4 ms·

Relationship building is certainly useful, but how useful depends on context: in the recent layoffs at my company, the only person who might have been able to i

Relationship building is certainly useful, but how useful depends on context: in the recent layoffs at my company, the only person who might have been able to influence whether I was cut or not was four levels above me on the org chart. My manager, my manager's manager, and my manager's manager's manager were not even aware that layoffs were coming until after decisions had been made. For various reasons I don't think measures of my own performance would have made any difference, so I conclude that my project, however non-central to the company's business, was central enough.

red-iron-pine 4y ago
> Relationship building is certainly useful, but how useful depends on context: in the recent layoffs at my company, the only person who might have been able to influence whether I was cut or not was four levels above me on the org chart. My manager, my manager's manager, and my manager's manager's manager were not even aware that layoffs were coming until after decisions had been made. Aye. There is, in large companies, hidden away in a dark room far from most operations, an accounting department. And in that dept. there is an accountant, maybe an CPA or MBA, whose job it is to cut people. They're kept isolated so they have no connections to teams or staff -- no feelings, just numbers. Your boss and boss's boss may love you, but that accountant is there to make decisions without feelings. And when the decision is made, your boss may not know 'till the day of. Hell, their boss might not know.
- flashgordon 4y ago
  Actually this job isn't the accountants. The accountants job is to give the CFO a "number". The CFO then gives this number to the different vps with an edict "cut said numbers from your org in x weeks". VPs typically have a (long running) process of building up lists for a rainy day such as this - eg, bottom performers (this usually includes those have given managers the stinkeye), projects without good numbers, some randomness, those with high comp to level ratios etc. Oh and often one of the factors the "accountants" have to consider is a guidance that comes after the CFO has lunches with their wall st buddies!

red-iron-pine 4y ago

> Relationship building is certainly useful, but how useful depends on context: in the recent layoffs at my company, the only person who might have been able to influence whether I was cut or not was four levels above me on the org chart. My manager, my manager's manager, and my manager's manager's manager were not even aware that layoffs were coming until after decisions had been made. Aye. There is, in large companies, hidden away in a dark room far from most operations, an accounting department. And in that dept. there is an accountant, maybe an CPA or MBA, whose job it is to cut people. They're kept isolated so they have no connections to teams or staff -- no feelings, just numbers. Your boss and boss's boss may love you, but that accountant is there to make decisions without feelings. And when the decision is made, your boss may not know 'till the day of. Hell, their boss might not know.

flashgordon 4y ago
Actually this job isn't the accountants. The accountants job is to give the CFO a "number". The CFO then gives this number to the different vps with an edict "cut said numbers from your org in x weeks". VPs typically have a (long running) process of building up lists for a rainy day such as this - eg, bottom performers (this usually includes those have given managers the stinkeye), projects without good numbers, some randomness, those with high comp to level ratios etc. Oh and often one of the factors the "accountants" have to consider is a guidance that comes after the CFO has lunches with their wall st buddies!