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First, I want to acknowledge that layoffs are a difficult and challenging situation for any organization. This document will not be a complete set of answers. Rather, it’s a starting point to share some tried and tested tools from my CEO clients.
Layoffs can have a significant impact on the morale and motivation of employees who remain. As a CEO, your top concern may be maintaining the stability of your team and retaining your high performers. Here are a few steps you can take to help manage the situation and support your employees during this time of change.
Before you move on to the steps to navigate the aftermath, let’s review our Firing Well playbook and see if there are any tactics that you would like to implement before or during letting someone go. I interviewed Ophelia’s cofounder Mattan Griffel who shares his entire process and implementation around a layoff here.
Below, you can find the key recommendations for what happens after making a layoff decision.
Use an internal communication framework to announce the news
When it comes to announcing layoffs, it's crucial to have a clear and organized approach. Consider using Mochary Method’s guide to announce traumatic events. This will help you stay grounded and communicate the news effectively to your company. It is critical to have face-to-face 1-1 conversations with those who are let go and offer that face time to those who are staying to process their emotions.
One of Mochary Method CEO coaches Faith Meyer wrote a write-up (You Lost Your Job. Now What?) that you can share directly or copy to send to your employees who are part of that layoff.
Conduct Magic Questions with your leadership team and managers
Magic Questions are a tool that can help you gauge the level of impact that layoffs are having on your employees. It’s key to ask questions and hold employees accountable for actions as you're going through Magic Questions. Check out instructions from Star performers: How to keep them engaged and motivated.
Encourage your leadership team and managers to conduct Magic Questions with each of their direct reports, and consider conducting these surveys every 2-4 weeks for the next few months. This will create a space for employees to share their thoughts and feelings openly, helping to build trust and strengthen relationships.
Run an anonymous survey on motivation at work
If you want to get a deeper understanding of how layoffs are affecting employee motivation, consider conducting an anonymous survey. This can be especially effective if your company doesn't already have a culture of psychological safety, allowing employees to speak openly and honestly. If you do choose to run a survey, make sure to publicly share the top results and create a space for employees to ask questions and voice their concerns.
Ensure you’re personally supported
Last but definitely not least, you and your executive team who are deeply involved in the layoff decision are going through an emotionally draining journey. These are hard decisions to make and trying conversations to have. It’s important that you are supported to process this news, so that you can be more available to your employees. I know of CEOs who commit to a more rigid personal routine during this time that includes but is not limited to cold plunges in the morning, daily fitness, meditation, therapy, coaching, time with family, and so on. If you need support during this time, please feel free to reach out to us. We are here to help guide you to the right resources regardless of whether you become a coaching client or not.
As we gather more information and resources, we will continue to update this document with tips. If there are things you have tried that helped with navigating the aftermath of a layoff, encourage you to share them with me at sabrina@myevergrowth.com so that I can share it with more CEOs.
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About the Author
Sabrina Wang is a CEO coach for extraordinary leaders of Series A to Unicorn companies. She is a founder, CEO, and operator who brings real-life experiences in building products and scaling revenue into her coaching. She is a writer, creative, and trained meditation teacher.
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