What Zuckerberg’s ‘Low-Performers’ Indicate about Him as a Boss
Published in Der Standard
(Austria) on 21 January 2025
by Franziska Zoidl (link to original)
(Austria) on 21 January 2025
by Franziska Zoidl (link to original)
Translated from
by Kirsty Low.
Edited by Laurence Bouvard.
The Facebook founder wants to lay off thousands of employees who are not performing as well as he would like. This is the wrong approach.
When the new, old U.S. President Donald Trump dismisses high-ranking civil servants as one of his first official acts, he'll do so with the words, "You're fired," just as he used to do on camera in his reality TV show, "The Apprentice." Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who has recently revealed his support for Trump, is using a similar tactic. He has announced his plans to "move out" 3,600 so-called "low-performers" at parent company Meta in the near future and replace them with more talented individuals.
Of course, there's a good deal of theatrics involved here. In the era of President Trump, bold catchphrases and assertiveness have gained even more traction at the managerial level of numerous companies. What this type of boss won't like to hear is this: If a company has thousands of employees whose performance falls short of expectations, this also says something about the management team.
A Climate of Fear
After all, it is also up to superiors to support and challenge those employees who are not yet performing at their best. And it's up to them to cultivate a working environment in which employees can develop, which might just turn "low-performers" into "high-performers," after all. This requires time, diligence and trust, not a climate of fear and constant monitoring, which also scares off young talent. Perhaps word will spread to the White House — and beyond — in the next four years. But it probably won't.
When the new, old U.S. President Donald Trump dismisses high-ranking civil servants as one of his first official acts, he'll do so with the words, "You're fired," just as he used to do on camera in his reality TV show, "The Apprentice." Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who has recently revealed his support for Trump, is using a similar tactic. He has announced his plans to "move out" 3,600 so-called "low-performers" at parent company Meta in the near future and replace them with more talented individuals.
Of course, there's a good deal of theatrics involved here. In the era of President Trump, bold catchphrases and assertiveness have gained even more traction at the managerial level of numerous companies. What this type of boss won't like to hear is this: If a company has thousands of employees whose performance falls short of expectations, this also says something about the management team.
A Climate of Fear
After all, it is also up to superiors to support and challenge those employees who are not yet performing at their best. And it's up to them to cultivate a working environment in which employees can develop, which might just turn "low-performers" into "high-performers," after all. This requires time, diligence and trust, not a climate of fear and constant monitoring, which also scares off young talent. Perhaps word will spread to the White House — and beyond — in the next four years. But it probably won't.
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