Across the business landscape there are headlines every day
of companies realigning or restructuring their operating models to meet changing
competitive challenges. In some
instances it is a retailer closing unprofitable stores, in another it may be a
manufacturing entity consolidating their supply chain to improve efficiency and
quite literally the list goes on and on.
When companies struggle to compete and “win,” they often look to the well-worn
world of realignment/restructuring “consultants” to help them “improve” their
operating model with an eye towards future success. Having seen this trend “up-close” in a
variety of contexts, it is tempting for me to “opine” on the mid-long term efficacy
of these actions. Possibly saving that
content for a future blog essay, today I want to comment on the very real human
side of these actions.
In a moment of coincidence, two companies from my past are
executing restructuring efforts this summer and I am hearing from a number of associates/executives
“impacted” in these actions. In some
circumstances they are 50+ year-old execs, being offered “early retirement”
packages well before their personal plans for retirement. In other situations, they are 30+ year old
execs, 10+/- years into their careers facing the first real “speed bump” of
their professional lives, and numerous situations in-between. This essay was triggered from one such
discussion that I had earlier tis week with someone on the younger end of the
“impacted” spectrum.
The phone call I received early this week started innocently
enough. The woman on the other end of
the line and I had worked together closely for a number of years and have known each other for the past 8 +/- years. She
had recently been “impacted” by a restructuring effort and her job was being
outsourced to a third-party company. (Very
common in the restructuring playbook.) Once
we dug through the emotions of the moment, and her sadness, anger and
frustration about why this plan even had to happen, she shared the core of her
concerns and anxiety. As part of the
process, she was going to have to “interview” with the “third party” company
for her old job and that interview was late this week. The prospect of sitting on the other side for
the table from a group of interviewers, each with their “telescopes” (her
imagery) zeroed in on her every comment was a bit of a “freak-out.” Certainly an understandable response!
Pulling out an old essay and
encouraging her to “P/B/R: Pause, Breathe, & Reconnect" (see more at https://fylegacy.blogspot.com/2009/07/pbr-maybe-not-what-you-think.html) we talked about the upcoming
interview and I encouraged her to “look through the other end of THEIR
telescopes.” Think about THEM and their
needs/issues. Here THEY were, trying to
find talent and build an organization to meet the needs of their new
client. THEY needed people like her; people
with exceptional track records, strong well-documented accomplishments, with
demonstrated leadership talents/skills/etc.! THEY NEEDED HER!! Looking through the “other end of the
telescope,” they weren’t coming to the interview to identify and explore this
woman’s flaws/weaknesses. They were
coming to the interview to identify and explore her talents, qualities and
experiences. Once again, they NEEDED
& WANTED her to be great!
The phone call closed out a bit after this discussion and
she seemed focused and ready with a new attitude toward the upcoming interviews . While I will be anxious to hear the outcome
of the interview experience from my old friend, I am confident that we can all learn a
lesson from the “telescope” imagery. Too
often we get “stuck” by looking at the “telescopes” in our work lives solely from
OUR end, rather than pausing for a moment (remember “P/B/R”) and working to “look
through the telescope form the other end!”
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