It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Business

It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Business

The phrase hit me like a cold slap as I sat across from Paul in the cramped office at Nexaro Autohaus. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting harsh shadows across the cluttered desk between us.

Paul had just delivered what he probably thought was the final word on our dealership’s latest “cost-cutting initiative.”

“Look, John, I get that you’re upset about the layoffs,” Paul said, leaning back in his chair with that practiced executive calm. “But you need to understand — it’s not personal, it’s just business.”

The Moment Everything Changed

I’d heard that phrase countless times during my fifteen years in the automotive industry, but something about hearing it that Tuesday morning in Detroit made my stomach turn. We were about to let go of three sales associates — people with families, mortgages, and dreams of their own.

Linda had just bought her first house. Mike was saving for his daughter’s college tuition. And here was Paul, our sales manager, dismissing their lives with a corporate cliché.

“Just business?” I found myself asking. “Paul, these are real people we’re talking about.”

He shrugged, already reaching for the termination letters. “The numbers don’t lie, John. We’re overstaffed for the current market. Corporate wants us to trim the fat.”

That’s when it hit me. The problem wasn’t the decision itself — sometimes tough choices are unavoidable. The problem was how we were approaching it.

We were treating people like line items on a spreadsheet, not human beings who had invested their time and energy into making Nexaro Autohaus successful.

Where Leadership Failed

I watched Paul prepare for the termination meetings, and I realized we were falling into the oldest trap in business: the false choice between profit and people. In our minds, we had only two options: either we cut costs by eliminating positions, or we’d all sink together when the dealership struggled financially.

But sitting there in that sterile office, I started thinking about the families behind those names on the termination list. What if there was a third option we hadn’t considered?

“Paul, hold on a second,” I said, standing up. “Before we do this, can we spend ten minutes brainstorming? Maybe there’s another way.”

He looked at me like I’d suggested we start giving cars away for free. “John, the decision’s been made. We can’t afford to keep everyone on payroll.”

“I’m not saying we ignore the financial reality,” I replied. “I’m saying maybe we can find a solution that doesn’t destroy three families in the process.”

A Lesson from the Sales Floor

What happened next surprised both of us. Instead of the quick, clean termination meeting Paul had planned, we spent the next two hours in honest conversation with our entire sales team.

We laid out the financial challenges facing the dealership — the declining foot traffic, the pressure from corporate, the need to reduce costs by exactly the amount those three salaries represented.

Then something interesting happened. Dave, one of our sales reps, spoke up.

“What if we all took a temporary pay cut instead?” he suggested. “If we distribute the hit across the whole team, nobody has to lose their job.”

Jackie from the sales team, nodded enthusiastically. “I’d rather make a little less for six months than watch my colleagues get thrown out the door.”

By the end of that meeting, we had a plan. The entire sales team agreed to a modest temporary reduction in base salary, with the understanding that we’d restore full pay as soon as our numbers improved.

We also restructured our commission system to reward team performance alongside individual sales, creating incentives for everyone to help each other succeed.

The Real Cost of “Just Business”

The solution wasn’t perfect. Everyone made a little less money for a few months. But here’s what we gained: a team that trusted each other, a workplace where people actually wanted to show up, and three families who didn’t have to worry about putting food on the table.

More importantly, we learned something that no business school textbook could have taught us. When you take the time to think beyond the false choice between winning and losing, you often discover options you never knew existed.

Six months later, our sales numbers were up 23% compared to the previous year. The team cohesion we’d built during those difficult months translated into better customer service, more referrals, and a reputation in Detroit’s competitive auto market that money couldn’t buy.

Business with Moral Responsibility

I think back to that morning with Paul and realize how close we came to making a decision we’d have regretted for years. Not because it was illegal or even unusual — dealerships across the country were making similar cuts. But because we almost forgot the most basic truth about business: without people, there is no business.

Every transaction, every sale, every success story we celebrate at Nexaro Autohaus exists because we provide something valuable to people. That value should never come at the cost of unnecessarily harming others.

Now, I’m not naive about business realities. Sometimes companies fail despite everyone’s best efforts.

Sometimes external forces make painful decisions unavoidable. The recession of 2008 taught us all that lesson the hard way. But there’s a world of difference between unavoidable hardship and choosing the easy path when better options exist.

The Higher Path

These days, whenever I hear someone say “it’s not personal, it’s just business,” I think of that morning in Paul’s office. I think of the moment when we chose to pause, to think creatively, and to remember that business success doesn’t require leaving a trail of broken relationships behind.

The phrase itself isn’t wrong — business decisions should be based on sound reasoning, not emotional impulses. But when your instinct is to use that phrase, it’s usually a sign that you’re about to do something that doesn’t sit right with your conscience.

That’s the moment to stop and ask: Is there a way to handle this that serves both the business and the people involved?

More often than not, the answer is yes. It might require more creativity, more conversation, or more time than the obvious solution. But the results — both for your business and for your peace of mind — are worth the extra effort.

At Nexaro Autohaus, we’ve made it our unofficial motto: It’s business, and with that comes moral responsibility. It’s a reminder that how we achieve our goals matters just as much as what we achieve.

The best part? Years later, when I look back at the decisions we’ve made and the way we’ve made them, I sleep well at night. And in a world where business headlines are filled with scandals and ethical failures, that’s worth more than any short-term profit we might have gained by taking the easy way out.

Lesson Insights: Why “Either/Or” Thinking Leads to Bad Choices

When you’re under pressure, it’s easy to think you have only two choices:

• Cut people or lose money.
• Protect the business or protect the team.

But that kind of thinking is often too limited. Most of the time, there’s a third option — one that solves the problem without hurting people more than necessary.

You just have to:

• Take a step back.
• Involve others.
• Get creative.

Here’s the key idea:
If a decision feels wrong, the real problem might be the way you’re looking at it — not the decision itself. Ask a better question, and you’ll often find a better path.

Best Practices: How to Make Hard Decisions Without Losing Your Team

Tough business calls are sometimes unavoidable. But how you make them matters a lot. These habits help:

• Talk to people early.
  Don’t wait until after you’ve made the call. Let your team help shape the solution.
• Get to the root cause.
  Don’t just treat the surface issue. Ask: What’s really going wrong?
• Question your assumptions.
  If your gut says “this doesn’t feel right,” ask: Is there another way we haven’t thought of yet?
• Be honest, but hopeful.
  Share the facts, but remind people that working together gives you better odds.
• Spread the impact fairly.
  People are more willing to take a hit if they know you’re not protecting yourself while asking them to sacrifice.

Checklist: 6 Questions to Ask Before Making a Tough Call

Before you move forward with a difficult decision, ask yourself:

• ☐ Am I stuck in “either/or” thinking?
• ☐ Have I asked the people involved for their input?
• ☐ Do I really understand what’s causing the problem?
• ☐ Have I looked for a middle ground or creative fix?
• ☐ Would I feel okay explaining this to the whole team — and my family?
• ☐ Will this decision build trust, or break it?