For most organizations, commonest hidden (unspoken) norm is, "workers come and go, but the organization remains". From the religious world to the sports and entertainment world, we have seen repeated changes within the ranks of various establishments. We have heard of instances of sacking top executives of business organizations, NGOs, sport clubs and many political leaders. When things don't go as expected, when organizations fail to reach their projected target, usually, somebody is fired to say the least.
In few instances, when a team fails repeatedly in achieving the agreed goals, the entire team is jettisoned to create room for fresh legs, hands or minds to push the team forward.
The question then is, how can one survive such landslide downsizing should it happen within one's organization? How can I as a leader avoid possible dismissal from work when everybody else is fired?
To understand what must be done, I would like to share an account in Bible, a scenario that proffers answer to our question.
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Genesis 19:1-29 (NKJV)
19 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”
And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”
3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”
6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
9 And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to [a]stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.
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The story continues till verse 29 of the same chapter. The question is, "What did Lot do that got him exemption from destruction when every other person was doomed for death?" Our thought is, if we can understand his choices and decisions, we can have an idea of what we must do to avoid being a victim of organizational retrenchment.
1. BE A GATE KEEPER IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
"Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground"
Sodom was about to be destroyed, yet Lot was there. Even though Abraham had negotiated his destiny with God, Lot still needed to make decisions that would exempt him or include him in the imminent wave of removal of lives from the land of Sodom. Many people have gone to Mountains to prayer for promotion in 2019, in fact, certain men of God could have prophesied about your job role progress; however, the reality within your organization would always reflect the kind of decisions you're making.
Even though Sodom was to be destroyed, Lot never stopped believing in the land. He was so passionate about the future of the land that he sits at the gate of the land. The question is, why was he at the gate? I believe he was at the gate, not to have fun but to protect the city and to keep watch over the activities of the land. If you want to become a staff or leader within an organization that cannot be fired easily; then you must learn to sit at the organization's gate. Becoming an organizational gatekeeper is you being aware of activities of your organization. Keeping record of what comes in and what goes out.
One thing is clear, no organization wants to dissociate with anyone who knows so much about them and is highly passionate about their safety (survival or progress).
2. BE FRIENDLY
"2 And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”
And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”
Apart from sitting at the city gate, another important decision of Lot was to be a friendly person – even to strangers. As soon as he saw these Angels, he ran at them and welcomed them warmly. He promised them rest, refreshment and accommodation.
Someone might have wondered, was that a role given to him? I don't think it was given to him, but he voluntarily decided to be friendly with people both within and outside the land. Being friendly, therefore gave him the opportunity to connect with individuals that came to assess him. Imagine you becoming friendly with examiners from the headquarters of your organization for the assessment of your team for promotion or dismissal. Imagine you being nice with them when you didn't even know their true intentions. Lot welcomed a people whose recommendations were critical for the survival of a whole city. Be friendly to everyone!
3. FOLLOW UP YOUR WORD WITH YOUR WORK
"3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate."
Because we live in an era of eye-service, broken promises and all that; there is a growing need for men and women whose words match up with their actions. A people who don't just speak to impress, but people that speak to be understood.
As Lot continued to press for the hospitality of these strangers, they decided to turn in to his house. As true to his word, he treated them well. If you don't want to be easily fired within your organization, then become a man or your word. When you promise anyone anything, make deliberate effort to fulfill them. Remember, that person you're giving empty promises to today, may be the one to recommend your promotion or demotion tomorrow
4. ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS
"4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”
6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
Since it was by Lot's decision that these strangers entered his house, he therefore took up the responsibility of preserving them while under his roof. He didn't know how powerful or connected those visitors were; yet, he decided to accept responsibility for their safety. Instead of the people of the land hurting his visitors, he opted to give up his two virgin daughters. That singular action in my opinion singled Lot out for exemption from the imminent downsizing of people in the land.
Should your decision lead to the failure of your team, would accept responsibility for the team failure or would you ask your team members to take the fall? If you must avoid any kind of retrenchment in your organization, then you must improve your value value-offer. Lot didn't mistakenly avoid the downsizing, he decisively avoided it. You must review your own decisions now to secure your job security tomorrow.
