Broken WindowsMost people have some sort of grievance about their work and it’s often something they can’t quantify.
Bars are filled every night with colleagues grumbling about their situation and those chats are often not about product line.
The Bottom Line
Companies spend most of the time refining their offer and trying to increase revenue. Time is spent more in the business and what suffers is time on the business and more importantly on the people.
All too often a 'less is more' mantra is adopted. Supplies are thrown from the boat in the hopes the survivors will make it home safely.
The email blast this morning was more bad news in the U.S. with another 125,000 jobs lost and unemployment down to 9.5%. That makes managers and owners nervous. Perhaps they need to make cuts and get lean and people are often the first to go.
Product development, marketing and sales drive the dreaded bottom line. If cuts are to be made sadly the first items to be slashed are head count and marketing budgets. And those are fatal mistakes.
Sometimes cuts need to be made but before you make them, have a close look at what’s going on in your organization. Handing out severance packages and carving marketing budgets to shreds is not always the best solution to an under performing situation. But doing it the way you've always done it is dangerous as well.
Without superior talented and well directed strong people, the amount of money you think you are saving from the bottom line by making knee jerk cuts will evaporate over time. While a competitor who values people and internal customer service over a quick fix may win the day.
As you reach for the axe, take another long hard look at your organization and the money you spend on everything before you accidentally grab a life jacket and lob it over the bow.
How’s your boat?
@knealemann
Helping you integrate all you do with all you do.
photo credit: markgroot
