Why was I made redundant?

Being made redundant is certainly a hot topic at the moment, especially as it is now starting to impact on some of the media organisations e.g. TVNZ, Newshub?and Stuff. Journalists?love to sensationalise these types?of issues but we certainly can see it go to a new level when it affects?them personally. But what really surprises?me, is that even though they report on a wide range of political and economic environments most of them have not seen it coming or even believe that would directly affect them. In my view this lack?of visibility?is the biggest issue for the leaders to deal with, otherwise it?will happen time and time again.?

There is no doubt we will see more and more large?organisations?follow suit due to New?Zealand's current economic climate. We have already seen key examples like the Auckland council and the central government?taking significant steps to stop and reduce their spending to ensure they recorrect?the high and unproductive expenditure?created in the preceding?years. I am sure it will not be long before we also see similar impacts within the business?environment especially based on some of their recent financial performances.

Although?it appears much more evident in government?funded organisations, most large?public listed companies also ultimately have similar?issues. The facts are that most large organisations are forced to regularly look to restructure their business to ensure they bring their CODB under control to meet their ever changing economic or competitive?environment.

So why are we so surprised?when we are personally confronted with redundancies?

In my view it is simply because the leaders within these organisations do not know how to structurally?manage a high performance environment.

Most leaders talk about wanting to operate a high performance environment but fail to implement the discipline required?to achieve it. They fail to hold all the individuals in their team and wider company, truly?accountable for their?output. For example when a team is challenged to grow a certain sector or area of the business, the most common response?from the team?is that they will require extra resources to achieve?it. The biggest mistake?the leader makes is to look to approve that resource?without doing the correct due diligence?on both their existing team and the wider business.?

Leaders need to robustly review whether there could be some roles or specific functions that are no longer necessary and also whether everyone in their team is in fact operating at full capacity i.e. being stretched to achieve their KPI's?consistently. Leaders have to be prepared to communicate the difference between good pressure and bad pressure in a high performance?environment. Simply put, good pressure occurs when we are challenged?and enthused to be at our best and bad pressure occurs when we are not. Leaders have to also be prepared to actively communicate that all roles and responsibilities within the business are subject to?change, as and when required.

If the business culture is not right and the leaders are not relentless in actively streamlining?roles and responsibilities or not in tune with how the team is coping with good and bad pressure, then unproductive?structured silos appear and before you know it your CODB is out of control.

High performance?leaders know?how to manage and organise structures on a regular basis and as a result they don't have to undertake major restructures or blindside their employees with multiple redundancies, as it just becomes part of their everyday way of working!??