Some people are like Slinkys

Some people are like Slinkys.  They're not good for much, and you can't help but smile when you see them tumble down stairs.

This observation came to my mind this week when I witnessed one of my director inform a member that he would no longer be needed by the company. I could feel the stress in his throat, I could see the sweat invading his blue shirt, I could even picture his career tumbling into a infinite vertigo… I'm talking about the guy being laid off by the way, not the director. But then, maybe both now that I'm thinking about it.

But hey - the guy had been on the bench for 6 weeks and no client needed his expertise anymore, whatever it was, so it was goodbye - please give us your magnetic card - please sign here - tell us how great CGI has been - and here's the door. We make sure the process is swift and efficient, I don't want tears in the company lobby. For one thing, the floor could become slippery and someone could fall and sue us.

Truth is, people have a very limited expertise and you can't move them into a different position easily. They ask for training, they ask for support, they ask for god knows what, all this aimed at lowering your profitability. This is bad.

Imagine if Robert Nardelli - former GE vice president who was one of the final candidate to replace Jack Welch - had asked for weeks of training when he quit to become CEO at The Home Depot. Jee I know how to manage engineers who make a turbine, but look this whole lumber and faucet business is kinda new to me ya know, how to do you turn a faucet by the way, it's usually my secretary who does that and wipe my hands clean, could you give me some training while I ignore the company's next financier quarter?

Of course Bob asked for no training. And after that he went on to Chrysler to sink the company even further, but one thing he did not do was to whine and claim all sort of training sessions. Bob was a real man. 2000 years ago he would have been a gladiator.

So get your act together and stop bugging your director/VP for training and other stuff that sissies usually ask for. Train yourself for a change, and don't ask us for anything. We'll then be able to part the kids from the men when the time comes.