Leadership and OB issues in downsizing at the Blaze newspaper

Challenges of communicating the downsizing news to staff

Andrea Zuckerman had been dreading this day for some time. As the editor in chief of the Blaze, she had been aware of the impending downsizing for some time. But the Blaze is just a small, college- town newspaper owned by a large national conglomerate. So, she had to hold her tongue while the corporate wheels turned. She didn’t agree with how the consultants, hired by corporate, had determined who would go, which was largely determined by who had the highest salaries. And she didn’t agree with how the news was being delivered not by her, but by a consultant who would be a complete stranger to all involved. “They’re taking away our wisest, she noted, “and they’re taking away those folks dignity for good measure.”

Not that Andrea could argue with the reasons behind the downsizing. She was, after all, working in a dying industry. This time around, the Blaze is confronting a “new normal.” Its function moving forward will be to serve as a local portal to the broader news resources offered by corporate. When folks in town log on to the Blaze portal, they’ll see a combination of local stories written by the Blaze staff and national world stories authored by staff at other papers under the corporate umbrella. All these changes mean that the paper will need fewer reporters, photographers, artists, and editors. It seems to Andrea that jobs will need to merge to handle the changes.

But that’s getting ahead of things a bit. The first item that Andrea wants to consider is what to say to the staff briefing. As the survivors of a layoff that’s being poorly handled, it’ll be on her to restore some semblance of morale. After all, the last thing the paper needs is its remaining staff giving two weeks’ notice.

Next, some jobs will have to be “enlarged.” And it seems like the degree of “enlargement” will vary. Some staffers will be taking on just a little bit more, whereas others will be taking on a lot more. Asking some staffers to take on a lot more while others are asked to take on a little more could be a recipe for controversy.

How to make these decisions is also another issue. Although her role as editor in chief gives her the best “big picture” sense of how all those parts look from 20,000 feet, it’s still not clear that she knows everything she needs to know. On the one hand, it might be helpful to involve the staff. On the other hand, she may be opening Pandora’s box of “input” and she is not sure she could get it shut again. 

 

If you are Andrea, what are the OB and leadership issues you see? Tie these issues to theory. Based on what you know, what are your top priorities or concerns?

 

What are the major actions you will want to take? Describe what you will say to your remaining staff. 

 

Are there some things you will request from corporate to help you be successful given your current situation? Please write no more than 2
pages to give your answer.

 

I realize you could write much more. Two pages will be plenty to show you have learned how to look at a true “people” situation, assess it, and apply what you have learned to it.