Space for Change
Search website
  • Home
  • Services
  • About Miriam
  • Appreciative Inquiry
  • Strengthscope ™
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Interesting Links
  • Contact Space For Change

Welcome to my blog - The People Factor!

I am both fascinated by and passionate about matters of change, leadership and personal freedom and growth - so here are some of my thoughts on the topics! I would love to hear yours!

Click here to return to Home page

Downsizing – The Human Story

10/23/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Have you been through a redundancy or early retirement process recently, either as ..

  • An employee leaving
  • An employee staying with the company
  • An HR person or leader managing the downsizing process
  • A union official supporting staff?
For some, redundancy or early retirement, is a welcome opportunity to pursue dreams or take a well-earned break. For others, it can be a diminishing experience, leaving them unprepared and ill equipped for their new lives.

In some companies, the process is handled very well, with sensitivity, consideration and foresight. In others, it can be cold, clinical and rushed.

In researching best practices for redundancy processes, I can find plenty of material to help companies cover themselves legally and reduce costs, but very little in the line of how to manage the human story here. I personally have been through a very well managed redundancy process. I left feeling appreciated and well looked after. But I am meeting many people who have not shared the same experience.

A downsizing or redundancy process affects everyone it touches, be it the people leaving, the people remaining behind, the leaders who have had to make the decisions – or at the very least, communicate the decisions and support the staff, the HR staff who have to implement the process and the trade unions who have to represent the staff. It can be stressful, harrowing, enraging, scary and confusing and yet if handled thoughtfully and sensitively, it can allow people to move through it, to have good endings and positive beginnings and feel appreciated and empowered.

I would like to start a conversation here that will, through the stories of real life experiences, allow us to paint a picture of the practices that will make the Human Story of Downsizing an uplifting one – that will be a guide to other organisations who are facing this challenge so that they can care for all their people well through the process.

If your experience of a redundancy or early retirement process was a positive one, please share it with us and tell us what were the key things about it that made the difference for you.

If your experience of a redundancy or early retirement process was a negative one, please tell us what hurt you and what were the most important things in your opinion that would have made a difference to you. What would you ask the company or organisation to do differently?

Let’s learn from all the experience we have recently had in this field and put it to some good use!


0 Comments

    Author

    Miriam O'Connell is an experienced change management consultant and leadership coach. She has worked across many industries both as an internal and external consultant. She is passionate about everything to do with creating thriving organisations and with enabling leaders to tap into their own wisdom and values to lead effectively and courageously.
    You can contact Miriam by email at miriam@spaceforchange.ie

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Archives

    May 2015
    July 2014
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    January 2013
    October 2012
    May 2012
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    Challenge
    Change
    Conversation
    Death
    Employee Engagement
    Leadership
    Life
    People Factor

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    RSS Feed

Privacy Policy