I devised this Orange Observations exercise in my efforts to inspire my students to be observant. It’s a fun exercise for science, art and writing classes. I’d place a box of organic oranges on my desk and ask each student to come and take one. Then I asked them to take out a pencil or pen and two pieces of paper. On one paper, I’d have them write a description of their orange. On the other paper, I’d have them make a sketch of their orange. When done, I’d have them return their orange to the box. Then I’d mix the oranges in the box. Next, I’d asked them to exchange the description with one student and their sketch with another. Then, I’d ask them to come up and select the exact oranges depicted in the two papers they had received. They would typically look at me quite dumbfounded.

I’d then offer “let’s do this again”. Low and behold they were able to see, describe and capture in sketch unique things in their particular orange. They were able to capture details they had overlooked before. It wasn’t hard to do this enough to later be able to distinguish that orange from others. Learning to dig deeper, look closer allows us to capture what is unique. This allows us to more deeply consider and relay our experiences and the impact something or someone has on us.

Orange Observations in an Interview

In an interview, you could ask the candidate to give you the orange when they’re done. You can then mix it up with other oranges; ask them to use their own notes or sketch to find their orange. Or, even more fun can be to interview multiple candidates at once. I’ve had them ask each other interview questions as well. You can learn a lot about a candidate when then end up in an interview situation they weren’t expecting. The amazing candidate can pick out the other’s orange from the bunch without seeing their sketch or notes. It is a rare find to meet someone that can recall distinctive markings in another’s orange in this situation.

As a variant, you could have them choose a fruit from two boxes. One box with tangerines and one with clementines. Have them write a description of what they taste. and then have someone else see if they can determine if that description better fits a fruit from the box of clementines or the box of tangerine. Next, try that with smell instead of taste. With this you could open day one of training sommeliers 😉

Spin-up or Group Intro

This can also be a great way to spin-up a group of new-hires with fun activity. Another one is the Broken Squares Exercise.

The Orange Lesson Applied to Humans

As leaders or peers to other humans, if we overlook the subtle differences in each human, we miss opportunities to have more meaningful and deeper relationships and engagements. Likewise, if we don’t recognize the difference is our customers, we may end up providing least common denominator solutions, products and content. Avoiding the latter was the whole premise behind BroadVision’s 1-to-1 products as originally described in the book One-to-One Marketing and now implemented widely across multiple experiences.

See Also

• Tangerines vs Mandarins vs Clementines: What’s the Difference?
• Gotta love google. After writing this, I found a much more in depth exercise leveraging oranges in much the same manner: Cosmic Oranges: Observation and Inquiry Through Descriptive Writing and Art
• Data: Trust but Clarify

Powerful Questions and Active Listening

Powerful Questions and Active Listening enable more meaningful, effective and mindful one-on-one conversations, these basic tools that come in the form of questions to open or deepen a conversation. There are also some useful techniques to being an Active Listener which will allow thew other person to feel more valued and encourage/enable them to more effectively communicate what’s on their mind. These are core tools in a Talent Whisperer

Some basic powerful question pointers

Active Listening

Receive
Appreciate
Summarize
Ask

Before you respond in a conversation, take a breath. Not an enormous, loud, obvious breath that screams out “I am trying a new technique for better listening!” No, just a normal, simple, ordinary breath. That’s it. The whole technique, right there.

Mindful listening then is about being fully present when interacting with others.

Remember to allow others to finish their thoughts before starting (or even collecting) your own; notice non-verbal clues, whether they are tone of voice or body language; and encourage the speaker, through positive questions, eye contact, and focus.

Key points to remember with powerful questions

1. Pay Attention – be sure you’re completely engaged in hearing what’s being said. Maintain eye contact, be present but relaxed. Commit this time to this meeting regardless of what else may have happened or needs to happen on this day. Avoid distractions. Be fully present.
2. Withhold Judgement – don’t start thinking about what’s being said while it’s being said – keep an open mind. Don’t interrupt right away.
3. Create silent moments – either after they’ve said something or you’ve asked a question to create a void that you’re hoping they will fill.
4. Mirror – reflect back what you believe you heard,
5. Clarify – ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand the full message (optometrist metaphor)
6. Listen for what isn’t being said – Often this may prove to be the most important thing. What are they feeling? How are they saying it? What are the excited about vs eager to skip over? Are the avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, what their tone of voice, …?
7. Bottom line – try to provide the tldr; / the executive summary.
8. Share – introduce your ideas, thoughts, similar experiences, etc
9. Acknowledge – listen for, appreciate and genuinely acknowledge meaningful accomplishments or insights.

Active listening techniques include

• Building trust and establishing rapport.
• Demonstrating concern.
• Paraphrasing to show understanding.
• Nonverbal cues which show understanding such as nodding, eye contact, and leaning forward.
• Brief verbal affirmations like “I see,” “I know,” “Sure,” “Thank you,” or “I understand.”
• Asking open-ended questions.
• Asking specific questions to seek clarification.
• Waiting to disclose your opinion.
• Disclosing similar experiences to show understanding.

The “Pregnant Pause” Technique

The technique of asking a question and then intentionally allowing a moment of silence after the respondent’s answer, often referred to as a “pregnant pause,” is a powerful active listening strategy. This deliberate pause serves multiple purposes: it gives the speaker time to reflect on what they’ve just shared and consider if there’s more they wish to add, often leading to deeper insights or more authentic expressions. Moreover, it signals to the speaker that the listener is genuinely interested in what they have to say, enhancing the feeling of being valued and heard.

This technique is a practice commonly used in coaching, counseling, and therapeutic settings. It is rooted in the broader concept of ‘minimal encouragers’ in active listening, where the listener uses subtle cues to encourage the speaker to continue. The theory behind this technique is grounded in the idea that silence can be as communicative as speech, creating a space for introspection and additional thoughts that might not surface in a rapid-fire exchange. This approach aligns with the principles of empathetic listening and person-centered therapy, emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive environment that encourages self-exploration and personal growth.

“Minimal Encouragers”

“Minimal encouragers” are subtle communication signals that indicate to the speaker that the listener is engaged and interested in the conversation without interrupting the flow of dialogue. These encouragers can be verbal or non-verbal and serve to prompt the speaker to continue sharing their thoughts. Here are some common examples:

Verbal Encouragers:

1. Affirmative Words: Simple acknowledgments like “Yes,” “I see,” “Uh-huh,” or “Go on” that show you are following along.
2. Reflective Phrases: Repeating or rephrasing what the speaker has said in a questioning tone, encouraging them to elaborate. For instance, “So, you felt overwhelmed?”
3. Prompting Words: Using short prompts like “And?” or “Then?” to urge further detail without leading the conversation.
4. Clarification Requests: Gently asking for more information to clarify points, such as “Could you explain more about that?”

