The term in itself is not as cliche as some of the buzz words in our industry (Jessica Lee and my fellow FOT writers covered this topic on FOTv earlier). But… this buzzword is being used more and more as we work through this challenging economy. To some companies, employee cuts are simply a matter of economics, while others have used the down economy to terminate an employee or employees that were non-performers – and performing poorly well in advance of the economy going south. You may know them as the C player(s) or the “dead wood” in a company.
Right-sizing, down-sizing, reductions in force or other definitions of human capital restructuring is a reality – and this practice should not be limited only in a down economic environment. But back to my point… Identifying the A & B players while sending the C players out to pasture is going to continue as we look ahead in the coming months. I happen to think the process is good in a growing economy OR one that is contracting. It puts the “X” factor on having every employee deliver more value. Now that’s a concept!
Let’s face it – why would any company that manufactures, markets, sells, delivers and services their products and services want any non-performing (C Player) to face their customers and represent their company and brand. I wouldn’t!!! The tides have shifted a bit and many excellent employees in industries that have been affected the most have been economically and emotionally hurt. I get that – and my heart goes out to good hard working people that were doing a great job and lost their job – I know they are feeling the sting. What I don’t feel bad about are the “empty suits” that have just managed to “get by” who are now under pressure to perform at much higher levels than they ever have before. That’s the silver lining I see in this current economy. The downturn in itself is ”raising the bar” in personal performance as employees want to ensure their continued employment. Companies continue to ”thin the herd” to preserve cash. Not in all cases – but in many - the A and B players have a chance to shine.
This is a time when employees should step up their game, work hard, represent their company and products in the best way possible, deliver value and raise their level of personal performance. Employees that just continue to get by should look for the the other shoe to drop.
“C players” beware - that shoe will eventually drop. It’s only a matter of time…
My company recently laid off about 100 people (out of 1500) and I was relieved when they clearly stated that C players were at the top of the list regardless of position. Some companies will actually be better off when things recover because they would have been stuck with those clowns for years. This might also explain why a few friends of mine in hiring positions tell me the quality of candidates is still pretty low despite the huge number of applicants.
Jimbob – “C” players should always be at the top of the list in any Reduction in Force (RIF). Your company will be better off as a result of removing the dead weight.
Tim…great post…wrote a little about this recently: “Take out the garbage. Regularly assess your talent. Continually ask yourself this Zero Based Thinking Question: If I had not hired this person, knowing what I now know, would I hire them back again today? If the answer is no, then nudge them out quickly or terminate them. They will only bring the rest of your team down.”
I’ve never met a business owner who said to me, you know Ron, I just didn’t hold onto that underperformer long enough.
Keep up the great posting.
Ron
http://www.ronmcnutt.com
Great point Ron. No need to pour money down a black hole. Make the change and move quickly. That is exactly what companies should do. Now more than ever!