#changemotivation #changes
If you push for changes in the interest of the company, they can also lead to your own separation.
 
"Call there today," said Ms. Ahlers, our executive HR manager. We were sitting in the owner's office, the decision had been made, I was out of a job. How could this happen, I thought, I had done everything right, hadn't I? Mr. Camrath, the owner of the company, looked at me in a friendly but firm manner and said: "Mr. Acher, please clarify everything else with Mrs. Ahlers, but I am of course always available if there is something to be settled. He shook my hand kindly, and I walked out of the executive office in a daze and made my way home. 'Call there today,' it rang in my ears.
  
When I got home, my wife immediately noticed that something was wrong. We sat down and I told her what had happened. She was indignant. "Surely they can't do that to you? Years of slaving away for this company, and then this? You have to fight back. Talk to your lawyer. Do your colleagues know about this?"
  
"I don't know, but I assume they've been informed. Even the last meeting seemed a little strange. Now that you ask like that, I realize that."
  
I went into my study and called our lawyer.
 
"Good evening Peter, do you have a minute for me?" His deep calm voice was pleasant in this situation. "Sure Albert, what is it?" I took a little breath and answered:
 
I am, if I may say so, fired". "What are you?" he asked back incredulously. "Yes, you heard me right, fired". "I'm still in talks right now. Come straight to me tomorrow. Hang on, let me check my calendar. Can you make it at 10:00?" "Sure, I'm free now". "Ok, see you tomorrow then".
  
I reached for the piece of paper Mrs. Ahlers had given me with the number of the coach she often worked with. It was now eight-thirty. Could I call him this late? Well, she had told me to call today. I dialed the number and a pleasant voice answered.
  
"Good evening, Mr. Acher. How can I help you?" I told him briefly what had happened. He responded very understandingly, and we made an appointment for the following day. That was fine with me, because the sooner the situation could be resolved, the better. I was 52 now, was used to taking matters into my own hands and had experienced many critical situations. But now, now it was about me. This felt strange. Of course, I too had fired employees, and wondered how they would feel. Now I knew.
  
It was early afternoon when I walked into the coach's office. Talking to my lawyer had put my mind at ease for now. The financial stuff could be sorted out, my claims were pretty clear, and the conversation with the owner gave me hope that the separation would be fair. But of course I felt deeply hurt and unfairly treated. I was eager to see how Mr. Scholte, the coach, would assess the situation. He greeted me, we sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries. The autumn sun was shining through the window. It was actually a beautiful October day, which one could also enjoy in a different way.
  
Mr. Scholte smiled at me and said, "Just tell me what happened first". "Yes, it's quickly told. I was called into the owner's office on short notice. Normally we always meet on Friday mornings for a jour fixe. That struck me as odd. And when I saw Ms. Ahlers, our HR manager, it was immediately clear to me that this was not going to be an easy meeting. Mr. Camrath, the owner, looked at me friendly but serious. And then he said that I knew that the reorganization was imminent and that he now wanted to finally solve the issue of international branches. He had decided to decentralize, which meant that a managing director would no longer be needed for this. The responsibility would be transferred to the branch managers of the countries. They had thought long and hard about how they could continue to use me in the company, but had come to the conclusion that there was nothing adequate they could offer me. And so the decision was made to part with me. He was sorry, but he saw no other possibility. And I should discuss the details of the separation with Mrs. Ahlers. The whole conversation had lasted less than a quarter of an hour. He was uncomfortable and I had the impression that he wanted to get it over with quickly.
  
Mr Scholte had listened attentively. Then he began to ask. "Did I understand it correctly that you were centrally responsible for the branches worldwide?" "Yes," I said, "for strategy and operations." "When did you start thinking about the reorganization?" "That was about a year ago. My boss liked to discuss such matters with his executives during a walk. That's when the thoughts would start moving, he used to say."
  
"Yes, that's true. We sometimes use that quite deliberately as a method. Gottlieb Duttweiler, the founder of Migros in Switzerland, swore by this method. What happened next?" "We discussed the various possibilities, the advantages and disadvantages of the solutions, but of course we didn't come to an immediate conclusion. Mr. Camrath then commissioned me to draw up a strategy paper in which various models were to be considered. Only then would he make a decision. I then drew up such a paper over the next three months, also obtained the opinion of all those involved and then presented it at a management meeting.
  
It was discussed at length, but even then we did not come to a clear conclusion. And then the lake rested quietly for the time being".
  
"Okay, got it. What did you do to push for a clarification of the issue?" "Well, I waited to see what my boss decided and continued to do my job. I already had an uneasy feeling that the matter was simmering away like this." "If I understood you correctly, you were the manager in charge of this area." "Yes, that's right. Then, when nothing happened for a long time, I raised the subject regularly in our jour fixe. But Mr. Camrath kept putting it off until the next meeting. Until, a few weeks ago, I pointed out to him the danger of what would happen if we waited too long. Then suddenly everything happened quickly. Obviously he made a decision at the weekend with this result for me".
  
Mr. Scholte looked at me seriously, "Have you thought about what you could have done differently and what part you played in the situation that has now occurred? " This was a completely new question for me. I should have played a part in getting me fired? What was this coach thinking? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized he might be right.
 
"I'll have to think about it," I said. We rescheduled. I needed to process this.
  
When we met again, I came with the expectation that we would be successful in working through this situation so that I would never experience it again. We started working on my professional reorientation. At the same time, we negotiated a termination agreement with the company, which was successfully concluded and gave me the time to calmly find the new position in which I still work today. I usually see my coach once a year. And when I get into unclear situations, he always has an ear for me. That's a good feeling.
  
Have you already thought about what you could have done differently and what part you played in the situation that has now come about?