“6R” Layoffs and the “6C” Strategy for Streamlining the Workforce

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“The “6R” layoffs and the “6C” lean strategy: During times of poor business performance, companies are often forced to lay off employees in order to reduce costs. However, after layoffs, it is easy to experience poor scheduling. If only layoffs are carried out without streamlining the workforce, it will severely impact the company’s overall efficiency, ultimately resulting in enormous, irreparable losses. Therefore, when laying off employees, companies should make full use of the “6R” strategy to ensure normal operations after the layoffs ； After layoffs, it is necessary to immediately apply the “6C” strategy to streamline the workforce and build a high-performing team. 　　“6R” Layoffs First, reasonable downsizing (Reduction): Since employees in administrative, general affairs, and logistics roles contribute little to production or business operations, when a company’s performance is poor, these internal \"civil servants\" are often seen as a heavy burden, and therefore they should be the first to be considered for layoffs. 　　The company’s “civil servants” are valued for quality rather than quantity, for excellence rather than abundance. The highest performance should be achieved with the most reasonable number of people. 　　Second, psychological reconditioning (Readye): When laying off employees, companies must provide psychological support to those who are fortunate enough to remain, reimplanting in them the company’s goals and values. 　　Third, process restoration: After staff reductions, many of a company’s processes may become disrupted due to the departure of employees; therefore, process restoration must be carried out simultaneously with workforce downsizing. And master the following key points: (1) Speed – since the staff has been reduced, the consequences of failing to introduce new workflows in a timely manner could be disastrous. 　　(2) Objectivity – When reengineering processes, human factors must be set aside, and feasibility as well as potential consequences must be taken into account; otherwise, the resulting process will remain a system subject to human influence and fail in practice. 　　(3) Fairness – In addition to eliminating some unnecessary forms and processes, certain tasks need to be reallocated. When assigning new tasks, it is necessary to consider not only the quantity of work but also its complexity and difficulty, to avoid an imbalance between workload and rest; otherwise, it will affect the morale of some employees. Fourth, system regeneration: Changing a system often has far-reaching consequences; it can be considered a major task. Therefore, companies must conduct regular reviews of their systems to identify any unreasonable or redundant rules, and then remove them, merge them, or simplify them, thereby making the processes more rational. This approach helps to improve the quality of work and increase efficiency. 　　Fifth, electronic remote control: If a company can make full use of computer technology to convert many tasks that were previously done manually into electronic processes, it can not only reduce the need for human labor and improve work efficiency, but also decrease paper usage and lower operating costs. 　　Sixth, timely motivation (Relevance): After streamlining the workforce, regular companies end up with fewer employees but more tasks to handle. Such a situation is certainly unsatisfying for any employee, and those who face the greatest difficulties are likely the department heads, who find themselves caught between the company and their subordinates. At this time, having good incentives would be very helpful in addressing the psychological imbalance among employees. 　　“6C” Elite Forces Of course, the purpose of layoffs in a company is not merely to cut costs; the ultimate goal of such layoffs is to create elite forces – high-performing teams that can maximize competitiveness. 　　Based on industry characteristics, product life cycles, competitive conditions, and strategic objectives, the company can select one to three members from each department such as product development, technical production, market promotion, and customer service to form cross-functional \"task forces\" that will work on various projects for the company. 　　First, conflict management: In elite teams, differences in personality arising from each member’s family background, education, and experiences inevitably lead to disagreements regarding certain topics. Teaching members the following four techniques can help resolve conflicts: (1) Empathy – When faced with a conflict, don’t think, “If I address this issue now, it will delay the progress of the meeting,” but rather, “If we resolve this difference, it will enhance trust and creativity.” 　　(2) Similarly――this technique involves putting oneself in others’ shoes mentally, thinking from their perspective, and asking, \"How would I feel if I were criticized in public?\" ”“If I were him, what would I say at that time? ” 　　(3) Locking in – By “locking in,” it means that when faced with criticism, one should not react emotionally in a hasty manner, but rather learn to maintain composure and self-control. 　　(4) Commitment – If each member has a clear understanding of the company’s vision, they know how to act to support the company’s goals, and are willing to put their personal needs aside temporarily for the common goals of the company or team ； When conflicts arise, it is possible to use the company’s values and goals as important criteria for resolving them. 　　Second, contribution management: To enhance the level of participation of team members in the company’s performance, senior management can consider the following three factors that influence an individual’s level of contribution: (1) Cohesion – When each member feels like they are part of a cohesive team, they are more willing to contribute, and the more they contribute, the more concerned they become about the team’s success or failure. To enhance team cohesion, company leaders must provide relevant information to every member, encourage everyone’s participation, and maintain a harmonious atmosphere. 　　