The Leading Edge - Summer 2009 - 14

Q&a in a nutshell by Chris desantis FEWER RETIREMEnTS PuT BRAkES on CoRPoRATE LADDER, noW’S TIME To RETHInk uP-DoWn STRuCTuRE Q: We expected some senior-level employees to retire in the next few years, but now aren’t going anywhere soon as their retirement accounts have depleted significantly. now our mid- and juniorlevel employees who had hoped to move up are questioning their future with our company. i don’t want to reply, “Be thankful you have any job even if you aren’t going to get promoted soon.” What should we do to address the non-retiring leaders and the desire of our junior employees to advance in the company? a: We have all been more than a bit taken aback by what has been happening in the economy. I can appreciate your senior-level employees concerns about their future security and the possible frustrations being felt by more junior people. They are not alone. Let’s start by addressing this question from another perspective: time. The event happening now has happened before and as the market is generally selfcorrecting, it will more than likely happen again. The question of the moment is how long will we be in this trough. I am an optimist (as the alternative makes for long, joyless days). Having said that, the financial community, for a number of years, has been distorting the market by taking a greater share of the profits than deserved or earned. If the market is in the process of correcting itself, then people who actually make things or deliver real value-added services will eventually see a return worthy of their efforts. This is good news for most of us. Recently, The Economist quoted a number of studies from sources including the World Bank and the World Economic Forum that the United States in one of the easiest places overall to do business and one of the most competitive places on earth. Our biggest fear shouldn’t be where we are at the moment, but rather that of complacency and wasting time reminiscing on how things used to be. This brings me back to your question. “What do you do to address the issue of the nonretiring employees? First, stop looking at your business as a strict hierarchy with the only possibility of movement (up) if someone above is no longer there. If senior executives are not leaving (now) and are producing, then view this as an opportunity. America is about reinvention and innovation. I think the only thing that needs to change is your firm’s present mindset. Make this an opportunity to re-examine your firm’s existing structure. Maybe it’s time to think about other ways of work that provide more than one path to success and security. Having worked on generational issues for some time, I know that there are a lot of young people who have no interest in moving up but still wish to contribute. Maybe now’s a good time to explore other options. Having your senior-level executives around to assist in bridging the transition to a different kind of structure is a godsend. During this troubling economic period, it’s the perfect time to look at your business and how it might be best organized for the future. But, discussions of the future should include thoughts and ideas from everyone. If you do embark on changing the way you work, it’s critical to get buy-in from the people who have to live the changes. Also, as you implied, your junior people are frustrated by the present situation. What better way to reduce that frustration then to bring them into the process of redesigning how to grow this business. It’s a question of attitude and will. Your attitude should be positive; you have been given an excellent opportunity to re-examine how the work is done. Do you have the will to seize it? e Chris DeSantis uses his 20 years’ experience in training and development as an independent consultant. He specializes in the design and delivery of management and organization development interventions. A presenter at Leading Edge Alliance seminars, DeSantis focuses his work on assisting individuals or groups in identifying obstacles to effectiveness and subsequently works with them to create user friendly solutions aligned with the company’s strategic initiatives. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from the University of Denver and an MA in organizational development from Loyola University. VOLUME 9 n do you have a workplace question you want answered? What do you want to know to make work a better place? send your questions to desantisCP@aol.com to get Chris desantis’ two cents as to what he thinks you might want to do. 14 ISSUE 4 n SUMMEr 2009

The Leading Edge - Summer 2009

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