I caught a glimpse of the 60 Minutes interview with Pacific Brands CEO Sue Morphet last night. (PB, by the way, is the Australian company that manufactures iconic clothing brands like Bonds. They caused an uproar recently with their decision to shift manufacturing to China, which resulted in the loss of 1850 jobs.)
I came away with an image of a tough boss who knows what has to be done, does it and makes no apologies for doing her job.
Sue admits to having sleepless nights over her decision to sack 1850 workers, but says it's partly Aussie consumers' fault because they won't pay more for Australian-made goods anymore.
"My job is to ensure that this is a strong, vital company and if I have to cut off something - unpleasantly so - then I must do that.''
"If this company isn't run well, no jobs are safe...''
"We are the most efficient that we can be. Our people have worked hard to keep it going and the most efficient isn't good enough. There is no way we will reverse this decision,'' she said.
This is the reality of the workplace today.
We've always known job security is no security, that no one owes us a living. Yet when job loss happens to us personally, it's tempting to get angry and to blame someone, especially if that someone is paid more highly than we are and still has her job. We want the same benefits, but we don't necessarily want the responsibility that comes with it, to make the tough choices and face the wrath of others' disapproval.
The more constructive thing to do, which is also the harder thing, is to detach emotionally, accept the situation and move on.
Better still, prepare yourself by reviewing your career now, and start making plans for a future that doesn't depend solely on whether you have a job.
You alone are responsible for your career choices. Don't leave it in the hands of someone else.
Good on you, Sue. Thanks for the reminder of what commercial reality is all about.
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