Looking Beyond The Bottom Line

John's face expressed confusion as he related his story; he simply didn't understand how such a thing could have happened so quickly. But it had. Build over decades, a once-fierce camaraderie had eroded, and many were caught in the backwash. John was among them.

Like a family, the employees of his company had seen some dark days. Still, they had survived. Sure, there were hurts and scars, but they had stuck together when the going was tough. That's the nature of strong families. And John was glad to be a part of one. He well remembers when the family's fabric began to unravel.

A new boss came aboard and broke the family apart. They would now be a TEAM. Families were wimpy. Employees who could overlook failures and shortcomings in each other were weaklings. But teams? Well, they're different. Everyone must perform; everyone must be strong. All of the time. And if some can't measure up--no matter what the reason--they must be replaced with those who can. No excuses.

Coldhearted? Not to Boss. A day's pay for a day's work was his war cry; faithful tenure meant nothing. Big changes must be made. Deadwood must be cut.

Older workers were "encouraged" to retire; others were callously fired. Apparently with an eye on the "bottom line," Boss finagled the retirement plan to strip almost everything from anyone who left before the "magic age." He still managed to feather his own nest, and bitterness crept in.

And what about that exodus of trained workers? Experience was cheap, Boss alleged; they would just hire contractors. Releasing the contractors during slack times would make the bottom line look even better. Why pay an employee year-round?

Boss got all the wheels rolling but was squished himself in the process. Though a swelling sea of problems forced Boss to abandon ship, John still lives with the painful legacy he left behind. Contractors can't be found, and there are no new trainees in the pipeline. The remaining older employees resent having to take up the slack. Realizing that they could be cut from the team's roster any day, they endure, hoping to salvage their retirement benefits.

General Colin Powell had a good thought when he said, "Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence." Unfortunately, John's company is missing one key factor in the equation. When Boss squandered long-term loyalty for short-term profit, the company's reputation quickly plummeted.

Simply stated, loyalty is maintaining faithfulness, even during trying times. John continues to work, not because he's loyal, but because he hopes to reach the magic age. "Then I'm outta there," he confided.

Uncompassionate demands for increased performance don't breed loyalty that will endure trial and tribulation. Loyalty grows from shared burdens and goals with a blind eye to many mutual faults, both in companies and in personal relationships.

Loyal employees had been the company's greatest asset. Boss could have seen that... had he looked beyond the bottom line.

Copyright 1999 James McAlister

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