. I just wasn’t getting the production and results we needed. Plus, he was always arguing with me. Being Italian, I love to banter when things just go right. But there was a difference: he was fighting me every step of the way. He said he knew the industry and he said he had contacts. I saw no results of either. Plus, he couldn’t put a proposal together to save his life. He had an MBA. Go figure.
So now I have two knowledgeable, driven, and motivated people who know the industry, brought in a bank of contacts with them, and jumped in with only an inch of learning curve needed to run out there and bring it in.
Maybe I have hired one of Fast Company’s top 100 creative people in business!
Already my stress level is down 150%.
Categories: Layoffs · Personnel
What does social networking site have to do with a cup of coffee? Well, first, if you’re not part of networking on Facebook, well, then why aren’t you? Is there something wrong with you? I mean, if you carry a cell phone, use only your debit card for transactions so you don’t have to carry cash, and email daily to communicate, why aren’t you on Facebook? Are you trying to make a statement?
Farhad Manjoo wrote a great article on the e-zine, Slate, indicating that if you’re not on Facebook, you are making a statement; you don’t want people knowing ‘your business.’
So what does this have to do with a cup of coffee? Well, isn’t that where we went to catch up with someone? “I’ll meet you at Starbucks” used to be the common thread. But, with Facebook as a meeting place to connect with friends and family, why go anywhere? Do you think this is why Starbucks is considering another round of layoffs? Have we all decided, with the recession, that we can make our own cup of coffee at home, while reading what is on our ‘walls’ (and everyone elses), rather than being part of a Starbucks environment?
Well, it’s something to think about.
Categories: Layoffs · Vision
I had to do it. I felt badly, but on the other hand, he was constantly doing the opposite of what I had asked. Actually, the last straw was when he called and started out like this: “My wife is all over me… because you asked me to travel out of town back to back.” What? Wait a minute! You aren’t the one on maternity leave! She is! As a woman, and I can’t say this directly to employees, I went straight back to work after delivering twins – I had to travel on overnight trips, I had to work 70 hours a week (for a corporation) plus weekends when necessary, and I had reports and infants keeping me up non-stop every night. And, I was the one who had the C-section and had to function. And, let’s not forget, I had TWO at the same time!
He was very young, very green, and very un-ambitious. Given he was in sales, that last description didn’t go over well with me. So, I had to ask him to resign. It wasn’t the first time he was doing the opposite of what I had asked. It was happening all along.
Was it the wrong thing to do when his wife just had a baby and he was having problems traveling while she was on maternity leave?
I’m sure his wife was following all of the guidelines on her maternity leave. CareerJournal.com gives guidelines on the first 90 days following maternity leave and back to work. But what about men?! What were his guidelines?
By the way, check out Invisible mothers: a content analysis of motherhood ideologies and myths in magazines, by Deirdre D. Johnston and Debra H. Swanson. It is extremely interesting.
What are your guidelines for couples who are going through a maternity leave together?
Categories: Bosses · Inside the Office · Layoffs
December 23, 2007 · 1 Comment
I am grateful. I am grateful for my family, my friends, and my job. I have been through no jobs, working three jobs at a time, and bad jobs. But, I love my blog and I love my job. In fact, this past week I succeeded in winning a huge proposal (and several year contract) for the company, which will start off the New Year (once the contract is signed) in more than a plus.
I’ve had not-so-great experiences job hunting this time of year. My friends would say, “take time off, enjoy the holidays, and start looking after the New Year.” The problem is that when you are without a job, it is a full-time job to look for a job. Trust me on that one.
Then there are those who absolutely hate their job. (Been there, done that, have the T-shirt.) Regardless, find a way to count your blessings. Career Encouragement Blog gives great advice on ways to be grateful.
So, for 2008, when I look back and think of all the losers I worked for (and with), all of the jobs that were railroaded and/or set up for failure, I am grateful. Some would look at those experiences as failures. I see these as opportunities. I learned so much from these experiences. I learned to be me.
For all of my readers, friends, and family – Happy Holidays!
Categories: Experience · It's all about the people · Jobs, Careers, Work · Layoffs · Work
I had a phone call last week from one of my colleagues from a (bad, screwed up, archaic, and dysfunctional) company where I previously (with an almost mental breakdown) worked. It was the third call this month that someone else was let go. Why? Because the management is betting the farm. Yup! The management is putting the entire company on the line for the whole enchilada.
Now, you and I know what the odds are in terms of competition, changes in economy, shifts in industry, and sometimes it is actually needed to start making company layoffs.
Dow Chemical just announced that it is cutting 1,000 jobs as a result of “financial underperformance.” Even NBC News is getting the jitters with rumors that there may be a slew of people losing their jobs before the year is out (which is within weeks!).
Cutbacks are (and should be considered by companies – large and small) a result of an entire, comprehensive business plan, or change in a business model. But, not out gambling on other employees lives in order to save themselves (the VPs and CEOs) at the risk of losing the entire company, and at the risk of betting the farm.
Then, there is another kind of company betting, which is reaching out to be completely innovative in the market. Smaller companies can do this in order to move quickly (and quicker) in the marketplace. One example is taking place in Portland, Maine, where two lobstermen (brothers) are creating a co-op for customers to buy the rights to everything caught in one trap at one annual price, very similar to farming co-ops where customers purchase a farm’s harvest up front – even before the growing season has ended or the produce is harvested.
I’d rather bet the farm on the lobstermen in Maine… That is definitely innovative! What is your experience with the companies you have, or currently, work for on conducting layoffs?
Categories: Business in general · Layoffs
