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> Today is a sad day, and people will react in different ways. However you react, those emotions are real, and they matter. This was one of the hardest decision

> Today is a sad day, and people will react in different ways. However you react, those emotions are real, and they matter. This was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made in my life. It's unfortunate when CEOs neglect to mention the difficulties of those they fired — instead focusing on the the difficulties they faced in doing the firing

joeberon 7y ago
Yeah honestly very gross and distasteful to shift the difficulties away from the employees laid off to the person who still has the job. I don't care how guilty they might feel, they still have a job and the people who are laid off don't, and at a very scary time of their lives. No way I will pity this CEO in any capacity
- adampk 7y ago
  What language do you believe should be used?
ddebernardy 7y ago
That, and the fact that they're still advertising 12 job openings... https://lambdaschool.com/careers#jobs https://lambdaschool.com/careers#jobs
earthtobishop 7y ago
> However you react, those emotions are real, and they matter. This was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made in my life. > I want to publicly say thank you to everyone who has worked at Lambda for what you’ve contributed. I know you’ve given parts of who you are to Lambda, and to our students. You are part of our journey. You are the reason we are here. Thank you. He mentioned the difficulties of those who were fired by acknowledging that their emotions are real, and that they matter. And that this was an unfortunate decision he had to make. He also thanked them for all they have contributed . What else should he have said ?
- maximilianroos 7y ago
  How about: This decision will cause many of those we lay off to endure hardship. I apologize and accept responsibility for that. While I've struggled making this decision, that doesn't compare to the struggle of suddenly being out of work. To recognize these difficulties, we've offered a month of severance pay for every year people have worked here, and extended the expiry of their vested options to three years.
- woofie11 7y ago
  His quote was rather crass: "Today is a sad day, and people will react in different ways. However you react, those emotions are real, and they matter" There's a difference between "you feel sad you're fired" and "you'll miss your mortgage next month, because no one is hiring, and your kids may be kicked out of their school district as a result."
  - TulliusCicero 7y ago
    You seriously want him to bring up specific difficulties like missing rent payments? Why would you want him to rub salt into the wound like that?
    - woofie11 7y ago
      No. I'd like him to acknowledge that this will put employees in a genuinely difficult position, rather than just "I'm sorry people will feel bad." I brought up specific difficulties to point out how the non-specific platitudes downplayed them. You can be non-specific, while acknowledging the seriousness of a decision like this one.
jamestimmins 7y ago
I have a slightly different perspective. If I've bought into the team and believe in the mission, only to be let go by the team at some point, I want to know that it was a hard choice. Maybe it's just ego or maybe it's the desire for meaningful human connection, but the idea of losing my job and it meaning nothing to the person in charge just adds insult to injury. I like that he briefly addressed how hard the choice was, because it reinforces the message that each of these people matter.
tonyedgecombe 7y ago
I've been laid of twice in my career. In both cases I was rather happy about it and felt sorry for the person delivering the message.

joeberon 7y ago

Yeah honestly very gross and distasteful to shift the difficulties away from the employees laid off to the person who still has the job. I don't care how guilty they might feel, they still have a job and the people who are laid off don't, and at a very scary time of their lives. No way I will pity this CEO in any capacity

adampk 7y ago
What language do you believe should be used?

ddebernardy 7y ago

That, and the fact that they're still advertising 12 job openings... https://lambdaschool.com/careers#jobs https://lambdaschool.com/careers#jobs

earthtobishop 7y ago

> However you react, those emotions are real, and they matter. This was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made in my life. > I want to publicly say thank you to everyone who has worked at Lambda for what you’ve contributed. I know you’ve given parts of who you are to Lambda, and to our students. You are part of our journey. You are the reason we are here. Thank you. He mentioned the difficulties of those who were fired by acknowledging that their emotions are real, and that they matter. And that this was an unfortunate decision he had to make. He also thanked them for all they have contributed . What else should he have said ?

maximilianroos 7y ago
How about: This decision will cause many of those we lay off to endure hardship. I apologize and accept responsibility for that. While I've struggled making this decision, that doesn't compare to the struggle of suddenly being out of work. To recognize these difficulties, we've offered a month of severance pay for every year people have worked here, and extended the expiry of their vested options to three years.
woofie11 7y ago
His quote was rather crass: "Today is a sad day, and people will react in different ways. However you react, those emotions are real, and they matter" There's a difference between "you feel sad you're fired" and "you'll miss your mortgage next month, because no one is hiring, and your kids may be kicked out of their school district as a result."
- TulliusCicero 7y ago
  You seriously want him to bring up specific difficulties like missing rent payments? Why would you want him to rub salt into the wound like that?
  - woofie11 7y ago
    No. I'd like him to acknowledge that this will put employees in a genuinely difficult position, rather than just "I'm sorry people will feel bad." I brought up specific difficulties to point out how the non-specific platitudes downplayed them. You can be non-specific, while acknowledging the seriousness of a decision like this one.

jamestimmins 7y ago

I have a slightly different perspective. If I've bought into the team and believe in the mission, only to be let go by the team at some point, I want to know that it was a hard choice. Maybe it's just ego or maybe it's the desire for meaningful human connection, but the idea of losing my job and it meaning nothing to the person in charge just adds insult to injury. I like that he briefly addressed how hard the choice was, because it reinforces the message that each of these people matter.

tonyedgecombe 7y ago

I've been laid of twice in my career. In both cases I was rather happy about it and felt sorry for the person delivering the message.