The Who and WHY Strategy to Help with Layoff and Termination

The most challenging part of HR is firing, layoffs, and eliminating positions. It is stressful for everyone. Don’t get me wrong, it is the most difficult on the terminated person, but it can be stressful for the manager or HR personnel to have these difficult emotionally fueled conversations.

I want to focus on managers and HR professionals working through these difficult choices and help you find a better way to manage emotions and heater conversations. If you are about to do a round of layoffs, this is not only difficult on the employees being let go, but it also impacts the entire organization.  If you are about to do a round of layoff, I am here to help you prepare and embrace the “ick”.

Why and Who Strategy

The first items on your agenda are: 1) who is being let go and 2) why this is happening to them. These are the questions you need to answer for yourself before facing the employees.

• Are these cuts based on numbers?

• Is this a performance issue?

• Is this eliminating a department, role, or team altogether?

• How was the decision maker, and how did they select these people?

• What is the ideal outcome of the layoff for the organization?

• What is the company looking to accomplish?

Find out if a percentage of employees are being laid off and how those decisions are being made. The more knowledge you gain, the better you can brace yourself. This does not mean you will share this with the employees. It is to help you process the loss and change occurring. Our brains operate better under the “WHY” assumption.

For example, did the executive team cut 20% of their workforce, or did they review performance reviews and cut their underperformers? Do they need to hit a quote, or are they working off budgetary restraints?

Knowing more about how the decisions are being made can help you find a mental balance and emotional regulation. For example, if the organization is cutting low performers, then seek to understand what is causing the lack of performance. Try to see both perspectives. Researching or looking up this can take a few minutes, but it is about understanding the bigger picture.  Talk to their boss or the decision makers and review the performance reviews or KPI and find data to support the layoff. This might give you insight on how to approach the situation.

Try to understand more to frame your conversation better. Questions to consider:

• Did the employees get warnings (write-ups)?

• Did they get put on a performance plan?

• Has this been going on for multiple quarters?

• Was the employee aware of the underperformance?

• Did they improve overall or remain stagnant?

This data can help you frame a conversation on performance. Now, before the meeting, spend some time preparing. Answer the following:

• What is the ideal situation?

• What do I want to get out of this meeting?

• How do I want to show up?

• What can I do to help them?

Below is a sample narrative you can use as you talk to the employees:

“ Hey Jerry, thanks for meeting with me. This is a difficult conversation, and I am sorry, but we need to let you go due to your lack of performance these past few quarters.”

Pause and sit with silence.

Let the employee react. Give them time to process. This is when you need to move into a direct coaching role and let them share their feelings and thoughts. Don’t interrupt them or try to correct them. Let them share and get it out. Be calm and silent.

This could be very hard, I used to get yelled at, blamed, called names, and it sucked. I learned to change my framework and focus on their pain versus their anger outburst. I would repeat this mantra: “This is not about me, let them be, breathe, this is not about me, let them be.” It was hard news to deliver, and I am an empath so that I would feel all their emotions. I decided to lean into my strengths and hold space for them versus drowning in their emotional turmoil. Holding a space for them let them release some of the negative emotions and fear that were held in their body. It made the rest of the conversation go a little better.

When they are done venting, lean into compassion and say: “I hear what you are saying, and all these things stacked up make sense.” You can add in statements like:

• “This news seems surprising to you, which is good feedback to me.”

• “I can understand how this is difficult.”

• “This does suck.”

• “I can’t change the outcome of the decision, but I can be here and listen.”

• “We can create an exit strategy, and I can work with you.”

The goal is to be empathetic and understanding; they just lost their job, and it is not time to be robotic about it. It is about compassion and seeing the human in front of you who is scared, angry, or sad. It is about leaning into compassion when you are having a difficult conversation. These conversations don’t have to take hours or even be a big deal; it can be 15-30 minutes of your day, and that time you spend being compassionate can lead to a better exit and outcome for you, the employee, and the organization.

This is the Why and Who strategy when dealing with layoffs and termination. For more information about coaching, workshops, or consulting, please email me at kortney@peagramconsulting.com. For more resources and tools, subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Until Next Time,

Kortney Peagram, Ph.D.

Executive Coach | Consultant | Facilitator

Kortney@peagramconsulting.com

(773) 559-4500

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