There are times when you just have to assume that the people who run companies are from another species entirely. Little else could explain the warmth and compassion evident in the comments that Ron Rittenmeyer made on an internal broadcast to EDS employees regarding their company's proposed acquisition by HP.
The question that just about everyone wants to ask, but no one will, in a case like that is 'will I have a job when this is over?'. They dance around it, asking 'what can we foresee as changes to the way that we do business?' and 'will we alter our basic business model?' when what they want to say is 'when you say 'we' in a year, will I be part of that 'we'?' But no one does, because everyone wants to put on the game face that says this doesn't scare them, that they know they can get another job easily, probably a better paying one, or one that has better benefits, or better amenities. Why, when you get right down to it, its just a fluke that they're even still here, the market for their talents is so demanding.
Rittenmeyer seemed to be suggesting that anyone with less than this tough, macho attitude toward life ought not to be there now, anyway. In response to a question about how to get involved with the transition (because, they might say, I see that as the strategic future of the company and I want to be part of that when what they're thinking is maybe if I am part of the people making the change, they won't push me out because they'll think I'm important to the company's success'), he replied that if you had that much spare time, you weren't working hard enough. In response to a question about layoffs and people quitting, he said that they ought not to look to replace people, but rather figure out a way to do that person's work with the people that are left. Work harder, not smarter....or perhaps we'll decide YOU aren't needed, either.
After all, these aren't people, this isn't their lives. Its just a business decision...so suck it up. Or go lay about with your two or three million in retirement savings.
The CEO is rarely laid off in events like this.... but in this case, in recognition of his special knack for caring about people, perhaps they should.
Summarily. And without a golden parachute.
2 comments:
CEOs and golden parachutes and acquisitions make me furious right now. My company just merged a few years ago, and it's been bad for both organizations. We fired the CEO who sold us down the river, but not before he nearly killed the corporation. However, he still got a 21 mil parachute for nearly running the company in the ground.
Now there's talk of a German company purchasing us. I live year to year lately not knowing if I'll make the cut every time we re-org.
I kind of hate corporations right now, so I just keep using mine and collecting my paycheck without guilt. Because I know they would drop me in a moment without any guilt whatsoever.
Thats an absolutely terrible view.
Which I completely share.
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