A friend of my wife's lost his job this past Monday. It was done in the name of saving costs. Yes, at one time or the other you're a cost. No promises, right? It's a tough situation that is only made worse by organizations who make lots of promises.
Funny thing is the group he worked in was just started a year ago. How can you know in twelve months whether something will fly?
So what to do when Mommy and Daddy fly? Sorry for the flippant reaction, but this guy just moved here from the west. Why not use some candor and tell the employees that the organization isn't sure about the prospects and it may not go the way of success? Two faces are the issue here. And before you think I'm conjuring this stuff up, please know I've delivered the "two-faced" speech. It went something like this; one face was in the room with management stating we'll let them go if the unit oesn't meet targets (usually unrealistic). Another face was in front of the employees stating how the future was bright.
I write this post today to communicate something simple, yet complex. Every leader who has human beings following them should be required to attend an all-day seminar on the marvels of human DNA. If I were conducting the seminar I would say the following at its conclusion:
"After today think long and hard about who follows you. And when you make your plans think about the implications-they're real and worth your consideration."
You can read here about some of the dynamics of our DNA.
