“Our executives have made a decision, and we are insourcing all core business functions. As such, your services will no longer be needed as of 90 days from today.”
We were shocked to hear this. We had 18 people working on this account, all of whom would no longer be working in their current job 90 days from now. It didn’t seem fair. Then again, life often isn’t fair.
I say we had 18 people because they weren’t resources, associates, or headcount. They were people – with stories, with families, with mouths to feed, and now with broken pieces to pick up. Nobody would have judged them if they put their heads down on their pillows, cried, and just survived the days leading to unemployment.
But that’s not how we were designed. We were made for more. We were equipped to adapt, adopt, and overcome.
Empathetic Leadership
Our minds process loss, or perceived loss, at work very similar to how they process the loss of a loved one – we grieve. Whenever news of a possible layoff or other reduction event hits, we all go through the stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and ultimately acceptance. As a leader, it’s important to understand that every person is going through these steps at their own pace, and until they reach the point of acceptance, it is very hard to create action plans and execute on next steps.
We had to empathetically move the team through this process so that we could take action towards a better future, and we realized that any missteps perceived as lacking empathy would completely backfire.
In this case, we were very direct yet empathetic with our messaging. We told the team that in 90 days they will no longer have the same job they currently have, as their current jobs are being eliminated. We shared that it’s okay to not believe this, as we too wish this weren’t true. We also shared that it’s okay to be angry about it, as we too are angry with the current situation. But that doesn’t change anything – it’s happening.
Optimists and Pessimists
The optimist believes the glass is half full – no matter what, things will turn out okay. The pessimist believes the glass is half empty – no matter what, things are destined for doom and gloom. The realist looks at the glasses and decides to fill them both up – they acknowledge the reality of the situation but take action to create a better future.
Our messaging then had to include an element of realism. We shared that some may feel that everything will work out, and others may feel that they’re destined for the unemployment line. It’s okay to feel either way. However, we are taking a series of actions based on this information to help create a better future.
Leading Through Ambiguity
Leading through ambiguity is akin to raising teenagers. Things are very dynamic, emotions are high, and volatility makes it difficult to plan effectively. In those cases, rely on vision and values. If you have a compelling vision and know where you want to end up, it helps align your actions towards a common goal. If you have values that can serve as guardrails, everything stays on track as you move toward the vision.
In this case, we articulated a vision that we called “18 for 18.” That is, we communicated a vision in which all 18 people would find new jobs in 90 days. We also articulated the values of work ethic, owning our outcome, respect, integrity, and shared responsibility. Within this construct, we created an action plan and assigned everyone tasks that helped them own their future: update their resume, apply to jobs, contact people in their network, and attend team meetings. We also put ownership on the leadership team – those who were not in the position of losing their jobs were also held to a high standard. We worked with HR, solicited resume reviewers, engaged internal and external recruiters, communicated with leadership across the company, and leveraged our personal and professional networks. Every week, we reviewed the plan together and held our team and our leadership accountable for doing everything possible to help 18 people find new jobs in 90 days.
Outcomes
Within 90 days, all 18 people landed new jobs. They also completed all of their work assignments on time and with high quality. The result wasn’t because leadership found jobs for people. Leadership simply fostered an environment that allowed people to process their emotions as they shifted their focus towards a more compelling vision and a brighter future.
Next Steps
At Exceptional Difference, we help engineers, leaders, and executives become the best versions of themselves. We enable people and teams to create value by casting far reaching visions, defining supporting strategies, and developing inspirational and energizing goals and plans.
Leadership Growth Cycle (LGC) is one of our key offerings – it is an elite offering for leaders seeking to grow both the breadth and depth of their leadership toolkit. Years before joining Exceptional Difference, I was in the inaugural cohort of LGC and always felt it was the best leadership training I ever received. We also offer mentoring for individuals and teams looking to learn and grow from industry experts through a variety of circumstances.
Contact us at info@exceptionaldifference.com or visit www.exceptionaldifference.com to learn more about these offerings and how we can help your team.
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