Downsizing with dignity

Downsizing with dignity? Seems a million miles away from many people’s recent experience. Horror stories abound of staff being made redundant over the phone, via sms messages, en masse in hastily organised meetings. Makes you wonder whether anyone in management is actually planning this most traumatic of organisational events. In a crowd of redundant executives and managers, trying to find someone who has been made redundant in a dignified fashion during which they felt as though they were treated as a human being with feelings, family, and an uncertain future is not easy. “Ready, Fire, Aim” seems to be the order of the day. Using the cleaver, cutting without regard for collateral damage instead of the surgically precise scalpel causes untold and lasting damage to the organisation, its reputation and its people. It is possible to downsize with dignity, and with the necessary speed. But it takes strength of leadership character, courage to plan with a view to the future and not just today and the wisdom to decide what are the mission-critical roles and who are the best people to fill them. What has been your experience, or the experience of someone close to you? Downsized with dignity or treated badly? ---------------------------------------------------------