Who has been a believer in Christ on this planet and has not in one way or another been influenced in their walk with God through bibles and literature produced by Thomas Nelson? Sure I have my gripes with my Nelson bibles falling apart after a few years of service. But man, the amount of Nelson produced literature that has circled the globe certainly puts this company at par with all of those globe changers and shakers. Hearing of the lay offs certainly touched a cord in my being. However, current realities demand actions that seem hurtful on the periphery but will eventually result in the company withstanding the onslaught of the economic slump and the tightening reins of global competition.

May God guide you as you steer the company through these times and emerge as a more responsive, relevant, and engaging flagship of inspiration and blessing.

I don’t want to have the wrong attitude here, and I realize that in my respone to A Soldiers Loved One ( who I still will call phantom, until they decide they beleive in what they are saying enough to put their name to it, and Hey! it’s a lot less typing!), that I may have been un Christ like in my response. it’s not my intention to do that, but I still have a hard time listening to that sarcastic, better than you attitude (see original post).

Let me tell you something about working as a temp. I also started that way at Nelson. Phantom, did you work as a temp in the distribution center? Did you work there for almost a year there after? Did you work there during second quarter end and year end? Have you worked ten hour shifts for six days a week and more? Have you spent more Saturday’s away form your wife and baby girl than you can count because of work? Also, let me share a industy secret, our distribution center does not have air conditioning.

I feel very blessed of the God of Abraham , Issac, and Jacob to work for this company. I don’t work in the warehouse any more, but it was a good place to start and there are still many wonderful people over there.

So try not to take what happened to you here so personal. The truth is, the same thing could have just as easily happened to me, or any one else here. If God does not promise us tommorow, Thomas Nelson isn’t going to promise us a job. God has his hand on this organization and has richly blessed us in so many ways. You can argue that point until the cows come home, but it won’t change the fact.

So as I suggested earlier, read again what the Bible has to say about sitting in judgement, and in addition check out what it say’s about those in authority, i.e. how we should respond to them, who they answer to, how we should pray for them etc.

We are trying our best to do God’s work here. Please pray for us.

Blesings

Regardless of whether TN’s strategy will prove effective, they are treating their outgoing people very, very well. In the secular world, there are corporations which look at their human resources the same as their photocopier supplies.

For those who have commented on management taking salary cuts, the problem there is matching industry par in order to retain high-quality people. Again, this is a problem at my spouse’s workplace, where engineers are not staying because they’re not paid on par with other opportunities. Any position which has specialized training, qualifications or responsibilities has a fairly predictable dollar figure attached. That’s the real world. We’re kidding ourselves if we think that qualified people aren’t going to go where their time reaps the most benefit. If we have to spend it away from our families, we’ll spend it to the best benefit possible. That’s true of us all, from temp workers to CEOs.

Thank you Micha, you said it ten times better than I could. Thank you.

First off… What I think he/she was trying to say was that temps do talk/socialize/network with each other. Temps are viewed a certain way at Thomas Nelson, mostly to blame is the temp companies do not set the temps expectations correctly. When one get’s into a position at this company and fall’s in love with it, and the vision God has for it, and then realizes the truth that they are just a temp and nothing more (if that so happens to be the case, depending on a variety of factor’s), (regardless of the reason) it can be hard. Now if you combine that with the news of the layoff’s it can produce a negative image, and it’s that “image” I think a Soldiers Loved One was trying to protect/address….. His/her message wasn’t necessarily directed at Mike, or any of the other bloggers but for the temps who might be reading it and saying….”Well isn’t that just par for the course”…….. He/she doesn’t want those out there reading to make that connection…

Part B; there are people God brings into this company as Temps, Janitor’s whatever/however that God has given vision and direct too and their voice should not be silenced simply because they are a temp. Jesus was a carpenter.

Part C; maybe mike and other’s don’t realize that situations are happening to where Temps are feeling this way.. If so, I think A Soldiers Loved One was hoping to bring it to light, so it could be fixed…

Secondly,

I think that a Soldiers Loved One was trying to bring to Mike and anyone else in a position of authority that there are holes within Thomas Nelson, the “niche market” as he/she put it. I too worked as a Temp for one. I too saw the Godly vision God had for my market, and I too was PRIVELEDGE to work on it for a short time. It too frustrates me that it sit’s idle unmanned most times, worked by temps the other times, instead of Growing and fulfilling God’s vision for it. What a Soldiers Loved One was saying is that these “holes” that have proven to be profitable either in a temps hands or not…just maybe those laid off could have been kept by the company and placed in these holes, to grow them…. These “holes” could make money for the company and potentially avoided some of the layoffs, God willing…..

