On the Mark … Get Set … Ready … Go! … Start your FY 2012 – 2013 Budget!!!

To all the presidents of various unions respresenting employees, city, county, state and federal budget directors: Start your 2012-2013 Budget Now!

This is the second year in a row that the unions and various, city, county, state and federal entities had to concede to deep budget cuts. Let this serve as a lesson moving forward.

The days of ole, whereby everyone got what they wanted with little or no fanfare is over. The state of the economy in these United States is bleak at best and the present financial situation that most states find them selves in are here to stay for the foreseeable future.

It’s hard to rationalize or come to terms with the fact that today is as good as its going to get in terms of the financial stability of many governmental or state agencies. As tough as it will be mentally to accept, and it will be tough! you have to begin too take a hard look at your bottom line right now, today, and fine tune it so that there are no line items to question next fiscal year and yet have a list of possible cuts in place as a back-up plan should you need to reduce your budget and/or staff.

With more than 15 million job seekers still unemployed or underemployed, it would not be a hard stretch too say that things still could get a lot worse before it gets better. Remember, if you don’t offer solutions to resolving deficit shortfalls in your department, then that decision will be made for you.

Forget about the way things use to be and accept the way things are! As Suze Ormon so eloquently repeats again and again in her seminars, “Each one of us … Must stand in our own truth!” And the truth is every department is holding on to their employees by a “Wing and a Prayer!” But reality dictates that no matter how much you streamline and justify the bottom line, eventually, unless you receive an infusion of funds, you will have to displace some employees from their current positions.

If you are a director and you see that displacing employees is no longer a concept but will be a reality, advise that employee as soon as possible, so that the employee is able to restructure their finances to accommodate the loss of income.

Allow the employee to leave with dignity and a plan in place rather than tell everyone but the employee that they are going to be dismissed. The employees left behind will have a greater respect for you as a person and as a superior; otherwise the director comes across as a “spineless jellyfish” who hid behind the guise of “I had to release you because of the budget!” If you want respect, then you need to proceed respectfully! “Here’s hoping you make wise and unbiased decisions as you tackle the budget all over again.”