How’s this for a dream job—getting paid to do nothing!
Over the years, there have been articles about people who are on the payroll and have never shown up for work, but this is the first time I’ve read a story about a guy hired to do nothing.
37-year-old Shoji Morimoto of Tokyo, Japan, started a new venture in 2018. He listed his services online for free, where he could be hired to do “absolutely nothing.”
Morimoto has been hired to make the numbers look better at a party or just walk with someone who doesn’t want to be alone. And though he started offering his services for free, now he charges 10,000 yen, or about $96, per job.
Morimoto says he will “Eat and drink, give simple feedback, but do nothing more.”
You gotta hand it to this guy. He’s making a living following his passion, and he’s figured out a way to make money while doing nothing!
How many Morimotos are currently in your organization?
Right now, you probably have people in your organization, who like Morimoto, are doing nothing. I’m guessing this wasn’t the deal when you hired them.
It’s time to free these people so that they can do nothing on their own time.
Firing people when there is no one out there to hire
Some of you may be thinking, “Well, it’s easy for you to say we should release nonperformers. Given the current labor pool, how can we possibly replace these people?”
I want you to repeat the last line out loud, so you can hear what you may be thinking.
You’ve got someone in a job, who isn’t doing the job, and yet you’re worried about finding someone to replace them?
That makes no sense.
In most cases, you’re better off having a vacant position than retaining someone who isn’t doing what you’re paying them to do.
Letting people go
In my latest book, Can We Talk? Seven Principles for Managing Difficult Conversations at Work, I discuss in-depth how to best approach a conversation when you must let someone go.
Here are some insights from my book:
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for someone is to release them from their employment. If you’ve had previous discussions about their work performance, and little has changed, they may be stuck.
The employee knows things aren’t working out and probably feels as frustrated as you are feeling.
Quitting may not be an option because this would mean disappointing a loved one at home. Or perhaps they’re waiting for you to pull the trigger so they can collect unemployment.
So, the two of you continue this dance together until one of you can no longer take it anymore.
Meanwhile, co-workers are growing weary of picking up the slack, and your staff and peers are losing respect for you. They can’t figure out why you’re not doing what you’re being paid to do, which is to manage your team.
You quickly gain the reputation as the person who isn’t doing their job. How ironic is that?
Prepare for the conversation. It’s always best to prepare for a challenging work conversation, especially if you’re letting someone go.
Gather your documentation and be prepared to present your case. Remember that this conversation should be a summation of what’s previously been discussed, and your notes should not closely resemble a dissertation.
Create a brief script, and then practice what you’re going to say a few times. By doing so, you will help ensure that you don’t wind up telling someone they’re the best employee you’ve ever had while escorting them out the door!
Be respectful. No matter how frustrated you may be with the situation, show the employee respect. You may have gone over this conversation at least a dozen times in your head. However, this is the first time the person on the receiving end is privy to the discussion.
Give your employees time to take in the information that has just been given to them, which is why I suggest you don’t schedule another meeting immediately after letting someone go.
You don’t need to struggle with employee issues. At times, the pressure and responsibility to make the right decisions when leading your organization can feel overwhelming and even crushing. You don’t have to go at it alone. Schedule a call with me to learn about my advisory services.