Lastly;

Those of you that know me might have heard this story before but for those of you that have not……… At another company ( a Fortune five-hundred Company) the training was grueling, it really put the new hires through the paces. Endless testing, all sorts of things. Finally, the day of the big final exam comes. Everyone knows regardless of their performance up to this point this ONE test decides on whether or not they become officially hired. The test is slowly passed out, face down. We were given the command to turn over our papers and begin. I did as instructed and looked down in amazement at what was on the paper. Our big final test, consisted of ONE question……….
Name one person that either:
Cleans the trash can’s/scrubs the toilets
Escort’s you to your car/security
Serves/prepares the food in the cafeteria
or
Works in the mail/copy room

What a silly question at first, but then I realized it’s the little people. The people you necessarily won’t give second thought too, but they carry the company’s mission and value statements/objective just the same as some one in authority. Have you spoken to at least one of them? Have you spoken to one of them enough to not only know their name, but how to pray for them?

That has really hit home and stayed with me over the years….. It’s the little people that a company is built upon. Their dedication, prayers, and commitment to be happy where God has placed them, and it’s the little people usually affected most by Layoff’s.
I think A soldiers Loved One was championing for them, and reminding all of us not to walk without seeing…. To not speak without hearing…

Too all those laid off; May the peace of God be with you. God doesn’t close one door without having another wide open. When one door closes take it as a sign that this current season has passed, that all available resources for that season have been used up , and God is now moving you into a new season, with new possibilities, and a new mission and new folks to bless and be a blessing too.

I have a sneaking suspicion that A Soldiers Loved One was also a temp for the same division I worked in as well, and God shared with him/her his vision for it/Just like he did with me… Could be wrong but it doesn’t matter, Whatever “niche” market you were in A Soldiers Loved One, whatever vision you see that God has for that market you were in, I will join you in prayer that God see’s to it to bring it to fruition.

Mike, if you really do read this…. Please grow ABC…. Believe in it as God does. See it as God does.. Even though I was only there a short time, God has such a powerful mission and vision for ABC. I challenge you to seek out God’s vision and let him show you the people that are waiting to be touched by not only the Christian products but by the ministry/company behind them. Even though I no longer work there, it’s only evident by the fact I do not receive compensation for it. I still, as much as God allows me too, carry on with the vision God showed me. I too purchase products from this division and share with soldiers, and others. I am part of DAR and we give out new Thomas Nelson Family Bibles, (nelson’s as they are called in the genealogy circle) and many other products. God has new products in mind, one of which A Soldiers Loved One touched upon….Family Bibles that have genealogy pages that accurately reflect today’s complicated families (w/divorce, adoptions etc…) but there is much much much more that God has planned for ABC……

May the peace and love of God be with you all. These are just words on a page, you can’t see the person behind them, or what’s in their heart. The postings by A soldiers Loved one, had “heart” all over it…It was especially evident in their last post. Let’s all not be quick to judge. Always remember, Behind every anger is a hurt, and every hurt can only be healed by Love, Godly love. That’s why love one another is the greatest commandment of all, and the hardest sometimes to follow.

Blessings….
:)

Was posted by Laurie…..
I take offense at how “the phantom”
portrays our company.

My reply:

Really??? Then you should really take offense at how the temp company portrayed the “job” opportunity. They lead people on to believing the temp positions will turn into full time employment, it’s a way to get your foot in the door etc… How do you think temp’s feel coming into a position and realizing that using temps at end of year and end of quarter is the norm and no second thought is given, that they are ultimately disposable workforce?

How do you think a temp felt, taking ownership of their position (with the exception of management they were the only one responsible for carrying the niche market division) seeking counseling from Godly sources and receiving a Godly vision on how to best utilize their skills to GROW aforementioned “niche market” to find out after they poured their heart and soul into it, that it was ONLY a temp job and had been from the start and would never be nothing more? To watch the powers that be at Thomas Nelson turning up their nose simply because this person was a temp, and would have rather have this “niche market” to sit unmanned personally and site idle instead of growing than hire a temp who believed and proved that it could grow? AND after leaving Thomas Nelson, still feeling as if the job was not completed, that their was so much more work to be done, people to reach, products to get into their waiting hands…..
Yea feels lovely……

Again by Laurie;
Here’s a thought
(1) Find out who you are……
My reply:
Thank you, I know who I am…. I am the righteousness of God, I am seated in heavenly places at the right hand of my creator…..etc…. AND I still plug Thomas Nelson products shamelessly, because I saw first hand how they can comfort, bring knowledge, peace, all sorts of things to people in need.