(2) Confidence – To foster confidence in the elite team, company leaders should enable each member to see the talents, experience, and achievements of their peers, and ensure that the company’s past successes are visible everywhere. 　　(3) Acceptance – When members participate in decision-making, by providing appropriate dissemination of new knowledge and training as well as enriching their experience, making them feel that their capabilities are improving, they will surely be more engaged. Third, communication management: If one wants to maximize the potential of a high-performing team, it is necessary to allow team members to speak freely, express their thoughts, ask for assistance, share new or immature ideas, or avoid the risk of making wrong decisions. Only good-faith, open, and positive communication can create such an atmosphere. (1) Good-faith communication – it can only occur when members know and respect one another. Members are concerned about each other’s lives outside of work, respect cultural differences, and avoid offending one another when joking or having other casual conversations. 　　(2) Open communication is also important for the success of a team. To evaluate work performance, members must provide honest feedback, accept constructive criticism, and discuss any topics that come to mind. To achieve this, direct and honest communication as well as sincere support are necessary. 　　(3) Positive communication – it affects the team’s commitment to work. Company leaders should provide training on skills such as listening, responding, word usage, meeting management, giving feedback, and building consensus, with the aim of enhancing team members’ ability to communicate issues in a positive and effective manner. 　　Fourth, cooperative management: If a company’s organizational structure is complex, its success depends even more on employees’ awareness of their interdependence. If senior company executives can master and make good use of the following key points, it may help improve cooperation among team members. 　　(1) Consistency – Requires that each member must keep their word and see things through to the end. Members must also be fully aware that, as part of the company’s vanguard, what they do or fail to do has a significant impact on others. This requires each member to keep their promises and make their behavior more consistent. 　　(2) Creativity – For creativity to thrive within a team, it relies on the support of other members of that high-performing team. Although leading by doing things in new ways carries risks, such risks are reduced in an atmosphere where colleagues are willing to forgive mistakes and respect individual differences, encouraging everyone to take the initiative to try. 　　(3) Timeliness – Timeliness refers to members’ willingness to respect others’ time, attending meetings on time, sharing information promptly, and communicating with team members quickly and efficiently. 　　(4) Generosity – It is necessary to cultivate and develop a spirit of generosity within the team. Leaders should establish internal measures to foster team spirit. 　　Fifth, change management: As pioneers of the company, members of the elite team must not only be able to respond to change but also take the lead in driving it. To assist the elite team in dealing with change management, company leaders must identify the potential risks associated with any changes, and help team members stay aware of any possible opportunities. He must ensure that members feel secure when taking risks, while also providing them with enough time, space, and tools for innovation. 　　Sixth, connection management: (1) Connection with the company – To foster such connections, team leaders should maintain transparency in communication management: on one hand, they should keep team members informed about the priorities, successes, and challenges of the company’s senior management, while on the other hand, they should also convey information about the team’s needs, successes, and questions to the higher-ups, thereby establishing a network of mutual support. 　　(2) Connection with other departments – To strengthen ties with other departments, it is possible to hold cross-departmental weekly or monthly meetings with them, or invite representatives from other departments to attend the core team’s meetings. 　　(3) Communication with employees – To develop and maintain such relationships, the company can promote the following rules or culture: voluntary mutual assistance among members ； Take care of each other while working on assignments together ； Joint training ； Share resources ； Provide suggestions for improving the problem ； Having a small get-together between or after meetings, etc. 　　In recent years, fierce market competition has forced many companies to consider ways to streamline their operations and improve efficiency only after facing the threat of layoffs. In fact, according to the basic principles of management, the efficiency of a team is built on organizational innovation. Therefore, to prevent and truly resolve the issue of layoffs, it is necessary to return to the basics and start with the most fundamental principles of management. In both short-term and long-term business management, it is necessary to rely on organizational design, job design, and performance metrics to make the necessary innovations, improvements, adjustments, and even changes in response to changes in the business environment. One should not wait until there is no money left in the company’s accounts to pay employees before thinking about how to lay off staff; if that happens, the company is on the verge of closing down.