Re: Tuesday's news: cost-cutting measures

[eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com]

<<Consider this example: You hire two teenagers in your neighborhood to do some
yard work around your house. The first guy is very good and gets the job done,
but swears and calls you names the entire time he is working. The second kid is
okay, but gracious and friendly. Although the first guy may be a genuinely more
competent worker, his piss-poor attitude eventually shines through in his work
and his dealings with you.

Guess which kid gets fired first when money is tight?>>


I agree completely with the analogy you give. But that isn't the situation under
discussion is it? To discuss the case Jane is faced with:

If money was tight and the homeowner approached each kid separately and asked
for cost cutting measurements my response would be as follows: "What's the other
kid offering?". If I was the second kid, perhaps I would be astute enough to
suggest firing the first kid and that I would pick up my pace a little. Or, for
an increase equal to half of what the other kid was making do the work of two.
But, if the homeowner just bought a brand new SUV and sent their kids off to
some expensive camp/vacation and then came to me and said things were tight, how
can you cut costs. I think I'd tell them to stuff it as cutting my minimum wage
job certainly isn't where the belt needs tightened.

On the other hand, if the homeowner was obviously suffering financially and came
to me and asked for cost cutting measures, I'd probably easily accept a wage cut
and a change in working conditions provided that the homeowner was a decent
boss/client to begin with. (And I have done this in exactly this scenario
before. Made my spare change cutting lawns and tending gardens for various
people throughout high school and less so in college.)

I would bet that in any scenario the bad mouthed kid would react negatively and
be axed.

If asked to cut costs in the corporate world, I think the first question to be
asked is "What's the company strategy?".

Eric L. Dunn




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