I have seen countless times how God’s Promise for your every need TOUCHES and COMFORTS soldiers during deployments… How they use it to stay focused and even as a witness tool.

Over the past few years I personaly have bought MANY of these, and personally made sure soldier’s didn’t leave without one.

I have taken them to nursing homes to comfort new residences….etc………..

Laurie, again…
(2) Grab you one of those Bibles you spoke of and see what it has to say about being judgmental of those who care enough to give you a hug in the morning on your arrival here, or better yet, want to reach out enough to pray for you or others who are in need of prayer.

My reply:
Are you serious? It’s those people that even after leaving Thomas Nelson that I absolutely LOVE and have been blessed to watch the friendships develop that will last a lifetime. It’s those same people I have spent many nights in prayer for, with and over…. It’s those same people, who some were effected by the layoff, that I was posting about.

I really believe some of them could have been re-trained and offered the opportunity to move into different positions. Whatever positions and vision that Hyatt is currently moving the company towards.

Layoff’s weren’t necessarily the solution….. And Mike is right, more Bibles is not necessarily the answer. Neither is publishing thousand of books simply because they are Christian.

ALL I was simply stating was that even if Thomas Nelson never publishes anything other than the Bible, they would still be successful. Maybe not in terms of the “World” standards, but do we as Christians live in the “World”??? no we don’t …. God and only God is our ultimate authority. And I am confident that Mike has a personal relationship with God and that when he decides to move the company into a different direction that it is because of Godly vision/counsel.

Just because you give x amount of dollars to charity or whatever doesn’t necessarily mean that is where God would have you spend that money….. We have to make sure what we are doing line’s up with God’s will for our lives and those we are responsible for. Maybe that is a bad example, my point is…………

That Mike believes this new direction is where God wants to take the company and that’s great. I just wish he could have found ways’ to keep the people who gave their heart and soul to the company as “little “ people. Find a spot for them, and one of those spots that is still WIDE OPEN and in NEED of people…is the Niche Market I temped in…. Those people could have been moved there if no where else and it would have blossomed and grown and reached a lot of people…. The job that I had to leave undone……That’s all I was saying… Not being judgmental or anything like that……

Thanks for your questions.

1. Laying people off doesn’t make me feel guilty. It makes me sad, because I care for the people. However, I also believe that if it is the right decision for us, it is the right decision for them—difficult as that may be.

2. Layoffs can be the result of many things. In our case, they are the result of a changing market. For a business to stay viable it must change with the environment. If it doesn’t, then it puts at risk the jobs that remain. In many cases, companies are too slow to respond to changing conditions. As a result, they end up cutting more jobs that they would have had they acted earlier.

3. We certainly retained as many people as possible, and certainly we are pursuing growth in new markets. Hundreds of considerations went into every decision. But in the end, we are stewards of the business. We have staff it to accomplish our business purpose.

I hope that helps,

Mike

1) Layoffs and the gospel. Layoffs are purely a business decision, yet our conscience make us feel guilty. If our conscience is the gatekeeper of morality, is laying off people wrong?

2) Are layoffs a result of management mistakes or just unprecedented business circumstances? why did the business not stay right sized? what are the gates to measure this?

3) Instead of laying off, can the people be retained to support increase in sales in new growth markets? Are new growth markets being pursued

Ash
(P.S. I am not being critical here, I probably would have done the same in your shoes. I think laying off people is easier when you take your emotions off the people or you don’t know them. I just wanted to ask you the same questions I am asking myself )

In response to ” A Soldiers Loved One”, heart warming name isn’t it? (a large portion of our nation could call ourselves by that term) As an employee of Thomas Nelson, who unlike the nameless post I refer to, you will find my full name at the end of this response.

I take offense at how “the phantom”
portrays our company.

Here’s a thought

(1) Find out who you are……

(2) Grab you one of those Bibles you spoke of and see what it has to say about being judgemental of those who care enough to give you a hug in the morning on your arrival here, or better yet, want to reach out enough to pray for you or others who are in need of prayer.

Allow me to offer a Simon C. parting thought; your thoughts on restructuring this company and dealing with the current market trends, not to mention your cynicism are why you are not the CEO.