Non-Verbal Encouragers:

1. Nodding: A simple nod can convey that you are attentive and encourage the speaker to continue.
2. Eye Contact: Maintaining appropriate eye contact shows interest and engagement.
3. Leaning In: Slightly leaning towards the speaker indicates that you are fully focused on what they are saying.
4. Facial Expressions: Expressions of concern, surprise, or understanding can validate the speaker’s feelings and encourage them to share more.
5. Open Body Language: Adopting a posture that is open and directed towards the speaker signals receptiveness and attention.

These “minimal encouragers” are essential tools in active listening, helping to create a supportive environment where the speaker feels understood and valued, thus facilitating more open and in-depth communication.

Powerful Question examples

• What do you want?

  • Can you tell me more?
  • Why does that matter to you?
  • What other ideas/thoughts/ feelings do you have about it?
  • How does this influence your choices at work?
  • What else?
  • What are the vectors in your life/job that matter (most)?

    • Learning/mastering?
    • Scope of responsibility?
    • Business impact?
    • Who you work with?

  • Why does it matter?
  • What is the biggest obstacle?
  • What is your biggest fear?
  • What would the 95 year old say to you about this looking back to where you are today?
  • What’s next for you?
  • What will you do before we meet next?

    • What’s the first, easiest step you can take?
    • Will you…?
    • How will I know?

• What happened since we last met?

  • What’s good about what happened?
  • What could’ve been better?
  • What was the lesson?
  • Who else will benefit?
  • How can we ensure we retain what we learned?

• If you could change one thing, what it be?
• What do you NOT want me to ask you?

Powerful Conversations in the Age of Video Conferencing

In the era of widespread video conferencing, several unique considerations come into play to enhance the depth and meaning of conversations. The shift from in-person to virtual meetings requires an adaptation of traditional communication cues to maintain engagement and connection.
Here are some key factors:

Eye Contact

Achieving the semblance of eye contact in video calls can be challenging since looking directly at the camera rather than the screen is what conveys direct engagement to the other party. Placing the camera at eye level and occasionally looking into the camera lens can help simulate eye contact, making the conversation feel more personal and connected.

Video Framing

How you frame yourself within the video plays a significant role. Ideally, you should be centered with your face and part of your upper body visible, mimicking the perspective one would have in a face-to-face conversation. This helps maintain a sense of presence and engagement.

Background and Lighting

A cluttered or distracting background can detract from the conversation. Using a simple, professional background or a virtual backdrop can keep the focus on the discussion. Good lighting is equally important, with the main light source in front of you to illuminate your face clearly, avoiding shadows or backlighting that can obscure your expressions.

Audio Quality

Clear audio is crucial in video conferencing. Using a good quality microphone and minimizing background noise ensure that your voice is heard clearly without distractions. Features like noise cancellation can be beneficial in maintaining audio clarity.

Non-Verbal Cues and Gestures

Since a significant portion of communication is non-verbal, it’s important to consciously use gestures and expressions that can be easily perceived through the camera. Nodding, smiling, and using hand gestures can convey engagement and understanding, compensating for the lack of physical presence.

Active Engagement

Demonstrating active listening through verbal affirmations (“I understand,” “Interesting point,” etc.) becomes even more crucial in video calls to compensate for the physical distance. Short verbal nods also reassure the speaker that the audio is transmitting correctly and that they are being heard.

Screen Sharing and Visual Aids

Leveraging the tools provided by video conferencing platforms, such as screen sharing or virtual whiteboards, can add depth to the conversation, allowing for a more interactive and engaging exchange of ideas.

Managing Turn-Taking

In video calls, it’s easy to accidentally talk over each other due to slight delays or audio lags. Being mindful of taking turns and using features like raising hands or chat functions to indicate the desire to speak can help manage the flow of conversation more smoothly.

Check-ins and Breaks

Recognizing the potential for “Zoom fatigue,” it’s important to check in with participants, especially in longer meetings, and offer short breaks to maintain energy and engagement levels.

By being mindful of these aspects, video conferencing can become a more effective and meaningful platform for communication, bridging the gap created by physical distance.

The Optometrist’s Approach

Once, while doing remote coaching, I came up with a technique that helped us both ensure we weren’t missing anything by being remote. This helped ensure we were getting a clearer vision of what was at the core of an issue. In the debrief, the coachee described it being like visiting an optometrist to find what would help them see most clearly.

The technique of echoing back what you heard with two slightly different interpretations, akin to an optometrist trying on different glasses to find the right prescription, is a nuanced method in active listening and communication. Just as an optometrist presents a series of lenses, asking, “Is this clearer, or is this?” to finely tune the vision correction needed, this conversational technique involves reflecting back the speaker’s message in a couple of varied formulations to gain deeper clarity and understanding.

In practice, after listening to someone express their thoughts or feelings, you might respond with, “So, is what you’re saying more like ABC, or would it be more accurate to say it’s like XYZ?” This approach not only shows that you are actively engaged and seeking to understand their perspective fully but also provides the speaker with an opportunity to consider their own words from different angles. It’s a way of adjusting the ‘focus’ of the conversation, ensuring that the listener’s understanding is as clear and accurate as possible.

This method respects the complexity of human communication, acknowledging that thoughts and feelings can be multifaceted and that the first attempt at expressing them might not fully capture their entirety. By offering alternative interpretations, you invite the speaker to refine their message, leading to a more precise understanding, much like how the optometrist’s process results in the optimal prescription for clear vision.

See Also:

Powerful Questions

• Powerful Questions for Coaches and Leaders: A resource on PositivePsychology.com discusses the significance of asking the right questions to unlock potential and drive personal and professional growth. For instance, questions like “What do you already know about what you were made to do?” and “What roles or responsibilities do you enjoy?” can help individuals explore their purpose and strengths. Similarly, for leaders, questions such as “What’s on your mind?” and “What do you want?” can facilitate more effective coaching and leadership by encouraging self-exploration and clarity in team members​.
• Perspectives – in any dialog, don’t forget that each person is carrying their recent and past experiences with them.
• CTI (The Coaches Training Institute)

  • Fundamentals – Powerful Questions
  • Fulfillment – Sample Powerful Questions
  • 31 Powerful Questions for various applications

• Forbes: 16 Powerful Questions Coaches Ask Their Clients To Help Achieve Their Goals
• School of Coaching Mastery: 101 Incredible Coaching Questions
• SACAP – The 10 Most Powerful Questions a Coach Can Ask
• SAI – 5 Powerful Coaching Questions to Ask Your Clients Based on Your Coaching Niche
• SAI – 4 Coaching Questions to Ask Your Clients to Begin With
• The Art of Powerful Questions
• Active Listening and Effective Questioning
• What makes a Powerful Question?

