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Survivor
Syndrome
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Surveys
show that job security is a thing of the
past and few people nowadays would doubt the
impact of redundancy on our attitude to
work.
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What’s
odd, of course, is that this applies as much
to people who survive redundancy as to those
who suffer from it.
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I
was talking recently to an American company
which had gone through a period of major
change. They had restructured and, yes, they
had downsized. But now things were looking
pretty good. The redundancies had gone
through six months before, the remaining
staff were all in their new posts and the
business was doing well not least because of
a very successful entry into
a growth market area.
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But
the Human Resources Manager was worried
about morale. Even though the remaining
staff seemed set pretty fair for a secure
future, many were worried that “it might
be their turn next.” Result ?
As she said in a not-very-ladylike
way, no one was “busting a gut” to
improve the company’s performance.
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This
seems to be common after major change. Staff
feel unsettled that people they once worked
with are no longer there. They complain that
they now have to do more than they once did
(how often have we heard a snatch of
conversation in the canteen that begins:
“and now they expect us to…”) and some
simply worry that they may not be up to the
job in the new setting.
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I
don’t know any magic solutions to this.
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I
do believe, however, that clear
communication of job requirements and
straightforward statements about what
management expect, supported by relevant
training, can help. The fear won’t go
completely but it can be put in its place by
greater staff self-confidence.
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As
Star Trek’s Mr. Spock said: “live
long and prosper.”
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