My manager acted very strange on Friday. He avoided looking and talking at me and one more guy in our team. He was visibly distressed. He's a relatively new to management, and is generally OK guy, who so far treated as fair.
So I wonder - can it be that he got the news that two his folks (including me) will be cut next week?
Has any manager heard already about casualties in their teams?
I'm just doing my job.
By following orders, you are doing a lousy job.
Anyone recommend a good employment attorney?
I am a mgr and know the people who will be cut in my team. I got this info on Aug 1st. To avoid my employees from reading my face or body language, I canceled all my team meetings. I don't stick around the office too much. Hide, hide, hide and pretend to be busy in the conference room. I will send out the 1-1 for the 2 folks who will be LR'ed just after the 4th Q earnings release. As you all speculated, the 1-1s will commence on Thur Aug/17. Don't call me names, I'm just doing my job. Blame the upper management for driving us off the cliff.
With love from Russia. Muuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaa!!!!!
What I came to know is the list will be prepared much in advance (for May 2017 LR they decided the list in the 1st week of Apr 2017). They make sure there are no legal issues with the candidates being LRed and then only finalize the list.
Most of the time for upper management, it's not who is working/ not working effectively. For them, it's how much budget and how many people from a team.
Rather than laying off lower level employees they should lay off VPs and SVPs who don't how to increase business and just think LRing people will save money.
Managers who have to inform impacted employees already know. And have probably known for a while--1-to-2 weeks.
As said earlier, they have to receive training to ensure that they follow the HR script. They have to have everything printed out, ready to hand to you when you come in for that unexpected 1-on-1 meeting.
Under the previous CEO, the WFR/LR dates were announced well in advance and managers typically sent your invite the in advance. I know people who got their invites late Fri night for Tue morning meetings.
Under the current CEO, now the announcements come during the earnings call and impacted employees are notified the very next morning. I got a meeting invite sent just before the earnings call that was scheduled for first thing the very next morning. I knew exactly what it was even though I hadn't yet listened to the earnings call.
My manager had been a manager for a long time. I don't know how many times he's had to do this before, and luckily our team rarely takes a hit, but he let ZERO signs of it show in how he talked w/ us right up until the axe fell.
While it really s---ked getting cut, he handled it with dignity and professionalism. Others I've heard, not so much.
Good luck.
HR preps the first line manager at least 2 weeks ahead of time - providing them the package to review and the script to follow, plus training is required. UNLESS, the first line manager is also impacted by the LR - then it moves up a level (sr.manager/director/VP). If the first line manager is impacted, then he/she will have no details on who, what , when is about to happen. They are kept in the dark. First line manager ALWAYS rolls up names - then based on the OPEX, higher levels decide the real cut. If the first line manager doesn't know what is going on - means one of THREE things. 1) none of his/her team is impacted 2) He/she (first line manager) is impacted 3) he/she (first line manager) AND his/her team is impacted. Best advice given by others - hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Welcome to the new Cisco. Its a great place to work. Hahahahaha....
Come on. You have to ask that?
From my experience, manager gives upper management feedback (or ranking of team members).
Then upper management gives manager the revised list.
This happens a few days ahead.
If the manager gave list with someone ranked low, well... you probably have till Friday.
Humans are not very good at hiding signs of distress. I'd start working on your linkedin profile and your resume. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
At least with JC, there was a different tone of LR'ing most of the people at once.
It felt like there was a shift in LR "culture" with the arrival of CR and new EVP team; moving to a Soprano "hit" type subliminal ongoing targeted LR under-the-radar constant mini-purge.
However, or whomever, decided that this shift makes sense; do they care on the effect of organizational health?
People commit to relationships and give the best of themselves when they feel safe. In a scenario of no formal reviews, you have no process of knowing how Cisco really feels about you.
So without reviews, like a bad marriage, you are left to guess on how good of a job you are going in the relationship. Like a bad marriage, the partner will only guess on what to give because the other person might not want a relationship with you this time next week, month or year. Choose the time target; they are in control...but will say "everything is fine", with a smile on their face. Just like "everything is fine" on a Cisco Beat show.
If you are feeling anxious, can't sleep, or just don't feel the same as you did a few years ago...maybe it isn't just you getting older...it's the shift within the place you spend most of your waking hours most of the week.
In my case in 2014, my 1st line manager did not know I was impacted. My 2nd line manager created the target list and its director approved it.
If your first line manager who was always content with your deliverables is suddenly doubting or complaining about your performance without particularly pinpointing the areas of improvement is the first sign of you (and in worse case scenario, the first line himself/herself) included in the LR nominees list.
Like so many others have already shared here, It is the VP or the director who decide the candidates to be LR'd based on several 'parameters' and usually nominated by their 'selected' reporting managers/program managers.
Bottomline: There is no right or a wrong answer, just choose what works for you between Identifying yourself among the influential managers/program managers troop to survive (without complaining about your personal values, work ethics, self respect blah blah..) or get a life outside (beyond your comfort zone).
make sure they sh-- their pants when they give you the news. usually they hand you an envelop and ask you to report to HR. Do not smile and give them a blank stare. have a friend call his number while you are having the meeting to distract him. have someone call you and tell him you have to step outside to take the call. if you want to be overly dramatic you can tear the envelop into shreads.