Active Listening

• Active Listening Techniques: Another section on PositivePsychology.com delves into active listening, emphasizing the importance of understanding the speaker’s feelings and reflecting them back to show comprehension and empathy. Techniques include accurately receiving voice and body messages, using paraphrasing to demonstrate understanding, and being aware of contextual differences that affect communication. These skills are not only crucial in therapeutic settings but also in everyday conversations, helping to manage resistances and deepen connections​​.
• The Big 6: An Active Listening Skill Set
• Forbes – 10 Steps To Effective Listening
• HBR – Listening Is an Overlooked Leadership Tool
• Positive Psychology – Active Listening: The Art of Empathetic Conversation
• Psychology Today – A Simple and Powerful Technique for Better Listening
• Psychology Today – Mindful Listening
• FastCompany – 5 Ways To Improve Your Listening Skills
• Medium – ‘Active Listening’: the Key to Strong Workplace Relationships, Productivity, and Personal Empowerment
• Learn About Active Listening Skills With Examples
• How to Practice Active Listening
• Psych Central – Become a Better Listener: Active Listening
• Inc – 10 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Listening (and Networking) Skills
• Wikipedia – Active Listening
• Questions & Listening
• Questioning Techniques

Why are 10xers so rare if so much thought has been given into what makes a 10xer and what cultivates a Growth Mindset. Why are these Waldos so rare and hard to find?

If we imagine that excelling, succeeding, finding happiness is basically a choice, then why aren’t we all enjoying being there? Perhaps because it’s scary, daunting and even overwhelming to imagine it’s all on us. Super CEOs, athletes, scholars, movie stars, etc are not super humans born with some innate qualities that we simply don’t have. If we can all excel beyond where we currently are if we wanted to enough to work at it, then where is our excuse?

If you add to that, that we all have had experiences and encountered people that have put us down and set us back. To be a Rose that Grows from Concrete, we need to persevere in the face of challenges. Being a 10xer is hard work. You need the desire to get up when knocked down, even when it’s likely you’re likely to get knocked down again. Is it not easier then to stay down?

It’s not a free lunch

There is certainly also the danger of growing up believing you can have it because you want it – that belief can lead to disappointment and even depression if that message/belief was not also accompanied with the understanding that can require tremendous effort and involve lots of failures. Simon Sinek certainly also has a perspective on Why You Don’t SUCCEED.

Likewise, there’s a danger in believing you need to love taking risks as a 10xer. A hunger for challenges and willingness to take new approaches needs to come with a tolerance for risk, but not a hunger for risk. Not appreciating that distinction can lead to failures that will be hard to recover or learn from.This too can contribute to the rarity of 10xers.

Similarly, those with a growth mindset need to be willing to overcome adversity, they don’t necessarily need to have failed. Leaning over the tips of your skis to be better able to turn and go faster, but No Fear can equate to No Brains. Growth and success are hard to find if you’re not willing to step outside of your comfort zone. You must experience failure to succeed – the chances to grow and succeed do not continuously increase as you get further and further away from your comfort zone. As Andy Rachleff suggests You Learn More From Success Than Failure.

Looking at our role models is daunting by the hugeness of their sacrifices and success. Their achievements should inspire us. Be curious to find your own passion and drive instead of being humbled by their achievements,.

What should we do?

If your objective of is to become a 10xer, you are setting your goals way to low. We can go well beyond having a 10x impact on this earth if we build team, classrooms, businesses by inspiring, motivation, mentoring and developing others to go beyond a 1x impact to 2x, 3x, …10x. If we can help 10 people become 10xers, then we’ve just done a 100x. What if those 10 people inspire others… This is how teams win world championships and businesses excel to unforeseen heights. This is how students rise to make this country and world a better place. We should be inspired by people we encounter to achieve new heights as individuals. We can also multiply that affect can also be multiplied many times if we inspire those around us.

“”

Leadership

Why are 10xers so rare? Often, as leaders we don’t cultivate, nurture and reward the characteristics, curiosity and hunger that’s needed. We don’t allow for “failures” to be seen as opportunities to grow and learn.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybt8wXIahQU?feature=oembed&w=1333&h=1000]

See also:

• 10x Engineer – The root cause.
• Legendary Leadership: The Wisdom of Brad Smith
• Ian Leslie: Curious – The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends on It

Telling someone that they are amazing, naturally creative, resourceful and whole with unbounded potential is NOT an acknowledgement.

A few years ago, a senior leader said he observed that members of my team loved me and would do just about anything for me. He wanted to know how that came to be. My initial inclination was to tell him that it needs to start with letting them know and trust that their growth and success is very important to you.

However, luckily, I realized that statement would have been wrong.

Instead, I recognized and said, it starts with it actually being truly important to you that they grow and succeed. To his credit, he was honest enough to say that he had never seen that as an aspect of leadership. Your team will not believe you care unless you actually do. Once they recognize you care for them and their success, they will care more for themselves and their own success.

So, back to my original statement:

Telling someone that they are amazing, naturally creative, resourceful and whole with unbounded potential is NOT an acknowledgement.

You yourself recognizing, truly believing and internalizing that they are amazing, naturally creative, resourceful and whole with unbounded potential is the actual acknowledgement. Telling them that they are amazing is a statement of acknowledgement. Without first appreciating it, the statement is hollow with little impact.

Nonetheless, the magic doesn’t really happen until they themselves recognize, acknowledge and truly believe in their own ability to grow, achieve and succeed without bound. When you truly recognize another person’s magnificence, they are much more likely to also see it themselves.

Acknowledgement in the Classroom

When teaching, especially 8th graders, if you want to have any hope of reaching your students, you need their trust. Start with first acknowledging yourself that they are fully capable individuals. This is a necessary foundation for establishing genuine trust. It’s hard to make progress in the classroom if there isn’t a connection established. I remember a school event where parents where dumbfounded that their 8th graders were asking me to be in selfies with them. If you can have that kind of connection with 8th graders, you can also help them appreciate that your objective is to enable them to discover they are ready for life. Now you can begin evoking the transformation to help them learn how to learn.

National award-winning Palo Alto teacher takes unusual approach

The way you do anything is the way you do everything

When we look closely at another or their actions, we get a window into the whole person. Everything the say or do in some way sheds more light. The values driving small actions and choices are the same as those driving small and large decisions in other parts of their life. As the saying goes “the way you do one thing is the way you do everything.“

When we look deeply into another’s eyes we may see their soul; when we look at, understand, appreciate and acknowledge small achievements we may have just opened a window into what lies inside waiting to venture out. The Zulu greeting Sawubona means “I see you, you are important to me and I value you.” It’s a way to make the other person visible and to accept them as they are with their virtues, nuances, and flaws. In my experience if you truly see and accept someone, it opens the door for them to become visible to themselves.

When we observe others and acknowledge and appreciate their potential and allow them to recognize what we truly see in them, they may come to recognize their own potential. By truly seeing them, you enable them to evoke transformation in themselves. See them.

When I stood face to face with the Dalai Lama many years ago and he looked into my eyes, he certainly evoked transformation in me with that look, an acknowledging smile and nod.

