What do you do if your team is facing a layoff and you need to maintain a positive mindset?

Cost reductions. An unfortunate constant in my career. Understand you are dealing with adults and your Team deserves to know the situation. Never popular with some leaders, approaching a matter like this by sharing the facts + the possible outcomes is not only appropriate, but I have found it achieves a calm. Not knowing is the real work issue ... If you respect your team, help them by putting them in a position to move quickly if they do lose their job. I always close with people adding net value should not have to worry and if the organization doesn't recognize one's net value - then perhaps a change makes sense anyway. Last - strive for voluntary layoffs with extra severance - people prefer to deal with change on their terms.

Being in HR I have been on both ends of this issue. While changes to business condition leading to layoffs are many times uncontrollable, as a leader the most important thing to do is to create opportunities and avenues for people to vent and ask questions and share their fears. And then for leaders to create a safe space for colleagues to show their emotions. I think almost always the teams aren’t looking towards the leader to stop the layoffs as most times they know it isn’t as easy to do that. So instead of avoiding the topic, openly acknowledging the situation and then allowing for a dialogue in a kind and compassionate way and showing respect is the most a leader can do.

In the face of potential layoffs, drawing from my experience in navigating similar challenges during a merger, I prioritized maintaining a positive team attitude by emphasizing open communication, transparency, and empathy. I focused on reminding the team of our common goals and vision, fostering purpose and motivation. Encouraging dialogue and creating a supportive environment helped team members feel valued and heard during uncertain times.

Be real, share your own fears and insecurities. Celebrate people for their honesty and bravery. Acknowledge that this is hard and that it sucks.

Facing a layoff can be an incredibly stressful and challenging experience for both individuals and teams. However, maintaining a positive mindset during this difficult time is crucial for your well-being and future opportunities. Here are some strategies to help you stay positive: 1. Focus on what you can control 2. Stay optimistic 3. Stay flexible Remember that experiencing a layoff is a temporary setback, and with the right mindset and actions, you can bounce back stronger and find new opportunities for growth and success

Share the vision of the team's future beyond the current challenges. Communicate openly about the situation, acknowledge uncertainties, and reassure team members of your commitment to their well-being. Emphasize the team's resilience and collective strength, highlighting past successes and the potential for growth. Encourage open dialogue, support, and collaboration to navigate through the tough times together, fostering a sense of unity and purpose. By keeping the team focused on a shared vision of overcoming adversity and thriving in the long term, you can help maintain morale and motivation during challenging times in leadership.

Navigating a team through layoffs can be daunting, but maintaining a positive mindset is crucial. Start by fostering open communication, providing transparency, and offering support to those affected. Focus on the strengths and talents of the team, emphasizing resilience and adaptability. Encourage collaboration and innovation to explore new opportunities amidst the challenge. Remember, a positive attitude is contagious; lead by example and inspire your team to stay optimistic and proactive in the face of adversity. Together, you can overcome obstacles and emerge stronger, ready to embrace the future with confidence

Honesty from a leader who can express the facts with relevant and appropriate emotion will go a long way during difficult times in a business. Sharing the vision and company values can reassure those who will be kept on in the business. Remember the staff who remain will have lost colleagues and there will be a feeling of uncertainty about their roles and tasks. A leader must galvanise the team again and when done properly during this period after layoffs, it can move the business ahead with renewed energy and focus.

Share vision can be crucial in layoffs periods. Continue to promote the vision of the team and the organisation and the importance that your teams play to this vision.

Sharing your vision for the future, and the reason for the changes, is key. Your team is often the face of the organization and have helped build it. They understand many of the challenges very well. Take the time to outline the reasons for the change - the why. Be sure to explain what the future holds and the impact on them and your clients.

Respect people leaving and staying - they both need support and consideration. If you're the one leaving, realize that some of the best folks in the business world have been riffed or replaced or layered or let go. It's neither a disgrace nor a failure. It's a reality. It's how you turn the page and remake your reality that counts. First, let your network know. They can't help you if they don't know what's going on in your life. Reawaken your competitive self and revisit your narrative about YOU LLC. Coming back is tough but in the end, you'll be better, smarter, and more resilient.

I believe the best thing to do is make sure my team is prepared for forward progression. I would start by ensuring my team is aware of their strengths and major contributions to the team. Where do they excel and what value they added while being a part of my organization. Next, I would allow time each week for them to network with other departments in the company that have job openings and also time to search externally. There wouldn't be anything that I could do to stop forth coming layoffs, but I would make sure my team members know how to properly market themselves and prepare for what is to come.

