The value of employee involvement over reengineering is that the organization continues to build capacity as people learn more and develop their ability to solve problems and make decisions. According to Lawler, reengineering often offers a one-time benefit. Since only 12 percent of the organizations studied use employee involvement to any significant degree, this approach offers an almost unlimited range of possibilities for organizations to find areas for improvement. I had hoped that the tidal wave of downsizing had passed. But, during the past two months there has been a resurgence in its popularity.
Most studies confirm that downsizing leaves people bruised and far less productive.
It works against the gains leaders often anticipate. In fact, it often does not pay off financially. If the wolf is at your door, say the Asian crisis has killed your exports, then there may be no alternative. I urge you to read and distribute it before its too late. Instead of focusing solely on what's wrong and what problems need to be solved, it pays more attention to what's working well and how that can be enhanced.