– I see you –
CD

There are advantages for mind, body and soul to being calm oneself to be more present and aware. Much of the guidance on meditation starts with focusing on the breath. I found it to be more effective to practice Heart Rate Meditation by focusing via direct feedback. Also, a key to consciously changing your heart rate is to adjust your breathing.

In 2006. the Pacific drove me into the sand breaking 5 vertebrae, one shoulder, one collar bone and one rib. There was little for me to do other than lie in the hospital bed and try not to move. On the nightstand I could see the SpO2 monitor which showed me my heart rate and oxygen. I remembered my Tai Chi / Qi Gong Master, Lee Holden, had talked about consciously lowering one’s heart rate. So, I worked on keeping the oxygen above 90% while lowering my heart rate to 40. This also proved to be a great way for me to remove myself from the pain.

Since then, I have leveraged this Heart Rate Meditation to settle my breathing and heart-rate. It brings me into a state of tremendous inner peace and tranquility. Simulataneously, it also seeming to open me to a greater awareness – strange as that may sound. The direct feedback loop of an SpO2 meter helps in learning to influence your heart rate and breathing.

Another Brush with Death

Years after learning to control my heart rate, I experienced what felt like a heart attack. I drove to urgent care, where they determine it wasn’t a heart attack. They ran a d-dimer test which came back way off the scale. An ambulance took me the ER while the pain in my chest increased, and it became harder to breathe. While waiting in the ER, I decided it best to slow my breath and heart rate. My meditative state didn’t convey a sense of urgency, and it took some time before they did a CT scan. The doctor then arrived with the scan and held it up to the light box. Turning white, he looked at me saying “I can’t believe you’re alive!” They injected me with heparin to help the blood flow in my lungs again.

The doctor explained I had had a “massive, bi-lateral pulmonary embolism” basically a blot clot breaks off into little pieces which move through your heart and into your lungs where they clog the alveoli and inhibit the blood-oxygen exchange. The doctor said people tend to panic when their heart hurts and they can’t breathe. I asked if panicking wouldn’t be a bad idea under those conditions. His response was well yes it would only make matters worse. I had seemed more prudent to me to remain calm and lower my breath and heart rate. While sitting on the precipice of death waiting for the doctor in a deep meditative state, I felt myself letting go of all that was in the ER with my brother standing next to me, and doctors and nurses milling about other patients while I was fading to the edge of consciousness and yet quite serene. The doctor felt that my keeping my heart rate low and everything else at ease may well have been what saved my life.

The Heart – Mind Connection

Scientific American: Psychology beyond the Brain reveals insights into how your heart rate has a surprising influence on our abilities:

“Psychology’s recognition of the body’s influence on the mind coincides with a recent focus on the role of the heart in our social psychology. It turns out that the heart is not only critical for survival, but also for how people related to one another. In particular, heart rate variability (HRV), variation in the heart’s beat-to-beat interval, plays a key role in social behaviors ranging from decision-making, regulating one’s emotions, coping with stress, and even academic engagement. Decreased HRV appears to be related to depression and autism and may be linked to thinking about information deliberately. Increased HRV, on the other hand, is associated with greater social skills such as recognizing other people’s emotions and helps people cope with socially stressful situations, such as thinking about giving a public speech or being evaluated by someone of another race.”

The feedback loop enabled by an SpO2 meter helps in training yourself to control your heart rate meditation. You will discover a keep part of that is slow, steady, deep breathing. Neuroscientists have identified how exactly a deep breath changes your mind speaks to how breathing impact brain function…

“Simply put, changes in breathing—for example, breathing at different paces or paying careful attention to the breaths—were shown to engage different parts of the brain…
..The findings provide neural support for advice individuals have been given for millennia: during times of stress, or when heightened concentration is needed, focusing on one’s breathing or doing breathing exercises can indeed change the brain. This has potential application to individuals in a variety of professions that require extreme focus and agility.”

The Benefits of Meditation

Live and Dare: “There are over 3,000 scientific studies on the benefits of meditation,” what will happen if you start meditating today?

Tai Chi / Qi Gong also solves for a healthier mind, body and soul through mind/body practices…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJRtZAwVwgo?feature=oembed&w=1778&h=1000]

 

 

On January 22nd 2006, mindfulness and performance expert George Mumford told Kobe Bryant not to try to score, but just be in the moment and let the game happen. That night he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors.

 

See Also:

• Scientific Benefits of Meditation – 76 Things You Might Be Missing Out On
• Scientific American: Psychology beyond the Brain – What scientists are discovering by measuring the beating of the heart
• Quartzy: Neuroscientists have identified how exactly a deep breath changes your mind
• Neuroscience Has a Lot To Learn from Buddhism
• Scientific American: Mind of the Meditator
• Research on meditation
• Breathing for Life: The Mind-Body Healing Benefits of Pranayama
• More Calm & Less Stress Discover For Yourself Why Millions Enjoy Qi Gong
• A Comprehensive Review of Health Benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi
• Mayo Clinic – Massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being. See if it’s right for you
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health – Massage Therapy for Health Purposes
• This Is How Meditation Literally Changes Your Brain!

In his book The Culture Code – The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, Daniel Coyle refers to a competition at Stanford where business students in university squared off against kindergartners. The four-person teams had to beat the clock and build a tower using uncooked spaghetti, tape and string with a marshmallow on top. You would think that obviously, the group of MBA student would easily outperform a group of kindergartners. It turns out it’s good to act like a bunch of 5-year-olds – well, at least when it comes to working in a groups. The kindergartners do better than the business school students.

He further mentions a “sociometer” which can measure the energy level of an interaction, and use it to determine levels of engagement. Most important, it can combine its data with email and social media to form detailed maps that reveal the inner workings of a team, company, or classroom. There are lots of interesting insights he derives from that.

However, you may not wish to invest in a spaghetti tower competition or a sociometer, but you might try an exercise that’s worked for me in putting teams of four to compete against each other. It’s a fun exercise I learned on the path to my teaching credentials was Broken Squares (see various links below). You pit the groups of four against each other where each group, without speaking must complete making four squares from four envelopes of pieces give to each participant. You only win when all four squares are completed. The sets of four envelopes are grouped such that only one holds all the pieces to make a square. The others can’t successfully complete their squares unless they get pieces from the other participants including the one who had a complete set. As you observe the competing teams, you’ll often see someone compete their square and get frustrated that his or her teammates aren’t doing their part. The team that collaborates by giving up pieces (you can give but not take and no talking) of their, possibly already completed square, to allow their teammates to all complete their squares is the one that gets all four squares.

Observing the group dynamics and then talking them through can be quite insightful – you might even choose to make the envelopes with a complete set to the people that tend to be leaders to help them discover how effectively and collaboratively they lead.

In The Culture Code – The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, Daniel Coyle goes into the various aspects of how teams function effectively. After doing a broken squares exercise, this might be a good book to suggest to your leaders.

