It was a typical workday, and I was in my office, expecting the usual hustle and bustle of the workday. However, I was in for a surprise when I arrived.
My employees had all left their desks, and were standing in the middle of the office, looking angry and frustrated. I was confused at first, but then I remembered that I had recently fired their manager.
Decided to let manager go to ‘cut costs’
The manager had been with the company for several years, and the employees had grown to trust him as a mentor and leader.
He was well-liked and respected, so when I had to let him go due to budget cuts, the employees were understandably upset.
I tried to explain to them that it was a business decision, and that the company simply couldn’t afford to keep him on.
I also tried to assure them that I was still committed to the same goals and that I had their best interests in mind. But they didn’t seem to care.
Maybe I was wrong, because I did not care about their wellbeing all the time
I heard from one of the few employees who stayed the reason why most of the employees left.
She told me that it was because the employees felt like I did not care about their wellbeing when I made certain decisions and often than rather, it was the manager who mediated between the employees and myself and made them continue to stay in the job.
However, knowing it was too late.
One by one, my employees began to quit. They said that they couldn’t work for someone who was so unreasonable and didn’t understand the importance of loyalty.
Some even said that I was a bad leader and that they couldn’t be part of a company that was led by someone like me.
I tried to talk them out of it, but it was too late. They had already made up their minds and were determined to leave. I felt helpless and guilty, but there was nothing I could do.
The next few weeks were a blur. I was left with a skeleton staff, and I had to work twice as hard to get everything done.
I realized that I had made a mistake in letting the manager go, but it was too late to fix it.
Managed to hire some new staff, but it was not the same anymore
I eventually managed to hire some new employees to replace those who left, but it was never the same. The atmosphere in the office was different and the employees were always on edge.
They were wary of me and I could feel their mistrust and disdain.
I tried my best to be understanding and supportive, but it was clear that my employees would never accept me as their leader.
No matter how hard I tried, I could never regain their trust.
In the end, I was forced to admit defeat. I had lost the trust and respect of my employees, and there was nothing I could do to win it back.