There's a side of layoffs that is rarely talked about. The experience of the senior leader who just found out they have to lay people off.
IME, these leaders are not involved in the decision to lay employees off. It doesn't matter if they are a VP, Head, or Director. Most of the time, they have zero control over this decision and how it was made.
This experience is brutal and is, without a doubt, the worst part of management. Nothing prepares you for it.
IME, the senior leader finds out in a way that is similar to how most employees find out. They are invited to a meeting and told something like, "To remain competitive, we need to cut costs and reduce X% of the workforce."
The difference for the senior leader, though, is they're also told, "You'll need to reduce your team by Y full-time employees. [In this relatively short time period], we need to know who on your team will be affected."
After they leave that meeting, they are expected to operate as if nothing has happened. They are often told not to share any of this information with anyone else. They are left knowing they are about to take someone’s financial means away from them. It's more power than they have ever wished to have.
They ask themselves:
"How can I possibly do this?
Am I being fair?
Am I living up to my own values?
Am I doing the right thing?
Will these people I respect and care for be ok?
What will everyone think of me?
How can I lead the rest of the team?
How do I keep going?
I must work, so how do I find happiness in work again?"
They're alone, holding all this information and their feelings without support. No one tells them how to do it. No one is there to hold space for them. There are no Google-able answers to find. There are no business skills that apply. There are no well-known thought leaders to turn to.
And there's no opting out. No matter what, they have to walk down this path.
Having been through these experiences, I can tell you how devastating, isolating, and guilt-ridden this experience is. Having had dozens of conversations these past two years with other leaders experiencing this, they, too, are devastated. Even if it happened a few years ago, they still carry this weight.
If you're a leader going through this, I'm so sorry.
If things are heavy for you right now, those are also signs that you're the exact leader your team needs.
If you feel the lingering effects of having had to do this, you did your team well. You chose to be the kind of leader we need more of, and I'm grateful you did.
Lastly, if you need someone to listen, send me a message. I'm around.
