Brevity by Dan Thompson for October 22, 2020

It’s a lax ax.

It’s an earned burn.

I’ve heard of “softening the blow” but this???

“No more cookies for you!” :-(

how misleading.

You can’t fight friendly fire with fire.

My last layoff took 10 seconds on the phone to tell me I was let go. In 1.5 years my boss only spoke to me 3 times

They were both sobbing …

I guess I could say I once got laid off from a retail management job with a “friendly firing”.

It was at a meeting of all the store managers in Northern California, in the last week of February.

I’ll never forget the regional manager’s announcement…

this is only slightly paraphrased:

“Congratulations, Susan!

Your shop won the prize for most improved sales, company wide, over the Valentine’s Day holiday period.

A $35 restaurant gift card for each associate!

And you yourself got the best score in the company from our secret shoppers in February… a $25 bonus for you!"

(Big smile.)

(Suddenly serious expression… )

“But all our California retail shops are closing by March 30th… yours will be first, on March 1st.”

Sorry."

That was 10 days before my shop closed… but she said I’d be working, packing up, through March 3rd.

Then she told all the other managers in the room what dates their stores would close.

No build-up; no warning.

Congratulations, everybody… and BTW… goodbye.

Then I had to tell all my associates the next day…

you each get a $35 gift card…we have to pick a restaurant…

and, um, in 10 days you’re all out of work."

Well, the RM laid out the template of “success” for you. He probably had the way paved for him as well.

Now, doesn’t this sound familiar? Praise, praise, then demean demean….

I like your books

Beware of hidden messages.

“nicest hair”??? He doesn’t have any hair.