The 10 Security Guard Problem

The 10 Security Guard Problem

You continue your first weeks working your new job at Slack Inc.? ? One Tuesday you enter the lunch room to hear a lot of raised voices and what appeared to be a heated debate.? A group of people were huddling around the ones arguing blocking your view.? You lean over to someone using the Microwave on the periphery of the crowd.??

"What's happening here?? What are they arguing about?"

The person at the Microwave is Helen, she's been with SI about 15 years.? She says, "Last week the new CEO cut the security guard team from 10 to 6.? Obviously not a popular decision.

You, "Ok what was that about, did they lose?a contract or something?"

Helen, "Well the word is that the CEO thought the department was bloated.? And that they should be able to easily do their job with half the staff.? There is a manager and supervisor and then 8 security?guards.? He cut four of the guards."

You, "Wow, without warning?? ?How did it go?"

Helen, "I honestly don't?know more than that.? I found out last week.? I know they said that with half the staff they could only do half their work.? So I don't?what the point was."

With that the Microwave dings, Helen grabs her food and makes her way to the door.

Well at least you have food to heat up, so it is just a conversation while waiting in line.? ?

Just as you are putting your food in, another Woman, Maria, steps up behind you to wait in line.? You remember Maria because when you met she said, "My name is just like Mario just with an A at the end."? For whatever reason that stuck in your head, you will never forget her name now.? You lean over to Maria and say, "Do you know?what's?going on with the Security Guard team?"

Maria, "What I know is that what they did isn't?going to work.? Meaning, that running the group with less people isn't?as easy as cutting it in half and thinking things will magically work."

You, "You don't?think they will adapt and be able to compensate?? Meaning use less people to get their work done?"

Maria, "I don't.? What you have there were 10 people who got used to operating with 10 people to do the job.? The manager set it up, the supervisor worked the schedule, and those guards have been working it that way a long time.? If it was an easy job, they aren't?all going to suddenly sign on to do a twice as hard of a job for the same pay.? It doesn't?matter if they were working 20 hours, and now only asked to work 40.? Sounds fair, but people used to working less are not suddenly going to work more."

You, "Even if it means saving their job?"

Maria, "They'd rather leave and find another easy job then spoil what they have here.? ?They have stayed here this long because of whatever situation they have work, pay, hours etc, they are not going to want to change that to be more work for no more pay.? And also, the Manager and Supervisor have been running that system for years.? If there is a way to do it with less people, they are not the ones that are going to figure it out.? ?If you want to rework that group to run with half the people, you have to get rid of everyone and start over.? ?I'm not saying to do that, just saying it's?a complex problem and it's not going to get fixed very well with a low effort solution."

You, "So you think the 6 left are going to leave?"

Maria, "If you try and get them to do double the work, then yes.? And since that was the whole point of this, likely that's what happens.? And if that happens, why wouldn't?you have just hired a new manager, had them train and start building a new team before you got rid of the old one?"

You, "I get it, it is a bit complex I guess."

Maria, "And honestly even a new team won't?work until you change incentives."

You, "You mean how much they are paid, bonuses?"

Maria, "People will do what they are incentivized?to do.? One big problem with contracts is that what's?good for the contract owner is not good for the contractor.? And often what's?good for Contractors is not good for the company who got the contract.? The workers are incentivized to act in ways not beneficial to the contract owner or Contract Company.? What do we expect is going to happen?? Wherever you are dangling the cheese is where people are going to go.? So if we are not happy with the way it turned out, we should dangle the cheese elsewhere.? ?Firing people and changing staff without changing incentives is just delaying the exact same thing happening again."

You, "I get it, you should be in charge."

Maria, "No thanks."