See Also:

• Orange Obervations
• Hunter College – Building Dynamic Groups – Broken Squares
• Humber Centre for Teaching and Learning Instructional Strategies Teaching Methods Classroom Strategies Designing Instruction Activities and Games Broken Squares
• Standford Education Department – Broken Circles, Broken Squares
• Workology – Online HR Learning on Your Schedule – Broken Squares
• Book: Daniel Coyle The Culture Code – The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
• Stanford Store: Broken Squares: A Simulation Exploring Cooperation and CompetitionRegular price $12.95

Give someone a fish, and you feed them for a day.
Teach someone to fish, and you feed them for as long as fish are at their fishing spot.
Teach someone to learn, and they may discover that
they can themselves …
– find other fishing spots –
– learn to hunt –
– build a shelter –
– make a fire –
– gather and store water –
– make clothing –
– prepare for the winter –
– teach others to learn…

As a manager, coach or teacher, you can tell an engineer, another manager, a player, another coach, a student or another teacher what to do. That’s probably the fastest way to get something specific done in the short term. Or, you can teach them how to do it when the situation requires so they can do the same thing again by themselves as needed. The logical progression is to help them appreciate they can discover how to do pretty much anything themselves – this allows them to find ways of doing things themselves they have never done before. It allows them to not only be much more self-sufficient, but also to innovate and come up with solutions to problems you yourself hadn’t even known existed. Going one step further is enabling them to teach others to learn…

 

Radical Candor in the Mirror is about not being delusional or self-destructive. Instead, it’s about recognizing opportunities for continuous growth within ourselves. It’s about positive self-reflection.

When we think of looking in the mirror, we often think of Narcissism. This is Delusional Self-Love and seeing ourselves as far better and above all others with no need or room for growth. However, we also know we can beat ourselves up. We create images of not being good enough, not believing in ourselves, seeing how everyone else is better. This lacking of hope, giving up and seeing no way out is Self-Destructive Minimalization of who we are and what we’re capable of. Sometimes, we experience the temptation to pump ourselves up and remind ourselves of how wonderful and great we are. We may feel we are protecting ourselves and lifting ourselves up through self-empathy in what is often Ruinous, Self-Loving Denial.

There is an alternative to all of these. We can choose an Opportunity Embracing Growth-Mindset. We allow ourselves to look into the mirror seeking areas of improvement while recognizing we have within ourselves the ability to continuously and incrementally improve on our journey of Human Transformation. Framing this in Kim Scott’s Radical Candor 2×2 allows us to leverage Scott’s insights. We can be radically candid in giving feedback to others in service of the recipients. However, also in being radically candid with ourselves in service of ourselves by fostering a Growth Mindset within ourselves.

See Also:

My post on Radical Candor, Meaningful Conversations speaks to empathetically applying radical candor to others.

What the Mirror Can Teach You About Yourself: Advice from a Mirror Gazing Expert

After writing this post on Radical Candor in the Mirror, I discovered some related posts by Tara Well in Psychology Today and other sources. Dr. Tara Well is an associate professor of psychology at Barnard College of Columbia University where she developed the mirror-based meditation called “a revelation” in the New York Times.

• What Mirror Meditation Can Teach You – Coming face-to-face with yourself is powerful.
• Why Looking in the Mirror Can Help Fight Despair – A counterintuitive approach to dealing with a new reality
• Why Is Seeing Your Own Reflection So Important? Four research findings from neuroscience that you need to know
• Compassion at the Mirror – Does it really work?
• Mirror Meditation – A research-based meditation
• Podcast X91: Mirror Meditation for Self-Reflection and Seeing Your True Self with Tara Well
• Podcast: Dr. Tara Well, PhD – Psychologist, Mirror Meditation Expert, and TED Speaker
• Book: Mirror Meditation: The Power of Neuroscience and Self-Reflection to Overcome Self-Criticism, Gain Confidence, and See Yourself with Compassion
• TEDx Talk: What Mirror Meditation Can Teach You

Radiant energy fills me each time I think back to 1979 – my first year at U.Va. I remember walking between classes and turning the corner onto the lawn and being face to face with this fellow. The uplifting peace I felt as he paused, and we looked deep into each others’ eyes remains with me. It was surely a very brief look, but it somehow felt like much time passed in that look. We then both smiled and nodded and moved on. It felt like we were recognizing each other as old friends as we peered into each other’s souls.

It even seemed like we could see past each other’s childhoods to past lives. I had never really considered the possibility of past lives. I remember that moving experience as though it was yesterday.   Each day I am thankful that I have been blessed by encountering and recognizing so many kindred spirits. It serves as an inspiration to touch those I encounter such that I might leave them with a bit more light to share further.  

I only discovered the next day that I encountered the Dalai Lama when I saw the image below. That brief yet profound connection inspired me to begin a journey of connection and radiant energy. Over time, I learned what a tremendous person this was that I had experienced. Some 30 years later I attended a limited fund-raiser where he was present again. While his laugh was still there and the positive energy radiated strongly, I also perceived a weight of sadness that had perhaps come through the decades of seeing things.

My first early childhood education exercise was to go to a pre-school where a teacher was having particular trouble with three very disruptive boys she could not get under control. She hoped just to get a day of relief by having me take them for the day. I approached the boys and told them that I hoped to be a teacher some day and that they could help me. They were surprised to hear that from me. I asked them to tell me what made a good teacher and a bad teacher. They said they didn’t like their teacher because she had all these stupid rules. I acted very surprised and asked for an example. They said, like no playing ball inside the classroom. In shock, I asked why on earth would a teacher tell them that? Playing ball is fun!!! I probed further to get them to tell me why a teacher might have such a stupid rule. After some thought, they suggested the ball might break something. I said, oh wow, yeah, that might make some sense. One by one, I had them give me rationale as to why any teacher would have any of the rules that their teacher was imposing on them. They came up with some great reasons.

The next week I heard back from the teacher who wasn’t sure if she should ask what I had said to the boys because they had somehow become the best behaved children in her class. Later I learned that one approach to establishing rules that students would adhere to is to have them come up with their own rules. It would take longer to arrive at a good set than it would if the teacher dictated them; however, the students observed would consistently adhere to the rules they came up with far more than those a teacher dictated.

When interviewing engineering manager candidates, I like to ask them: “If you had to choose just one tenant of Agile Software Development Methodology to be “religious” about, what would it be?” I get some interesting responses, but the one I tell them I am religious about is to not be religious about anything. Every situation is slightly different and the most effective process is adapted to the situation. More on that in another post. My next favorite answer is to have Retrospectives where the team analyzes how the last sprint went and determines what to repeat, what to improve and what to not do again. In essence coming up with their own rules for how to best development software.

