If the Shoe Fits: the Empathy of Jack Dorsey
by Miki SaxonA Friday series exploring Startups and the people who make them go. Read all If the Shoe Fits posts here
A few weeks ago I wrote about three ways to close a company — the right way, the wrong way and the (allegedly) crooked way — and years ago referenced Guy Kawasaki’s guide to laying people off.
The common thread that runs through them, both the to-do and not-to-do, is the need for honesty with employees and the speed with which rumors will spread and kill moral.
A year ago Twitter laid off over 300 people — most by by email, but some by more of a lockout.
We’re hearing that at least a handful of employees who weren’t remote also woke up to seeing that they were laid off via the fact that their emails and Hipchat, a messaging product, had been turned off overnight.
These days, continuing rumors of more layoffs to come, combined with chaotic reports that the company may be sold, has sent morale spiraling downward at an alarming rate.
Rank-and-file staff members are frustrated about being in the dark on the company’s future, and a handful of employees have stopped showing up for work entirely, several insiders said.
Dorsey’s response to the turmoil is garbage.
“I empathize with the feelings that come from the constant critique, the constant negativity, and the constant doubt.”
There is no way a guy worth more than a billion dollars can put himself in the shoes of someone who depends on their paycheck to feed their kids and pay the mortgage/rent.
And that lack of empathy shines clearly through the rest of his comment.
“But hey, that’s life in the arena. All we control is how we choose to react to it.”
I sincerely hope that his global workforce is choosing to update their resumes and react with their feet.
Image credit: HikingArtist
