Two of my friends were laid off last week. My heart goes out to both of them, but I also pity their companies.
In both cases, rather than trying to determine whether the conflicts the company perceived had real ramifications, the companies released the employees. Both people were viewed by their organizations as machine components but the systems are malfunctioning. Now the businesses will need to hire and train replacements, and they will continue to be blind to organizational dysfunctions.
A 2011 academic study from Washington University School of Law asserts that the relationship between employees and employers is more akin to a marriage than it is to a mechanical interaction or transaction. The study’s conclusion is that laws should be crafted accordingly.
Other studies show that companies that treat all employees (including contractors and vendors) as partners rather than just flunkies, will profit from their underling’s insights and loyalty. They will have the advantage of their employee’s perspectives and will be better able to maintain efficiency and foster innovation. Firing employees is usually counter productive.
The Baby and the Bath Water
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Woodcut “Throwing the Baby Out With the Bath Water” from “Narrenbeschwörung” (“Appeal to Fools”) by Thomas Murner, 1512
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This woodcut was an illustration from a book published in 1512 which is the first time the aphorism “don’t throw the baby out with the bath water” appeared in print. The saying cautions people against discarding what they need when they dispose of what isn’t necessary.
I contend that the easy abandonment of employees is like throwing away the baby rather than giving him a bath. The baby needs to be washed because over time he becomes a little grubby. During day to day operations organizational procedures and policies inevitably become messy and contradictory and this is analogous to the dirty baby.
Organizational conflicts begin when informally developed practices are poorly communicated and unduly complex. It is difficult for an employee to conform when expectations aren’t standardized and don’t seem to correspond to organizational objectives. When there is an incident the employee is almost always perceived as the problem, and letting him or her go is the easy solution. But if you replace one of the dominoes in the machine, it is still overly complicated. Firing employees is easy but doesn’t improve the system.
The Value of Organizational Conflict
While conflict is uncomfortable, through conflict an organization will improve. This is because mindless compliance to unchallenged processes and protocols undermines employee commitment and efficiency. When the organization manages issues by hearing all points of view the group will be enriched and improved. There are many well-documented benefits to workplace conflict.
The Consequences of Employee Terminations
Quick and quiet resolutions don’t necessarily make good answers. Rather than getting to the bottom of any problems, the easy fix is to fire the employee who somehow brought attention to an issue. Neither of my friends wanted to do anything but get along and do a good job but, for whatever reason, they rubbed a higher-up the wrong way. Their explanations were not even considered.
Now neither former-employee has an income or any recourse to the dismissals in our Right to Work State. And neither company realizes that they have lost creative, conscientious workers and have wasted the opportunity to improve their organizations. In addition, morale among the remaining employees will be undermined as they see how their colleagues have been treated.
The majority of people who have demonstrated that they are qualified for a job intend to succeed after they have been selected. All they need is an opportunity to develop knowledge of the company and their job tasks. That takes time. Establishing trust between the supervisor and employee also takes time. The easy dissolution of relationships increases the likelihood that systemic problems will be exacerbated rather than improved.
We need to keep the baby safe when the bath water is discarded. Babies and employees are precious and should not be thrown away.
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