Tag Archives: management

Planning to lay-off people?

Here’s a question for slash-and-burn artists that, er, begs the question: “To make the workforce redundant, doesn’t one person need to stay?”

Gucci’s CEO Robert Polet, who is profiled as Europe Businessman of the Year by FORTUNE magazine (“Galvanizing Gucci“, 21 Jan 2008), did something that most executives in his position would consider taboo. According to the FORTUNE article: “At the PPR gathering, in Lisbon, Polet climbed onto the rostrum and, in front of then vice chairman… Read More »

Another cost cutter gets recognised

Hewlett-Packard’s CEO Mark Hurd has been named BusinessWeek‘s businessperson of the year, but judging by the opinions of some (disgruntled) current and former HP employees, it looks like Hurd is hardly deserving. Unfortunately, Wall Street and the mainstream media appear to have a curious fascination with executives who can slash and burn their way through… Read More »

Practical career tips

You are always on your own. Even if you work for a big company, you will always be on your own. Companies aren’t people. They’re things and they don’t have feelings. If you are expecting the company to “take care of you” or “do the right thing”, you’ll be disappointed. There are no strong bonds… Read More »

Right people, right jobs

Does your company have a problem in recruiting the right person for the right job? Here’s how to avoid putting a square peg in a round hole. Place about 100 bricks in a particular order in a closed room with an open window. Then send the candidates into the room and close it from outside.… Read More »

How the ax falls, Filipino-style

According to a colleague of mine, the following is apparently an “ISO-certified” practice of eliminating redundancies in an organisation in the Philippines: — 48 hours before shutting down the operation, SWAT teams in janitorial disguise conduct metal detector/security checks in the premises. — 24 hours before shutting down the operation, maintenance is instructed to ship… Read More »