New management tells employees they're all "easily replaceable," package handler tests that theory: 'You know what? The company itself is easily replaceable too'

No one wants to feel like they can be replaced for a second.

Sure, Beyoncé once famously invoked this concept, but she was talking about relationships! She wasn't talking about a manager's professional dynamics with their employees. Yet somehow, this manager had the strange idea that telling his entire team that they can be easily replaced might actually boost their productivity and efficiency.

Of course, the package handlers in this warehouse want to keep their jobs, but being held to legitimately impossible standards is not going to be motivating for anyone. It sounds like this team had a strong relationship with their old manager until these new guys came in and enforced a totally different tone and approach to work.

They stressed the need for the team of package handlers to sort through 700 packages per hour in order to meet expectations. Management also enforced that workers needed to get permission to use the bathroom or to change batteries for scanners. Obviously, these new adjustments operate under the assumption that these employees will comply with these unrealistic and unsafe expectations and conditions.

Thankfully, the author of this story interpreted his new manager's comment about replaceability in a way that proved to be more empowering for him and for his teammates. Sure, in management's eyes, these folks might be "easily replaceable," but who's to say that the reverse is not also true?