Last Friday, I had lunch with some old co-workers. It was great seeing them again, it had been long overdue. As lunch progressed we caught up on old times, how things are going today, and about the recent changes that the organization has been going through were affecting everyone.
Like many organizations recently, my former workplace has been undergoing a change that involves closing of facilities, reduction in (work)force (RIF), and budget cutbacks to name a few. My friends were telling me about how throughout the organization there were some individuals that had been with the org for a very long time. During the conversation, my friends were telling me that they were sent to one of the locations, that is scheduled to close, to help with the draw-down of equipment, records, and personnel all of which comes to a conclusion by end of August.
The added that while they were are the closing location they met a man that was worried about his future. They told that he said that he had given the organization over 20 years of dedicated service and they let him go just like that. He went on to say that no one wants to hire an "old man" who only worked in supply his entire career with the organization. My friends said that they were really upset about his situation and wished they could do something.
I took it all in and told both of them to not feel bad about this individual. Here this guy had twenty years of good solid work but what did he do with those twenty years? Did he go and get himself an education? Did he go get certified in something that would make him a valuable enough asset that the organization would find a place for him? Did he decide to do something with his time other than off at 5:00 PM and home by 5:05 PM, no work on Saturday and Sunday, enjoy the holidays and major holidays off, and above all did he sit there and collect a paycheck? I could see their jaws hit the floor.
I said that I was not trying to be mean nor sound like I was the most heartless, ruthless, cold-blooded individual this side of Ebenezer Scrooge but I cannot feel sorry for someone who would rather sit there as an organization takes over 8 years to get to this point and then have the nerve to ask "What happened?" or better still with 20+ years of opportunity to better his place in life have the gall to say "Please feel sorry for me, look at what the man went and did to me. Put me out on the street so they could save some money."
Well buddy, if in 20 years you couldn't do something to better yourself, then the organization was well overdue to save some money.
Fair warning to everyone: The writing is on the wall and times are constantly changing. If you are not ready for when the hammer falls, there is no one to blame but yourself (and ONLY YOURSELF).
As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com
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