When a business increases infrastructure or operational costs to the point where it can no longer sustain profitability, it’s leadership and stakeholders will often resort to rightsizing or downsizing the organization. Reasons for engaging in downsizing efforts can include, your industry is declining, economic recession, rising costs, or less demand for your product or services to name a few. Perhaps the company expanded too quickly, launched too many products, lost its’ competitive edge and focus that resulted in its’ original success in the first place.

In is incredible book Essentialism, author Greg McKeown differentiates between an essentialist and a non-essentialist. He defines non-essentialism as “the undisciplined pursuit of more”, and essentialism as “the disciplined pursuit of less but better”. His focused message has revolutionized both my work and personal life. My only regret is I wish I had been exposed to this practice about thirty-five years ago.

Downsizing an organizational structure usually has one specific purpose, greater profits. Common downsizing practices include workforce reduction, work redesign, reducing operational overhead costs, redundancies and inefficiencies.

I believe there is a significant difference between downsizing and rightsizing. It’s a matter of perspective and motive.  The motive for downsizing is mostly about squeezing more profit to satisfy stakeholders and stockholders, often at the expense of staff, staff wellbeing and morale. Rightsizing is more about perspective, it’s about adjustments and realignment to better fulfill your purpose as an organization while at the same time taking care of your people. It’s about evaluating systems and processes, revisiting and revitalizing purpose, striving for greater collaboration and increased focus. The goal can still be to increase profits. However, the approach taken is through disciplined growth, which may result in a smaller but more effective organization, where less equals more. A rightsizing mindset results in greater effectiveness, efficiency and productivity, higher morale, staff satisfaction and a healthy company culture.

When simply downsizing, leaders are often impersonal and impervious to the fallout and impact their decisions make in the lives of the people who work for them. Whereas when leaders have a rightsizing perspective, they have a much more altruistic attitude, and are deeply concerned and considerate, heavily weighing the consequences their actions and decisions have on their staff.

Essentialism in the workplace can bring about amazing results. Applying essentialism to your life and lifestyle is even more exciting. I encourage you to evaluate your life, right size, practice the disciplined pursuit of less but better. Embrace the life of an essentialist. As a follower of Jesus make it your essential aim to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Love Him with all your heart soul, strength and mind and love others as yourself.

Most often downsizing is a one-time event. Rightsizing though should be a continuous exercise. Always evaluating and asking, “Am I engaged in the undisciplined pursuit of more, where I end up doing few things with excellence? Or am I disciplined, pursuing less but better, resulting in a highly focused, impactful, and purposeful life?” How about it, are there things in your professional and personal life that you need to right size?

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