When management asks your team to work between Christmas and New Year's Day.

The Project Brief, Saturday, December 16th, 3 min read.

Good Saturday.

Remember this article I wrote on how to say no? If not, see How to master the art of saying 'No'.

Because the other day, one of my friend told me that he had been in a situation where there was no way to say no. Even wrapped up in the most diplomatic way possible, the answer would never go through.

And to make the situation even more interesting and intolerable, he had to give his answer for two camps: management, who expected to be told yes, and the work team, who expected to be told yes too, but for diametrically opposed results that risked provoking a confrontation.

With experience, you become adept at avoiding situations where you could find yourself between a rock and a hard place. Others call it avoiding becoming the ping-pong ball bouncing back and forth on both sides of the table, while some people like to illustrate this type of situation by saying, "I avoided being painted in the corner".

But sometimes, despite all our experience in anticipating these situations AND our diplomatic AND negotiating skills, an incongruous and totally questionable demand blows up in our faces without the possibility of seeing it coming, directly in the middle of the rights we thought we had acquired and were understood by all.

My friend went on to tell me what finally happened. At a management meeting that was about to end with the last varia item, the big boss turned to him and bluntly asked who on the team was going to be on hand over the holidays to keep the project going.

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The question was asked as if it were obvious that the project should continue its development right in the middle of the official family reunion period of the year. With the attitude of someone used to getting everything he wants, who sees it as a formality that is easy to answer.

Then my friend looked at me sadly and smiled. "At least I took your advice not to give the answer right away. It bought me time. I told him I'd get back to him soon with the answer".

When I heard this story, my first reaction was to think that it was far from being an innocent request.

You can't get to this level of hierarchy in a company without having the slightest idea of how things work on the human level, union rights, mental health and well-being at work.

I spontaneously asked my friend if this was a situation to embarrass him and get rid of him. He reassured me that he'd had the best appraisal of his life. That management had reiterated its support for him in leading this important project.

So what happened?

I then asked him to tell me about this important project. So important, in fact, that it seemed justified asking his employees, most of whom have families, to work over the holidays.

He replied that it was indeed an important project, but not so important that the company's survival was in jeopardy. All suppliers and customers are shut down during this period.

The only underlying reason he could see was that management would continue to work through the vacations, and the tone was set for others to do the same.

In the meantime, it was up to my friend to announce to the wider project team that this year's vacations would be spent in the office. He anticipated difficult discussions with the various unions.

I left my friend with an appointment to see him again the following week, so that he could tell me the rest of this not-very-pleasant story.

As I drove home, my thoughts were tinged with irony: what a nice way to tell your employees that they are important to the company, that they deserve to take time off with their families!

And then I saw my friend again the following week.

He had managed to find a solution to this delicate situation without any outcry from the main players.

But I warn you, you will be disappointed by the process that was followed.

The resolution of this issue was not a demonstration of skillful negotiations or tactics implemented according to the colors of the personalities involved.

They simply used common sense: all parties took the time to sit down and talk, without mediators or lawyers, to find common ground.

And as it turned out, during the discussions, it was revealed that some of the employees involved in the project concerned were planning to work over the holidays anyway.

So there you have it, case closed.

My friend claims that the whole thing had the merit of showing him the true face of his company.

Throughout the year, he tells me, he's been inundated with e-mails from managers tirelessly extolling their achievements in advancing mental health within the company.

And now this request has spoiled all the efforts of the past year in this area.

Was it an error of judgement or a simple misstep?

Is it the harbinger of a new position that will gain momentum in the future?

Before leaving, my friend concluded his story by saying that these executives had misjudged the impact this request could have on the company's image.

Time will probably tell.

We are entitled to wonder, while this year is coming to its end, why are we witnessing this kind of backtracking, which seems to be increasingly asserting itself to the detriment of employees.

All around us, corporate campaigns are chanting the importance they devote to the well-being of their employees, corporate postcards are circulating, wishing us a happy holiday season with our families, and our elected representatives are tirelessly reminding us of the importance they devote to improving the working conditions of their citizens.

For 2024, I wish my friend the best of luck in finding a company that means what it says and does what it says.

Not just to look good or when it is convenient, but all the time.

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