Jay Leno’s exit from his 22 year stint on the Tonight Show
reminds me of something that has been happening a great deal throughout America; many of
our older workers are being pushed out by younger staff.
It used to be that an employee was true to a company and
stayed with them, many times throughout his or her entire career. The company, in return, treated him or her
fairly well and appreciated their service and dedication. Not any more.
When Jay Leno ended the show in tears and said that this has
been the greatest job of his life, many of us nodded our heads in
agreement. We felt that way about our
jobs too. When he said that he’d lost his mom, dad and brother while he was working with the show,
many of us were of the same mind. When he said that the cast and crew had
become his family and that he took pride in their accomplishments, it brought
many of us back too.
A company is a living, breathing organization and it has a
personality not unlike the people it hires. When the times dictate changes and
the older staff are pushed out it’s painful for everyone; even the staff that
gets to stay. Motivation plummets and
uncertainty reigns.
The times have changed and this new approach to hiring and
firing has become the norm. Unfortunately, the warmth and personality that were
once hallmarks of an organization have disappeared in the name of good business
sense. May all the older causalities of workforce
reductions be as graceful and humble as Jay Leno.
No comments:
Post a Comment