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Planning and Managing Layoffs

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Re: Planning and Managing Layoffs

#101

Post by jbkiv »

rubidium wrote: post #87
jbkiv wrote: post #30

Different point of view: I was a Founder and CEO during the dot com era. The company survived and became successful ($2B revenues today). It may be unpopular, but I will give you a different view, the one from a Founder/CEO. After the dot com crash no VC could figure out the good from the bad in their portfolio companies. I was starting to get conflicting opinions from my board (4 VC’s and me, the Founder). “Become a…

I appreciate you sharing your experience, but if I was in the room I’d be upset that you didn’t handle it better for the sake of the remaining team AND the departing employees. The approach detailed in the above blog post is more appropriate for any situation with more than 10 employees.

Sure, but at some point if you really care, there is nothing you can do. And I also knew (and they did not know) that to make that happen, I would have to leave myself shortly after.

Re: Planning and Managing Layoffs

#102

Post by jbkiv »

masonhensley wrote: post #40
jbkiv wrote: post #30

Different point of view: I was a Founder and CEO during the dot com era. The company survived and became successful ($2B revenues today). It may be unpopular, but I will give you a different view, the one from a Founder/CEO. After the dot com crash no VC could figure out the good from the bad in their portfolio companies. I was starting to get conflicting opinions from my board (4 VC’s and me, the Founder). “Become a…

Thanks for sharing, have you written about any other experiences?

Not really. But the current crisis brings back memories. And a lot of similarities, unfortunately.

Re: Planning and Managing Layoffs

#103

Post by troelsSteegin »

This is a how-to article on a difficult administrative procedure --laying off employees. What stands out for me is the emphasis on employee dignity. As a manager, the layoff might feel like its about you, but it's really about them. Accommodate, but don't indulge their emotions.

What's missing is that a layoff conversation is also the beginning of a breakup. The economic truth may be transactional, but the lived experiences is emotional. Highly invested professional relationships are changing irrevocably. maybe it was great, maybe it wasn't. These employees have served the mission of your company. If they showed up to work, they were trying. As an employee, one can feel discarded. In this setting, the one emotion a manager should not suppress is gratitude: don't forget to say thank you.

Re: Planning and Managing Layoffs

#104

Post by jbkiv »

californical wrote: post #69
jbkiv wrote: post #30

Different point of view: I was a Founder and CEO during the dot com era. The company survived and became successful ($2B revenues today). It may be unpopular, but I will give you a different view, the one from a Founder/CEO. After the dot com crash no VC could figure out the good from the bad in their portfolio companies. I was starting to get conflicting opinions from my board (4 VC’s and me, the Founder). “Become a…

I really appreciate you for sharing your story, thank you. As someone hoping to found a company in the next 5-10 years, this is my nightmare scenario as well. I'm glad it all worked out for everyone in the end, and it sounds like your employees really trusted and cared for you add much as you did them. I'm only a couple of years into my career, so I knew but never fully understood how bad the dot com (and 08) recessi…

My best advice for you today is to be super frugal. Don't buy the fancy car, don't buy the condo, don't sign a long lease. A low burn for yourself will lower your stress and will offer you a lot of options. If you like your job and the company stay put and work more if you can. Your leadership will be struggling at some point to survive. Your CEO/Founder will feel very, very lonely. Go meet with him/her, tell him how you feel and offer help. Even if the company collapses you will end up working with a lot of the same folks down the road. You will create memories and will bond with other folks in a less superficial way. As they say this is fucking hard. More than you can imagine. Ben Horowitz wrote a good book, The Hard Thing About Hard Things. In his case, it ended well, but most likely it will not end well for a lot of people.

Be sympathetic. Empathy is important. This is too late to be cynical or overly critical

Good luck.

Re: Planning and Managing Layoffs

#105

Post by seanmcdirmid »

whatever1 wrote: post #57

These posts bring me to the realization that you should never go above and beyond for a company that you don’t own. Just show up, do the bare minimum to meet expectations, finish your 8 hour shift and go home and enjoy quality time with your family. This way when you get laid-off there is nothing to cry for. You can always find an occupation, but you cannot get back the time that you dedicated to fulfill someone else…

If you are only doing a job for the financial payoff, then I guess. If you are interested in the work and want to develop yourself, the Wally mindset is a horrible way to spend your time.