I have experience this twice. First, each person affected will approach the situation differently. How it is handled makes all the difference in how the individual is able to move through the stages of grief, as most will psychologically treat this as a “death”. It may be the “death” of relationships or a person’s professional identity or an internal confidence. As a leader our responsibility is to forge a path forward for these individuals for their future life journey. At least this is what a good leader should do. How does that look? Develop an exit strategy program which includes career development, counseling, socialization and make it a combo of in house and outsourcing. And as a leader get involved with each person affected.

Be transparent about the reasons for the layoffs, whether organizational changes or market forces. Develop credible messaging and stick to it. Appoint internal spokespeople who can deliver the message with appropriate empathy and clarity. Work with HR to know the plan as definitively as possible in advance; present rationale for how decisions will be made.

It's a slight tangent, but managing layoffs is tough. At least it was for me and I imagine for most decent human beings. And so it should be. Your decisions and actions are having a major impact on people's lives. So it shouldn't be taken lightly. Having said that, it's a great opportunity to learn. Learn about people and how they react to difficult situations and to learn about yourself. For me, it certainly helped me to clarify my job as a leader. And realise it wasn't to be popular or even liked. My job as leader was to do what's right for the business AS A WHOLE including staff, customers and shareholders. That probably won't be what's easy for you or what's easy or best for every single individual. But it's your job!

Focus on What You Can Control: While layoffs may be outside of your control, focus on aspects of your work that you can control, such as your attitude, productivity, and contributions to the team. Practice Self-Care: Take care of yourself both mentally and physically during this challenging time. Make time for activities that help you relax and recharge, such as exercise, hobbies, or spending time with loved ones. Remember that layoffs are often a reflection of broader economic or organizational factors and may not be a reflection of your individual performance. By staying positive and supporting one another, you can help navigate through this challenging time as a team.

Lays off are a cruel reality that exists within organizations, and more likely than not a leader will be faced with having to coach a team through this difficult process. This is an excellent opportunity for leaders to be vulnerable and empathize with the concern and state of affairs. It’s ok as a leader to be not only uncomfortable with the uncertainty the disruption may cause, but also confident in the messaging to team members to calm nerves. Leading by example in the form of avoiding the gossip, leaning into positivity, and acknowledging the difficulty can go a long way to ease the concerns of others.

Layoffs can cause high emotional turbulence for most and one may go through the 5 stages of grief (Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, followed by acceptance). So, being aware of these and being able to recognize these reactions will help you as a leader to offer adequate support to them at each stage. Offering non-judgemental listening should work wonders, and offering un solicitated advise is a total no-no.

Remaining employees require ongoing support due to downsizing, work overload, and potential layoffs. Plan for productivity drop as some lose focus, ensuring they feel supported throughout the transition. • Communicate openly and honestly: Provide clear dialogue about layoff reasons and address team concerns. • Show empathy and support: Acknowledge team members' emotions and concerns, offering resources and guidance. • Focus on the future: Encourage team resilience by viewing layoffs as opportunities for growth and learning. • Foster a sense of community: Promote teamwork, collaboration, and mutual support. • Take care of yourself: Prioritize personal well-being and mental health, seek support, and stay connected with your support network.

Support is important in the layoffs periods. Provide emotional support to your team members and listen to their concerns and provide guidance on how they can navigate the situation. This is important because you might not have control over the layoff decision but you have control of how you deal with this on a personal and team level.

Encourage open communication about the layoff situation and provide honest updates and information to your team members. Foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns. Be kind to yourself and others. Understand that it's okay to feel stressed or upset. Offer support and encouragement to your team members. Show empathy towards those directly affected by the layoffs. Focus on the things you can control and take proactive steps to move forward. Look for silver linings and opportunities for growth amid the challenges. Be Realistic: Prepare for challenges while maintaining hope. Visualize scenarios and plan your response.

As much as possible, try to keep it "business as usual" for as much of the team as possible to minimise unnecessary changes in an already tumultuous time. As a leader, be sure to turn up the gratitude for your team during this time (both individually & as a collective) while maintaining authenticity. As a leader, I do think being "visible" during this time (in the office, more 1x1 or 1-to-many virtual meetings) helps instil a sense of security while also providing opportunities for dialogue.

