Processing Loss & Transition

What's on my mind right now since...

Companies are continuing to announce layoffs.

While the research is clear that layoffs are often not the right way to go from both a long-term financial performance perspective as well as the harmful social impact, layoffs are on the rise.

Many in the worst possible way – without transparency or notice. Employees find out they are made redundant when they can’t log into a meeting or email. Managers don’t know their employees are gone until they don't show up. Zero empathy. Zero care. Zero humanity. Zero alignment with posted values. I cannot think of a good reason for inhumane communications - or rather lack of. There are plenty of good communication examples out there.

Executives continue to ask managers to do more with less. Many managers have been challenged to “do more with less” since pre-pandemic times and aren't supported in the "how". They are at breaking point.?

Many managers have never been through a major layoff event like we are experiencing. It’s traumatic for those leaving and those remaining.?

• Managers are ill-equipped to know what to do now or how to manage or support their employees after this kind of experience - let's name it - trauma, and yet are still expected to do more with less and figure it out themselves.?
• They don't feel heard, supported, and honestly, are being asked to go run a marathon at full sprint without training properly, owning the right shoes, experiencing a good night's rest, or even having a route map. In some cases, hydration and fuel stops along the way aren't available, either.

I learned there is actually a word for what many employees are experiencing through these layoff announcements: institutional betrayal. Dr. Jennifer Freyd, an expert on this topic, defines institutional betrayal as “occurring when an institution you trust or depend on mistreats you.” A topic for a future post.

If you are a manager trying to figure out what to do next, here are 4 steps you can take now:

1. Take the time to process the loss and trauma with your team. It may sound overwhelming, especially for cultures that don’t acknowledge loss or grief very well. It can be as simple as naming the feelings each person on a team has. Model vulnerability and start first. Share words of appreciation of those who have been let go. Name fears you have, and let the team express theirs. What does each person need from each other?
2. Reassess the team plan and deliverables with your team. Prioritize. What is realistically possible to accomplish? What is not? Co-create the new plan with the team. If you need additional approvals up the chain, you now have a realistic plan to present for feedback.
3. Begin the delicate task of building psychological safety within your team. (see my previous post). It will take time and be challenging, especially after layoffs and especially with the most loyal employees who are seeing for the first time that good people can be let go. However, psychological safety begins with your team, and you can create a microclimate where all feel safe to have a candid conversation, to feel included and heard, and where each person has each other’s back.?It's one of the most important things you can do for your team.
4. Take care of yourself right now so you can be the best version of yourself during this extra stressful time. Do what you can to get sleep, eat right, move, and breathe. (see my previous post on this topic for quick rejuvenation techniques.)

If you are interested in exploring ways to process transition and loss, either for yourself or your team, I’m co-facilitating a public online workshop on March 16th?on this topic. It's only $10 (US) or if you’d like to attend at no cost, please DM me and we will make it so (seriously - we want to share this work.) This workshop is for ANYONE experiencing loss or going through a transition. The workshop design is based in Liberating Structures, and is easily replicated so you can offer it to others if you'd like. It's based on the seminal Work that Reconnects, developed in the 1970's by Joanna Macy for environmental activists who had lost hope.

#leadership #layoffs #loss #transition #changeleadership #psychologicalsafety #teaming #onlineworkshop