 

The path to enlightenment lies not in the footsteps of another. – CD

In developing talent, it is important to help them learn to find their own path that not only resonates with them, but that is also appropriate for the unique experiences they will come upon in their path. When I interview someone who has “Agile” on their resume, I ask them: “If you had to be religious about just one thing about the agile development methodology, what would it be?” It’s a bit of a trick question as the answer I seek is: “To be religious about nothing at all.” I say this because every project and every team is unique and what works well in one situation may not in another.

Kanban may be well suited for green-field projects dealing with technologies and/or languages the team hasn’t used before. Similarly, the use of Story Point Poker may apply well to a well understood technology, language and project.

Likewise, when it comes to be a teacher, manager, coach or colleague, there is most likely not one specific approach that will work in all similar situations. Even the exact same situation involving the exact same people may have different outcomes on any given day as circumstances may have altered. Prior to coming to work, school or the field, one individual may have lost a loved one, or another may have had a fight with their partner…

So too, it is unlikely that any advice dispensed will always be applicable and resulting in predictable outcomes. As a horse whisperer, it is good to understand how to interact with a horse and how to recognize certain signs, but it tends to be most effective and safe to adjust the approach to what works in a specific moment and interaction. So too with humans or a business, there is no one answer or approach that will always work. I have been at early, mid and late stage companies operating in existing and emerging markets, I have seen there are many different paths to success that apply even within the same company and business as it matures.

To go back to the question about Agile, my next favorite answer is the Retrospective – this is where a team looks back at the last sprint to decide what worked, what didn’t what to keep, abandon or adjust from the last sprint. So too, the Post Mortem after an outage or the debrief after a game present wonderful opportunities to learn from that experience what might work better that previous approaches. As a coach, teacher or mentor, I’m always careful with dispensing advice for the are always many vectors of force at play and many may not be readily visible to me. Hence, I’m also careful to closely follow what I learn from others and how I arrived at the view that the path to enlightenment lies not in the footsteps of another. We may observe and learn from others, but I believe we should each find our own path and see what lies in front of us with a beginner’s mind.

And, change marches on at an accelerating rate…

In Relentless – From Good to Great to Unstoppable, personal trainer Tim Grover explains what he has learned from coaching athletes like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade. Grover breaks down what it takes to be unstoppable, keep going when everyone else is giving up, to thrive under pressure, to never let your emotions make you weak. He talks about the drive of a “Cleaner” who relentlessly pushes themselves to the edge of exhaustion and then keeps going. Grover asks for complete commitment to train as he dictates In describing losing 20 pounds in three weeks, he talks about athletes that don’t have the stamina to go without food. In training to compete at national and world championships, I know what it’s like to drop 20 in 21 or voluntarily get past day 4 without food or to drop a few more seconds off each run or ride or to consistently get over 1,000 reps in 10 minutes or keep playing despite broken bones, … Being able to hit your limits, push through them and set new limits only to push through them again can be an incredibly powerful experience in discovering just what one can be capable of. Discovering that you are continuously capable of going further than you thought possible can also help you persevere when you’re down and think you can’t get back on your feet. I believe that helped me push past the pain to get back to the surface after the Pacific had broken 5 vertebrae, one should, one collarbone, one rib and lots of neck injuries only to get pushed under again by the next way. We are capable of way more than we believe.

That being said, what feels more fascinating than achieving amazing things with all the parts that make up our body is the ability to achieve great things with teams of individuals. Daniel Coyle in Culture Code points out that Greg Popovich became of of the NBA’s best coaches by building a culture of trust on the Spurs team. Popovich forges connections with the players off the filed over meals or in locker room discussions of folks less fortunate in third world countries. He also points to research from the Harvard Business School that shows companies with strong cultures outperformed those with average cultures by a factor of seven over a 10-year period.

See Also:

• Book: Daniel Coyle – The Culture Code – The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
• Article: Adam Grant & Daniel Coyle – The process of building trust works in the opposite way that you think it does
• Article Time – Daniel Coyle – How Gregg Popovich Uses ‘Magical Feedback’ to Inspire the San Antonio Spurs
• Article: Dan Richards – Think You Know the Key to an Outstanding Team? Chances are You’re Wrong

Content Strategy seems to revolve around at least nine types or concepts of content that I’ve come up with in the purposes they serve as part of a user experience. This is what I walked away with after our oldest, Tasha, tried to explain Content Strategy and Content Types to me which led me to a new view and interest in what purposes content can serve. Ideally, content can fulfill multiple functions especially when it comes to tone, voice and brand consistency.

Functional (or Navigational?) – enables use and navigation of the site – helps guide the user to the functions, information, products, services, … they seek. There is no expectation or need for the user to retain any of this type of content that serves the purpose of getting you to the content you seek.

Facilitative (or Connective ?) – facilitates the
user making connections to other people – either employees
(consultants, teachers, advisors, coaches, sales, support, …) or other
users in various roles (peers, their students or customers, third party
consultants, teachers, advisors, coaches, …).
There is no expectation or need for the user to retain any of this type of content.

Informative (or Educational?) – provides the user
with information they wish to know / educates the user by presenting
information they wish or need to know. This is typically intended to be
“sticky content” where the user wishes to retain some or all of the
information presented.

Branding – to help establish and further brand, business, service entity recognition and association to help grow the audience, customer, partner base. This content may often exist in the forms of advertisements on other sites/media. Why do people remember brand names like Tide, Kleenex, Xerox, Ford, Nike, … and what do they associate with those names?

Marketing – to attract and bring into the site and the business prospective users, clients, customers, partners, etc

Entertaining – while I can see the value of
including some engaging entertainment in the above content types,
entertainment is not their sole purpose. I could see that some content
may serve no other purpose than to entertain the user.

Retentative (ok I guess that’s not really a word?) – All of the above content types/purposes can, if done effectively, also help facilitate having users find value in the site such that they wish to spend time on the site, return to the sight, refer the site to others. Having engaging content that users connect and empathize with in addition to providing value can contribute to retention.

