Why Was I Sad?
Some events occur that have no direct impact on you, yet they change you. Events that you have no control over. They are put into motion by someone else and have a direct effect on someone else, however you feel the impact of the actions.
Over the weekend I heard that the company I had most recently been associated with for 12 years let go of nearly a thousand people worldwide. In the greater scheme of things, it is a small number. There are companies that have had more massive layoffs. People come to work in the morning and are told they will not be returning to work the next day. In some cases, even worse.
What surprised me was the impact this news had on me. I had left the company a little over a year ago. I opted to leave the company as I saw that the company did not offer challenges and growth that were in line with my ambitions. I also felt the company was moving in a direction which was not in line with my personal beliefs of how the company or a company should be run. The decision was made, and I left the company, taking the full time to summarize and hand over my assignments to the people who would be taking care of the work I was doing. I had spent 12 years at the company and felt it was my duty to ensure that the people working after me did not have any difficulty in running the affairs of the business.
I thought that leaving the company and having spent a year
away from its affairs, I would not be impacted by any news from the company. After all a lot of time had passed. It should have dampened any impact whether large or small.
Then came the news of these layoffs. Roughly 5% of the workforce was laid off I hear. As I said, in the greater scheme of things a small number. However, if I’m honest, I was sad. My weekend was ruined. All I could think of was the people impacted by this decision. These were people I has worked with directly and indirectly. People who had helped me in my work and people I had helped in theirs. I asked for their support in complex technological solutions and I helped them refine their projects by providing business insights.
Digging deeper, I think I felt a sort of depression. My focus on other things diminished as my thoughts were consumed by sadness for the people who had lost their jobs. Why did I feel so strongly for them? Why did I care?
These people had become friends over the years. We had shared moments of joy and moments of grief. I knew them and their families. I had been part of their lives when they got married or had a child. I witnessed their trials when selecting schools for their children. I had consoled them when a loved one fell sick or their parents passed away.
In short, these people had become more than friends. They were and are like family. The bonds we shared over the years were more than those of colleagues. We were extended relatives. We knew we could depend on each other for support in professional as well as personal lives. They were people who were willing to help in areas where someone was weak, and they were equally confident that they could ask another for help and they would do so unconditionally.
What saddened me was how these people’s lives would be impacted. A thousand or so people. A thousand or so livelihoods. People with families; parents, spouses, children. I felt sorry for them like they are part of my own family. And I felt sorry that I could not do anything for them at his time of crisis except give them consolation.
After all, letting go of people is part of business. When businesses are not growing and when they are not making money, it makes sense to let some people go so the business can continue for the rest. Makes good business sense, right?
However, the decision came on the eve of announcing the company’s annual results. If the figures are to be believed, they grew in revenue by 4% and operating profit by 9% with earning per share increase of 35%. The company even announced a dividend to their shareholders which increased by 15%. This on top of previous years of growth in both revenues and margins does not make sense. After all those periods of increased revenues and growth were contributed to by these employees. Their efforts, insights and time spent for company projects contributed to the growth of the company. But instead of celebrating the employees were handed their notices. Their time and efforts aside, the company had other plans which did not include them.
On one hand it does make sense though. Letting go of employees after announcing financial results means that the share price can increase. The news of layoffs will come later and that can easily be attributed to a business decision and reduced to expenditures and costs adjustment.
On the other hand, it does not make sense at all. The employees were loyal to the company and held it in high regard. A lot of them spent a good deal of time with the company. Their opinions about the company were positive. However, having spoken to a few over the past few days, their emotions have changed. The company that they held in high regard is no longer held in the same esteem. People are silently protesting knowing full well that their rants will not have any effect. There are no governing bodies to call, no committees to turn to. The worst they can hope is that the top management are reincarnated as cows in a beef eating country. The best they can hope for is to get jobs in other companies before their notice period is out.
I also do not understand why I still care about the company. The only reason I can assume is that while a few of my friends have been laid off, a few of my friends remain with the company. For their sake, I hope the company keeps on thriving. If the company business suffers, their jobs could also face the chopping block.
I’ve already experienced the ripple effects of the vacuum left by the layoffs. Some posts have been vacated immediately. The effect is that customers who have not called me in well over a year are calling to understand what has gone wrong. They cannot contact key personnel in the company as they are no longer with it. They call me with the hope that I may still have influence within the company to solve their problems. While I am humbled by the confidence they place in me, I have to tell them that I cannot help.
And here I fear lies the problem. Following the numbers only causes tunnel vision. When you focus on the numbers alone you lose sight of the bigger picture. The impact of actions on customers and stake holders. The issues in performance and delivery which were being handled by people begin to overwhelm.
I am saddened not because of me, but because of my friends who have left the company and for those that are left with the company. I wish the company well as I know that in its prosperity lies the prosperity and possible longevity of their jobs. However, I am worried and conflicted that their actions are having consequences which are unintended and ultimately bad for my friends.
I hope my friends can find the strength to fight through the emotions of anger and resentment they are feeling at this time. I hope time heals the wounds that have been inflicted on them. The scars may be left, but they would hopefully be stronger and resilient coming through. I hope they can find happiness and contentment in the work they do in the future. And I hope my words give them the comfort they need at this time.