All posts tagged redundancy

A new career with noise

I’m learning the trumpet.

These few innocent words create a dreaded audible fear in your family, neighbours and those that live in your street. Why, apparently it as something to do with the noise, which is unpredictable, loud and makes a cow’s mooing sound more attractive to the listeners ears.

Yes, I will make mistakes, and I do sound a tad awful, but I am told that with practice, persistence and a willingness to learn from my errors, I should improve. However, time will be the judge, as will my wife’s patience and honesty.

Recently my role was made redundant after many years of service which was totally unexpected. The rational, an organizational restructure. The result, unemployment.

One could wallow and say “why me”, but then again, it’s just like learning the trumpet. The first step is to decide that it’s time to try something new and to make the most of this different and unknown life opportunity. Not everyone may decide that a musical instrument is the next move, some may seek a new career path, play golf, lawn bowls, travel, retire or go part-time. Me, I’m yet to decide, maybe I will do all of these activities, however, I suspect that being a concert trumpet player may be slightly out of my immediate reach?

But I do have the objective to make some hullabaloo, and to have fun doing it and to learn a new life skill, regardless of how unpleasant it may be in the short term.

Some may say that age could be a barrier, but I view it differently. I just see experience and a knowledge that can mentor and train those with less years in the corporate world, just like my trumpet teacher that is crafting a new skill in my personal repertoire.

Yes, I’m going to make a raucous commotion, one that can be heard and distinctly recognized as my unique and innovative persona, and maybe get a tiny bit better at the trumpet along the way….

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by Steven Cramer on November 2, 2025  •  Permalink
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Posted by Steven Cramer on November 2, 2025

https://thinkingfuturethoughts.com/2025/11/02/a-new-career-with-noise/

The Retirement Rebirth

The year is 2125 and I have now been in cryogenic retirement for the past 100 years. I vividly recall my last day in the corporate office when my career became literally frozen in time.

As my mind starts the thawing process, I wonder what awaits me as I re-enter the workforce. The first question that puzzles me is, why now? Yes, I have been “on ice” for the past century, and for what reason should I be awoken from my forced corporate sabbatical slumber?

I awake to see a room full of excited business people in casual clothing gesticulating around me as my corporate consciousness quickly regains my innate faculties. They gleefully welcome me into their relaxed business world with sighs of relief and wonderment.

I look intently at their faces with puzzlement and seek an answer to my question.

Over the following day, I learn their predicament.

The Goldfish:
These employees have the attention span of a goldfish. Owing to the memory dilution influences of prolonged social media, they cannot concentrate for a period longer than 3 minutes. They all wear name tags as their interpersonal recognition is essentially non-existent which makes teamwork an impossibility.

Strategic Analysis:
Their reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) has eroded all their skills of analysis and intuition. They cannot think for themselves and have become slaves to avatar personas.

Hygiene:
As they don’t need to frequent the corporate office, they work from home, and don’t see the need for personal grooming as their work life experiences are completely virtual.

So why was I awoken?

Apparently, my name was found in a time capsule buried in an old building that was made redundant in the year 2025. The same year in which I left my employer and commenced my period of forced retirement hibernation. The finder of this archaeological treasure glanced through all the archives that highlighted how workers in the past thought for themselves, were innovative and creative. It was reported that those of yesteryear apparently relied on our experience, our knowledge and used technology to complement our reasoning and logic, instead of being beholden to it.

A search commenced and I was unearthed and brought into the present (my future).

I looked around the room and immediately thought, it was time to restart my corporate life once more. As the saying goes, “everything old is new again”, and I was ready.

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by Steven Cramer on August 11, 2025  •  Permalink
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Posted by Steven Cramer on August 11, 2025

https://thinkingfuturethoughts.com/2025/08/11/the-retirement-rebirth/

Leading the Troops

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Never has the role of a leader been more critical than when an organisation is undergoing a severe dislocation derived from a Change Management program.

The impact on the business could possibly be likened to how a soldier’s behaviour changed when faced with trench warfare in the First World War. In the trenches the soldiers lived in constant fear of having to go over the trench wall to face a highly risky and unknown future. To an employee, the analogy is unfortunately very similar! Consider the following:

1. Casualties
The soldier was continually seeing many casualties inflicted on their comrades by the enemy (the employee experiences many of their co-workers being made redundant and lives in fear that they too may also lose their job)

2. Lack of Information
Most soldiers were kept in the dark regarding the military mission and only saw short term actions which appeared to be rather foolhardy (employees do not fully understand the end goal of the Change Management, but rather judge the progress being made by how it is impacting themselves and their immediate coworkers)

3. Rumours
A lack of regular communication and dispatches from the military command resulted in many rumours spreading amongst the troops (if there is a lack of communication from management, rumours become rife and spread quickly throughout the organisation leading to poor morale)

4. Environment
The living conditions in the trenches became intolerable and basic hygiene quickly deteriorated resulting in discontentment and potential mutiny (employees will cope with poor work conditions and uncertainty for a limited period of time, however, should this continue many employees will seek employment elsewhere).

5. Recognition
Those soldiers who exhibited extreme courage were awarded decorations of valour, such as the Victoria Cross (employee contribution should be recognised and rewarded).

The military commander needed to have the ability to inspire and motivate the troops to have the mental and physical fortitude to leave the perceived safety of the trench and to risk their lives to fight the enemy to gain a forward position.

Here the manager must also lead their fellow employees along the Change Management journey to ensure the success of the business reorganisation, otherwise the structural change process will undoubtedly fail. Employees need to believe that their individual contribution is significant and will make a purposeful contribution to the long term survival of the business.

So before you raise your “manager’s sword” and utter that famous “charge” command, make sure you have considered all the aspects associated with the life of a soldier struggling in the trenches so you taste victory instead of defeat in your Change Management activity!

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by Steven Cramer on August 11, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Steven Cramer on August 11, 2013

https://thinkingfuturethoughts.com/2013/08/11/leading-the-troops/