The Loss You Can't Afford in a Down Economy

These are troubling times for knowledge-intensive businesses. Back before the economy was based on information and knowledge, it was easier for organizations to lose significant portions of their workforce and still remain productive. Employees weren't as likely to need deep stores of knowledge to get their jobs done. Today, reductions-in-force (RIFs) are more likely to result in having uniquely knowledgeable people walk out the door, sometimes causing unanticipated problems for businesses. If such RIFs aren't carried out carefully, they can cause a critical "dumbing down" of organizations.