"Let's See What Happens"

There is another management 'policy' that seems to be making the rounds, especially during times of downturn. I call it the 'Let's see what happens' policy.

Have you ever seen a company, that upon losing a senior manager, did not immediately have a replacement ready to step in? Very few. Very, very few. To me this is the proper way to do things. When you are about to lose an employee, you are about to lose valuable experience, doesn't it make sense to hire someone before they leave and get that experience transferred (to an extent)? Apparently not, as workers leave, more and more companies are not replacing working personnel (or should I say 'working resources'?). The operative policy is to do nothing, but if you've read this blog at all, you realize that is the normal operating procedure for management--do nothing.

Think about it! It saves management from laying off a person!

Of course, the hidden problem (well, not hidden to the workers, only to management) is that something does not get done. Usually this will not be apparent immediately as other workers scramble to fill the gap. These days there is never any extra capacity so something will not get done. The consequences are usually weeks to months in the future.

At my current job, we recently lost our best final test technician. We are left with 2 final test technicians, one undergoing serious health problems and the other is just plain useless. When the production manager was asked when the departed was going to be replaced, he remarked that he is going to 'monitor the situation'. The sad thing is that we are one of the industries that is not undergoing a downturn.

Will they ever learn?