The “Necessary Evils” of an Economic Slump

By Alice Adams on 07/12 at 10:59 PM

By now  "in the current uncertain economic environment" we know that there are some difficult times that accompany slumps in the economy and our business.

 

Funeral directors around Texas and across the country have seen, first hand, how families haven't always been able to afford the merchandise or services they would have liked to have provided for a lost loved one. Some families who may have wanted to afford a cemetery plot had to, instead, settle for cremation and a simple service.

 

But, there are other difficulties that come with economic slumps, as well. In your business, you may have found the need to trim expenses. In your firm, you may "even now" be looking for ways to do more with less.

 

If you're an owner or manager, you have mixed emotions about cutting staff. If you're an employee that has kept his/her job, you may be experiencing survivor's guilt.

 

Although it's difficult to deliver " and receive -- bad news, the process of conducting the "necessary evils" of cutting hours, laying off personnel or, even in good times, firing an employee can be handled in a way that allows all parties to walk away with dignity and respect. But, preparation for these difficult tasks is essential to achieve these positive outcomes.

 

Researchers from Harvard and Brandeis point out that making these critical changes require one individual to deal physical, emotional or material harm to another human being, just to survive or move forward to a perceived greater good.

 

In a study the researchers interviewed more than 100 professionals in four occupations and found patterns that were present in all four areas:

• Most people who performed difficult tasks, such as layoffs, downsizing or firing, experienced mixed emotions, such as sympathy, sadness, guilt, shame or even anger.
  
• Many of the people interviewed were acutely aware of the pain being experienced by those being terminated.
  
• Many people reported they often altered their conduct toward the individual being downsized or fired, depending on the needs of the victim, frequently tailoring their approach and/or responses to the unpredictable outcomes of the event.
  

 

However, whatever the outcome of the firing or layoff, most of those interviewed said they experienced intense emotions prior to, during and after these difficult conversations.

 

The researchers ultimately found four different approaches people most often used when performing these difficult tasks:

• First, understand yourself and recognize your limitations.
  
• It's often easier to improvise as the conversation unfolds rather than sticking to a script -- and the task of following the script often doesn't allow you to stay connected to your emotional reactions.
  
• Anticipate you will feel strong emotions when performing these necessary evils and the impact these emotions will have on you and the task.
  
• Create ways to manage yourself when under the intense emotions and stress of laying off another person. This will help you respond more effectively to whatever happens and will assist in leaving the other person with their personal dignity and respect.
  
• Ultimately, few people ever welcome these tasks but most understand the necessity of these actions in order to keep the company on a positive course.
  

 

So, here are a few tips to help the "victim" of a layoff or firing leave the conversation with their dignity and respect intact:

• Make it clear, in a layoff, that their performance is not impacting this action.
  
• Show respect for the contribution they have made to the company, whether poor performance is the reason for the firing or not. Leave them with their dignity.
  
• One funeral home manager said, "I tell them the position isn't right for them, that they would be better off working elsewhere. I never make it their fault, and, in many cases, when a funeral director moves on, their careers are actually improved."
  
• Even though firing or laying off an individual you've worked closely with is difficult, make every effort for them to leave with dignity and respect intact.
  
• One more tip: The day it doesn't bother you is the day you need to leave your job!
  

 

The researchers point out that the difficulty with the task of delivering the news of a layoff or firing is having to do two things at once " being compassionate and be direct.

 

Those being laid off want to sense that the person giving them the news is empathic and caring. However, the message must also be delivered in a clear and direct way. In an effort to be compassionate, and out of a desire not to appear hard-hearted, it is all too easy to try to sugarcoat the message or to ease into it.

 

So doers must actually behave in ways that can feel contradictory, at once delivering a clear, concise, and direct message while providing the time, support, caring touch, and assistance necessary to help the victim digest the message and begin the process of moving forward and as you move ahead, allow yourself to take care of you!

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