User Generated – If the site also facilitates user engagement in generating content, it can enable users of various roles to generate content of their own that contributes to the value of the site in one or more of the above purposes (e.g. it may facilitate connections between users of different roles teachers/students, coaches/clients, service providers/customers, …) and may be reviewed by site editors (that could be employees or other users). It could also include user stories about their experience with products and services and how it helped them…

One-to-One (or Personalized) – At BroadVision in the 90s, we developed a strategy around delivering relevant, personalized content:

• Related content – content or items viewed or bought are often correlated to other items viewed or bought – hence the correlation increases the likelihood that you too will like this.
• People like me – people who have exhibited interests similar to you have also liked …

Though the intent was/is good in terms of showing the most relevant content possible, the danger with this approach as it’s been perfected is that it can drastically reduce the breadth of what you see to only those things that resonate with things you have clicked on, or people “like you” have clicked on before. This then can lead to strengthening of convictions and perspectives to an extreme as everything we see and read further validates a ever more narrow perspective. Most people don’t realize that what they see on their news site or get as search results is very much tailored to who they are. AI is now making it possible for the front facing cameras in your computers, TVs, tablets and phones to recognize facial expressions and thereby determine your reactions to content and hence further tune what you are presented with…

See Also

• Slideshare – Six Steps to Building a Content Strategy
• Content Marketing Institute Developing a Content Marketing Strategy
• Usability.gov – Content Strategy Basics
• UX Magazine – Content Strategy and UX – A Modern Love Story
• Wikipedia – Content strategy
• Forbes – 10 Fast Facts To Consider In Your Content Marketing Plans
• Forbes Communication Council – 14 Essential Elements Of A Strong Content Strategy
• Microsoft – Introduction to content types and content type publishing
• Inside Design – 10 UX copywriting tips for designers
• UX Planet – 16 Rules of Effective UX Writing
• Tubik Blog – UX Writing. Let User Interface Speak
• Book – The Language of Content Strategy
• Book – Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy (Voices That Matter)
• ABookApart – Content Strategy
• ABookApart – The Elements of Content Strategy
• 10 Definitions of Content Strategy

Cost-Cutting Lessons learned through the dot com crash and other downturns.

I’ve been involved in cost-cutting/layoff decision making at four companies in four different times. As described below, I’ve learned that it can be done in ways that the company comes out stronger and morale can go up. In challenging times of change, layoffs and cost-cutting may be unavoidable. Employee morale, engagement and trust in leadership takes a big hit with a layoff. How do we turn that into a win? Below I provide 9 Cost-Cutting Choices to Maintain Motivation and Impact. There are also lots of references to related articles.

When it comes to cutting costs, especially when teams are already lean and down to critical mass, there are alternatives, including cutting pay, to layoffs that we employed at Prosper Marketplace and Hum Capital that I describe below as well. In both cases, the productivity and motivation of employees went up after pay-cuts. However, this required the right context and leadership.

When is comes to layoffs, especially multiple rounds, leadership is under stress to make significant changes quickly. Without prior experience of doing so successfully, or some guidance, the odds of success are slim. Having enacted layoffs in the past, I’ve seen it can be done to ultimately lift employee engagement and business impact. Below are some tips and considerations

Letting people you’ve worked with for years go, especially when times are tough, is never an easy task. I have led engineering teams at four startups through cost-cutting and layoffs. In two of these, we also reduced salaries. All four companies survived. Two that experienced both layoffs and salary cuts saw improvements in employee morale, engagement, and business impact.

Some insightful quotes about layoffs

Ben Horowitz: “The way you handle layoffs can have a profound impact on the morale and productivity of your remaining employees.”

• “Layoffs break trust, especially with the people who survive the layoff. They interacted and had relationships with people who you’re going to have to let go. They care about how you treat them.” – Ben Horowitz, The Hard Thing About Hard Things.
• “When you lay people off, you’re not just firing employees. You’re also firing their friends, their families, and their dreams.” – Ben Horowitz
• “The way you handle layoffs can have a profound impact on the morale and productivity of your remaining employees.” – Ben Horowitz
• “If you don’t handle layoffs well, you can create a culture of fear and distrust that will make it difficult to move forward as a company.” – Ben Horowitz
• “The best way to handle layoffs is to be honest, transparent, and respectful. Be clear about the reasons for the layoffs, and be as generous as possible with severance packages and outplacement services.” – Ben Horowitz

Ed Catmull: Creativity Inc, Overcoming the Inevitable to Succeed in Business and Life. Random House Business Books, 2014.

• “When done right, layoffs can be a catalyst for innovation and creativity.”
• “The way you handle layoffs is a reflection of your company’s values.”
• “Layoffs should be a last resort, but if they are necessary, they should be done with care and thoughtfulness.”
• “If you handle layoffs well, you can come out of the experience stronger than ever before.” – Ed
• Amy Edmondson: The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Wiley, 2019.

  • “If you handle layoffs in a way that preserves psychological safety, you can actually emerge from the experience stronger than before.”
  • “The key is to be open, honest, and transparent about the reasons for the layoffs, and to treat affected employees with respect and compassion.”
  • “When employees feel that they have been treated fairly and with respect, they are more likely to remain loyal to the company and to be supportive of future initiatives.”

9 Cost-Cutting Choices to Maintain Motivation and Impact

1. Be Fair

At a time where you’re impacting the lives and livelihoods of people that have worked closely together for years, it’s very important to be fair.

Don’t keep under-performers: It’s very important that you have addressed any dead weight or low performers before a layoff or in a layoff. If you keep poor performers, there will be resentment – especially if you cut pay or stop raises and promotions. Also, be careful about keeping folks that aren’t willing to do whatever it takes. After the layoff, that will matter, and people know who will be willing to roll up their sleeves.

Graduated Impact: If employees with higher salaries and bonuses are impacted more than those worried about paying their rent, there is a greater sense of fairness. This can mean (bigger) pay cuts for executives, or a moratorium on bonuses. In a recent layoff at LinkedIn, the percentage of managers let go was notably higher than that of individual contributors. Other companies had very little impact to management, and resentment was evident among the employees.

Consider perspectives of those remaining: How will the remaining team feel about the decisions? Will they think it was fair who was let go and who was kept? Do you expect them to agree it was best to keep more people at reduced pay both because we are a team and because it leaves us with more people to turn things around? Will leadership have adequately with the right balance of humility and confidence have communicated the rationale for the decisions in a manner the engenders buy-in and support? Ask them in 1-on1s; this can be a good litmus test.

2. Transparent Communication

Be open and honest about the reasons for layoffs, avoiding sugar-coating or vagueness. Clear communication helps in maintaining trust.

Avoid the beginning of the end

A layoff, or a second or third layoff, is an opportunity to lose the hearts, minds, souls and engagement of employees. It can also be a time to bond with common goals in service of the greater good. Being transparent that the company is at a cross-roads that we’re all in together.

Why did the layoff happen? How did we get here?

If employees don’t know the reasons for the layoffs and don’t have transparency to company financials going forward, they will be wary if there’s anything they can do to avoid being impacted. It important for leadership to own up to some mistakes even if it’s simply not foreseeing market shifts or having prepared enough.

How will we get to a better place? How can I help?

Without transparency, they won’t know how the company is doing. They won’t understand if it will happen again and if it might impact them. They may feel helpless without seeing a plan for to get to a better place that they are a part of making happen. It won’t feel like we’re all in this together.

Be clear and honest about the market

If there are challenging times outside the company wall in the market, be honest that it will be tough to succeed. Also, be honest about it being hard to find jobs for those laid off. Layoffs impacting only one company are different than layoffs of greater impact. If it only impacts your company, how you do the layoff will also impact employee retention of those that can easily find other jobs in a good market.

