I was a plant manager. We were under pressure. The competitiveness of our site was at risk, and the consulting firm had already indicated that personnel costs would be a key lever. Their analysis was tough: at least 15 percent of the jobs could be cut, and in an optimized scenario even more than 20 percent.
And as if that weren’t enough, the board tied my bonus to those exact numbers. 15 percent savings: one additional monthly salary. More than 20 percent: two.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was the people.
I knew them all. I knew how they worked, how they thought, how they lived. Many had been with the company for years, some for decades. We had a good relationship, and they did their jobs well.
The thought that I would be the one to decide who stays and who goes weighed heavily on me.
Before the consultants arrived, I sought advice from trusted mentors. One question stayed with me: “How many jobs can you reduce in a socially responsible way?”
Not: How much does the board demand? Not: How much bonus could you earn? But: What is ethically defensible?
I analyzed the situation carefully and came to an honest conclusion: up to 15 percent could be managed through early retirement and socially responsible solutions.
Not more.
When the consulting firm arrived, I didn’t just wait for their report. I negotiated.
I wanted the final report not only to state what was theoretically possible, but also to explain how we could operate with a 15 percent reduction. I knew this number was realistic, responsible, and feasible.
The report came back and there it was: 15 percent as the minimum target. A coincidence that wasn’t one.
Before any concept was drafted, I met with the works council chairman. I had two messages:
- We must secure the future of the plant.
- We will do it in a socially responsible way.
We immediately agreed on the first point. He could support the second because he knew I meant it.
Only then did we begin working out the details. Only then did we communicate with the workforce. Only then did the process begin, step by step, over two years.
We achieved the 15 percent. We did it without disruption, without losing trust, without operational setbacks. And most importantly: the social peace in the plant remained intact.
What remains in my mind?
- Responsibility means considering the people, not just the numbers.
- Responsibility means using your room for maneuver, not simply executing orders.
- Responsibility means building alliances, not creating adversaries.
- Responsibility means acting with a long-term perspective, not chasing short-term gains.
For me, responsibility shows itself in the small, courageous decisions that no one sees, except those who are directly affected by them.
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I am Bernd Scharbert, and I teach Business Ethics and Sustainability at Albstadt-Sigmaringen University within the Faculty of Business Science and Management.
