Clearly there are many mistakes that senior management can make that will hinder the ability of a lean transformation from taking root in the organization. One of the most emotionally charged mistakes is how the business approaches layoffs and the way that it is communicated to the workforce. Unfortunately, lean has a perception of being a means to reduce the workforce instead of creating a more powerful and talented workforce. The senior management at Wiremold approached this in the right way by alleviating these concerns in the beginning by guaranteeing jobs for the workforce (Womack & Jones, 2003).
I have been on both sides of the table where layoffs are concerned. I have experience being the senior manager having to put lists of protected employees together and delivering the bad news to people that I have hired. I have also been in the position of having my job eliminated due to efficiencies in the operations. This is clearly an emotionally charged situation that influences how the business is perceived by associates and customers alike. In this new digital age disgruntled workers can blog about poorly managed layoffs in a way that can seriously damage a company.
QUESTION:
How would you advise a company that wanted to leverage lean to reduce their workforce quickly?