Help your team stay productive and engaged during a layoff: • Provide clear direction and priorities. Break work into manageable tasks so people feel a sense of progress and control • Encourage employees to maintain routines and structure • Celebrate wins, both big and small. Recognize people's efforts and accomplishments to reinforce their value and contributions • Grant flexibility where possible, understanding that stress may impact focus and output. Adjust expectations as needed • Reframe the situation as an opportunity to learn, innovate and strengthen skills that boost employability By keeping your team engaged in meaningful work, you help them maintain a forward momentum during a challenging time. Productivity can be empowering.

I’ve been laid off before and experienced loss of income and also loss of “face” and self-esteem. From my personal experience and also from experience of coaching clients who got retrenched, the best way to respond is future planning. On hindsight, the lay off is the best opportunity to pause and replan. Start with a clean slate and create new possibilities. Learn new skills and meet new people. Now that the old job is gone, anything is possible moving forward.

In my experience there are few activities that help team members go trough these difficult periods, and together with the empathy from the manager and the team, helping them plan next steps is essential. Using personal network to find them new job opportunity, and help them polish their CV, Linkedin profile and prepare for the interviews might be a key differentiator. I would also write objective recommendations and keep regular meetings during the interviews and I would check few months after they start on the new job. This is an extra effort, but is essential extra mile for a person in need.

The ironic benefit of leaving one job, even if it is not by choice is that it gives you a chance to focus on what you want to have in the next job. Too many times we get complacent in our career and a layoff forces you to have a needed change. Take this time to plan on what the next job looks like, what you would want to be different, how to elevate in you career of choice, or be bold enough to start the business you have been wanting.

One practical insight is to lead by example and demonstrate resilience. Show your team that you are also navigating through this challenging time with a positive mindset and a proactive approach. Share your own strategies for maintaining positivity and facing adversity head-on. For instance, I regularly communicated with my team about how I was managing stress and uncertainty during a previous layoff period. By being transparent about my own experiences and coping mechanisms, I encouraged my team to adopt similar strategies and stay optimistic amidst the uncertainty.

I have seen some of my ex-colleagues getting impacted with layoffs & undoubtedly it was quite hard on them. Luckily, their organization provided them with resources and support services that helped them cope with the layoff. This included career counseling, job search workshops, or financial planning assistance.

Practically and demonstrably help those being laid off. • Offer a resume review, your personal network for them to engage for their job search, a direct recommendation to a hiring manager or recruiter or just in general, etc. If you express sincere empathy and actually help them with this challenging circumstance beyond their control and yours, you will limit the inevitable morale reduction as much as possible.

Maintaining a positive attitude does not mean to disregard their fears or down play them. This is the moment of litmus test if you had previously created a psychological safe space for your team members. Acknowledge their feelings and give them time to process the change. Lean in to vulnerability yourself too. If you have been through such a cycle before, share your story. Ask what ways you can help, what form of support will they need? Don't assume. Remember to NOT promise what you cannot deliver.

Layoff has become more common in the current years which means there is acceptance to it. However the teams going through the process does go under difficult times. As a leader I will highly stress on transparency, honesty and communication. Sharing as much as information to your team and giving them enough time to process and ask questions will help to go through it easily. It’s also a time when there is lot grapevine and rumours spreading around. Calling all the bs@$& is also important so that the team can focus on what is important. Some may need more support and giving them the right support is important. A layoff could also be a good thing for someone so trying to find the bright side shows maturity of the leader.

The most harmonious layoff I was involved with I was asked as a manager to reduce my team by 1/3 and could make the process as open as possible. I explained the situation, the offer and the options and asked for volunteers. Giving people true autonomy and control created a supportive atmosphere where those who left were happy because they wanted the money and a change. They also helped with knowledge transfer and training those that remained. The most difficult lay off was when everyone in the team was put at risk. People had to apply for a few new roles and there was very little choice for people on what they could and could mot do. Empowering people and treating them like adults and with compassion makes the world of difference

What do we mean by Positive? If it's the glib, happy, smiling everything is awesome façade, I'd argue that this wouldn't be an appropriate stance to take in a potential redundancy situation. But if by positive we mean solution/support focused well that's more like it. In redundancy situations (and this is lived experience) the best thing to do is accept that people will be feeling a whole heap of different emotions, keep talking and sharing information with all affected parties and ensure that you are there to support anybody at risk of redundancy during and after the consultation period ends. As all things being a good human goes a long way.