Why American Conservatives Are Suddenly Freaking Out About Guillotines

[jmowreader]

128. Staff moves are better

If Department A is working its employees to death and Department B is twiddling its thumbs, there are three options.

Option 1 is to prop up Department B with Department A's revenue...which doesn't solve your manpower imbalance and winds up pissing off Department A's employees.

Option 2 is to execute layoffs at Department B and hire from outside at Department A...which of course means when Department A's business declines and Department B rebounds, you have to do the can-and-hire thing again. This assumes you can FIND anyone to hire for Department A...if Department A makes rubber baby buggy bumpers and you're the only company in the area that molds rubber, your pool of potential applicants is going to be really small.

Option 3 is to train some of Department B's workers to do what Department A does, and vice versa...then when B slows and A picks up you just tell the people at B to report for work Monday in A's building.

This only really works if you've got a diversified company with most of its operations in a small region. Most companies couldn't do that...even a really diversified one. GE can't tell its jet engine building crew they're making ranges today, at least not easily, because their engine factories and their appliance factories are not close together. Most of my company's operations are in one town.