Re: Planning and Managing Layoffs

#106

Post by underdeserver »

whatever1 wrote: post #57

These posts bring me to the realization that you should never go above and beyond for a company that you don’t own. Just show up, do the bare minimum to meet expectations, finish your 8 hour shift and go home and enjoy quality time with your family. This way when you get laid-off there is nothing to cry for. You can always find an occupation, but you cannot get back the time that you dedicated to fulfill someone else…

Over time I've come to disagree with this sentiment.

If you're a software engineer you should consider yourself a craftsman. Treating your job as a "shift" means you don't care about your craft.

The reason I'm not a founder today is that I've observed that founders don't have well rounded lives. I want 5 workdays a week to consist of 8-9 hours of work I'm invested in and care about, 8-9 hours of personal life (relationships, socializing, working out, reading, personal projects, hobbies, TV and games, etc.) and the rest in sleep. I want two days a week off.

So what, I have to give up doing work I care about because of it? I don't think so. I choose work I think is important, technically deep and challenging, and if droppings hit the fan and I get laid off - I can be proud of what I did and understand that the pain is real and that it will pass.

Better to have loved and lost.

Re: Planning and Managing Layoffs

#107

Post by techybuddha »

underdeserver wrote: post #106
whatever1 wrote: post #57

These posts bring me to the realization that you should never go above and beyond for a company that you don’t own. Just show up, do the bare minimum to meet expectations, finish your 8 hour shift and go home and enjoy quality time with your family. This way when you get laid-off there is nothing to cry for. You can always find an occupation, but you cannot get back the time that you dedicated to fulfill someone else…

Over time I've come to disagree with this sentiment. If you're a software engineer you should consider yourself a craftsman. Treating your job as a "shift" means you don't care about your craft. The reason I'm not a founder today is that I've observed that founders don't have well rounded lives. I want 5 workdays a week to consist of 8-9 hours of work I'm invested in and care about, 8-9 hours of personal life (relati…

You’ve never lost and loved something too much yet. This can be very bad advice for many people.

Re: Planning and Managing Layoffs

#108

Post by techybuddha »

cwyers wrote: post #66
whatever1 wrote: post #57

These posts bring me to the realization that you should never go above and beyond for a company that you don’t own. Just show up, do the bare minimum to meet expectations, finish your 8 hour shift and go home and enjoy quality time with your family. This way when you get laid-off there is nothing to cry for. You can always find an occupation, but you cannot get back the time that you dedicated to fulfill someone else…

That's true if you don't need recommendations from the people you're working with to get your next job, if you don't want to get promotions (which help you get better jobs down the road!), and if you are content to spend 40 hours a week from now until you retire just coasting through life. I think a better way to look at it is -- don't be loyal to something that can't be loyal to you. But you can and should let yours…

You are worth more than your job title. You get paid for a job. Value yourself first and foremost.

Re: Planning and Managing Layoffs

#109

Post by techybuddha »

TsomArp wrote: post #85
lnsru wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was intern in 2008 and working very hard. Doing not only mandatory things, but also taking care of lab equipment and helping neighbor labs. Very loyal, no distractions, sitting in the lab until late and working probably 1,5x or even 2x more hours I was paid for. And then boom! My manager came and told, they must throw away all the interns to save the costs. Throw away me and the other intern who worked in kitchen w…

I can understand you working 100% and no more. And I can live with it if I was your manage.r But no loyalty, no team spirit? No way. For me it is a two way road. I give you flexibility to work remote some days, to arrive at 10 some days, to leave earlier others, but in exchange I expect that you some days will work more hours, arrive earlier or leave latter, and maybe work some weekends. It should be a balance.

“Team spirit or no way!” is how you end up with layoffs.

A team/company’s culture is WAY more than your own personal work ethic. Some people won’t think how you do. And that’s fine and should be encouraged!

Re: Planning and Managing Layoffs

#110

Post by bluntfang »

underdeserver wrote: post #106
whatever1 wrote: post #57

These posts bring me to the realization that you should never go above and beyond for a company that you don’t own. Just show up, do the bare minimum to meet expectations, finish your 8 hour shift and go home and enjoy quality time with your family. This way when you get laid-off there is nothing to cry for. You can always find an occupation, but you cannot get back the time that you dedicated to fulfill someone else…

Over time I've come to disagree with this sentiment. If you're a software engineer you should consider yourself a craftsman. Treating your job as a "shift" means you don't care about your craft. The reason I'm not a founder today is that I've observed that founders don't have well rounded lives. I want 5 workdays a week to consist of 8-9 hours of work I'm invested in and care about, 8-9 hours of personal life (relati…

better to have loved something that's not making someone else more money than what they think your work is worth.
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