Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Staffing Strategies: Avoiding the Meltdown
Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.
October 2008 brought with it a proverbial meltdown of the world financial markets setting off a cascading waterfall of bank failures, stock market freefalls, freezing of credit markets and questionable bailout programs. Coupled with the over 150,000 jobs recently lost in the United States, it is safe to say that rough times are ahead and that will mean more jobs will be lost and perhaps even draconian cost controls and downsizing.
As the impact of this collapse floods its way from Wall Street to Main Street, many people will be laid off. Layoff announcements rose 33 percent in September over the 2007 levels. Here are just a few of the stats on the layoff front:
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eBay: 1,600
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Foxwood Casino: 700
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HP: 24,000
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Auto Industry: 14,000
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Financial Svc: 111,000
The troubling part of this news is that it could be just the beginning of things to come. According to the folks at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, unemployment could top 8 percent in a severe recession. That is over 12 million people displaced and unemployed. Some employers will take the traditional flat percentage cuts across the board, while others will hopefully be more strategic in their approach.
In his article “Downsizing with Dignity”, Alan Downs states “Downsizing or doing layoffs is…
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