5. Nothing Works When People Think They’re Next

Brian was sweating as he faced Colin and me from across the desk. It wasn’t from the Queensland heat.

“They’ve already started” he said.

“Who’s already started?” I asked.

“The consultants are here. They’ve already started letting go of people.”

“You guys were supposed to start two weeks ago. Not on the same day we started firing people.”

Dark suits moved through the call centre — a sharp contrast to the beachwear worn by most of the staff.

They disappeared into a large meeting room at the back of the centre. That was where people were being let go.

Brian was summoned off to another meeting.

Colin and I looked at each other. There was no point running workshops this afternoon. We needed a different plan.

I pulled Colin into a small meeting room. I took off my jacket and tie. Rolled up my sleeves.

“We need to look like them. Not like the consultants.”

We hit the shops. 

Hawaiian shirts. Jeans. Sneakers.

“Those of you still here will have more work to do. We’re here to make that manageable.”

We didn’t run workshops.

We sat with them.

When they complained, we listened.

When they were specific, we wrote it down.

When they had ideas, we pushed until they were usable.

A month later processes were leaner.

Work moved faster.

The friction had gone.

The problem wasn’t the process.

It was what people thought was coming next.