4/21/2009

I hate myself today....

After a lengthy and quite heated financial forecast meeting with top management here at 'the quarry', several things became very obvious. The most important of which was, some changes needed to be made immediately.

So this morning after our general meeting with the Production department, I was the one to hand pick some of them out of the crowd and ask them to stick around for another short session. Then I was the one that handed them their termination papers and I was the one, that looked into each pair of eyes and said, "I'm sorry."

I find myself considering an awful lot of numbers this morning. Numbers like I just terminated 25% of a group, that I'd been working with very closely. The shortest of which was for about 7 years. There are now 12 new people looking for gainful employment in a pretty rough time to do so. There are 12 spouses finding out today, that their loved one has lost his/her job this morning. And finally I know them all well enough to know, there are now 31 children out there wondering why their Mom or Dad isn't at work right now, or tomorrow, or the next day. 'The quarry' is a small'ish family run business and these people worked for me. I could recite all 31 of the children's names and probably get at least half of their ages correct if put to the task.

I've just touched at least 60 different lives, in a way that I wish I'd never had to. I don't really like me very much right now.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

8 comments:

StB said...

That is rough. Sorry to hear you had to do the dirty work.

gadzooks64 said...

Dang that must have sucked.

I can't think of anyone I'd rather have give me bad news. I know they could tell it was hard for you and that you genuinely cared.

Hope thinks start looking up soon for everyone's sake.

Riggstad said...

Listen you,

This is not your fault, nor your doing. The company as a team decided that changes need to be made to survive whatever else may come.

Now, the fact that you must be the message bearer certainly makes it phooey, but you mustn't put it on yourself as the bad guy.

YOU did not effect 60 lives today. You brought the news, that effected 60 lives today.

Not that it makes it any easier. I'll drink a bottle tonight with you in thought.

DrChako said...

I've been in that same position and it sucks. Firing folks is never fun (well, one time it was, but that's a whole other story). The flip side (and I can always find the flip side) is that the remaining folks still have a job that they are probably even MORE thankful for, and will probably work harder for it. I hope your cuts were targeted and purposeful - not like The Wife's, where they just picked a group and sliced them off the top.

I too will raise a glass in your direction tonight.

-DrC

lightning36 said...

Tough job, but at least it appears that your business did it the best way possible. Nothing you can do about it, but it still sucks regardless.

Memphis MOJO said...

I agree it sucks, but whatca gonna do?

PokahDave said...

That sucks a lot. You had no choice...

Dee said...

This is quite the downer of the first post for me to read on this here blog. Best of luck to you and hope things are looking up...