Be transparent in AMA’s, but …

A culture of AMA (Ask me Anything) is very healthy in terms of transparency. However, it can lead to hasty responses. This could result in less than ideal solutions, or discovering the off-the-cuff answer wasn’t the best and needing to make changes. This can erode trust. It’s often advisable to take questions and respond with “Great question! We will get back to you on that. However, you should follow the meeting up with the list of questions and respond quickly. Otherwise, you also erode trust. That being said, sometimes the best answer is better-done-than perfect. So, delaying a decision may be the wrong choice as well. Here a strong leadership can have one leader challenge the other if they see a downside to a quick response. This can more quickly get to a more optimal solution. It also models good collaboration.

3. Empathy and Respect

Handle layoffs with empathy, respecting the dignity of departing employees. This demonstrates your company’s values and commitment to fair treatment. If you don’t show empathy towards those that you let go, those that remain may question how leadership feels about them. It won’t feel like we’re all in this together.

Support for Departing Employees: This includes offering support like severance packages, job placement services, or counseling. This shows care for employees’ well-being beyond their tenure at the company.

Taking ownership: If, as a leader, you don’t genuinely feel bad about needing to let people go that were performing well, people will know. If, as a leader, you don’t demonstrate some ownership for being in a tough situation requiring a layoff, it will be hard for employees to feel empathy for you. While needing to speak with confidence about the path forward, it is also good to call out risks and past mistakes. Speaking with conviction and clarity while also being humble and fallible as a leader makes you more human and believable.

4. Involvement in Decision-Making

Involve remaining employees in decision-making processes where appropriate, to increase their sense of control and ownership.

Transparency: There needs to be transparency on the state of the company and where the challenges are.

Empowerment: Without empowerment, the employees will feel like they are not in control of their own destiny.

Focus on the Future: Shift the focus towards future goals and visions, helping employees to see a path forward and a purpose in their work.

5. Recognition and Appreciation

Acknowledge the hard work and contributions of the remaining employees. Recognizing their efforts can boost morale.

The impact of their work: Showing a direct connection between what one or more employees has done to help get the company to a better place will create a virtuous cycle.

Growth without raises of promotions: A clear careen ladder with rubrics for each level allows employees to progress on their career. This gives them opportunity for personal growth by finding opportunities do meaningful things to improve their skills at times when they know there is little hope of promotion or raise. See also: WorkInstitute: Lack of Career Development is the Top Reason for Leaving a Job

Professional Development Opportunities: Offer training and development opportunities to the remaining employees where fiscally possible. If you can’t do this, help by mentoring them or allowing for cross-training. This can help them feel valued and invested in their growth.

Small financial recognition: If you cut pay and benefits and are able to give some back when the company starts doing better, employees get to experience what happens along a path of improvement. If you didn’t cut pay, a spot bonus can also serve this purpose. Reason for hope feeds the conviction that there is a way to a better place that they are a part of.

In the eyes of the beholder: Think about each individual carefully and find opportunities and ways to frame the changes as an “opportunity” for either their career growth, position within the company, or both. Convince yourself that the opportunity is real before attempting to describe it to the team member. If you’re not convinced, it will be hard for you to convince others. If it doesn’t feel real, what can you do to make it a real opportunity?

6. Maintain Regular Check-ins

Keep communication channels open. Regular check-ins with employees can help identify concerns and address them promptly.

Updates on Finances: Knowing if the company is doing better or even appreciating it isn’t there yet lets everyone feel they aren’t in the dark waiting for another surprise.

Win/loss updates: Knowing what’s working and what isn’t with some root cause analysis help course correct towards the most impactful path.

7. Provide Reassurance & Encourage Team Bonding

Offer realistic reassurance about job security for the remaining employees, if possible. Uncertainty is a major demotivator. If you say everything’s great and then do another layoff, the trust will be lost. Being confident in a better future as a leader is important, but it’s also to be honest that there will be challenges in getting there.

Strengthen team dynamics through team-building activities or informal get-togethers. A strong team can better cope with changes.

Be budget Conscious. Much as a bonding event can help, extravagant, expensive events can back-fire, especially when you’ve been transparent about finances.

Bond in 1-on1s: Be sure to ask people how they’re doing in private so you understand the stress they may be under. To help with motivation and engagement, it can also talk to them how their personal priorities and purpose (or ikigai) might align with company objectives. Helping them evolve their career in alignment with a levels and skills rubric/matrix can help even in ties where raises and promotions are unlikely. There will likely be overlap in them advancing their skills and career with business needs. With a reduced work force, this could very well create opportunities to take on new challenges and learn new skills.

8. Servant Leadership in tough times

Having empathy and solving for employees is important in tough times; however, being a decisive and confident leader solving for all is also vital.

Rebuild Trust

Employees need to trust you have their best interest at heart, that starts with you actually having their best interest at heart. Ensure your team that you still very much have their best interest at heart. We’re all in this together. Making it win-win in everyone’s experience is vital to turning things around. Find a way to communicate you have their best interest at heart in whichever ways resonate most given the circumstances and individual. Trust is going to be lost regardless, so finding ways to immediately start building it back is important. It’s important to underscore that as a leader you have the struggle of solving for each person individually as well as solving for all. If you claim to have their best interest as your #1 priority, they might ask if you didn’t also say that to someone you ended up letting go.

Don’t be a servant

True leaders are simply not the servants of those they lead, nor should employees feel like servants to the leaders. Leaders should do things in service of the employees in a symbiotic relationship while solving for all employees. This also means keeping the business that pays their salaries moving in the right direction. Hence, you need to be in service of their collective good (which is fostered by the health of the company, but/and the health of the company will not be served well if you are not acting in service of the employees).

Doing what you love vs loving what you do

Tough times leave little room for accommodations that aren’t solving for employees. At a recent engineering conference, I heard a CTO say: “they should be happy they have a job“. I approached her after the talk and suggested the difference between allowing people to do whatever they love and enabling them to love what they do by showing a clear vision to where the company needs to go and clearing the path the enables them to help get there. Being in service of your engineers can mean enabling them to find love in what they do.

Love is a verb

The story: A man goes to an elder and expresses that he no longer loves his wife. He is contemplating ending the marriage. The elder responds: “Love her.” The man is confused and reiterates that he no longer loves his wife, to which the elder explains that he should see love as a verb. It is something we do. He further explains that love as a noun is the feeling that can come as the result of acting out the verb.

Likewise, if you love your job and want to be the best at it, then you will want to master your craft. You will find beauty in simple, elegant solutions that will stand the tests of time in terms of changing conditions, changing usages, changes in scale, etc. while still serving its purpose. Finding solutions for customers in tough and changing times can be seen as a challenge that demotivates you or as one that inspires you to find solutions others have missed. There is the potential for both a death-spiral and a virtuous-cycle. As an effective leader in tough times, you will inspire and enable your team to love what they do and find joy in the impact they were enabled and empowered to have.

However, an occasional win is needed for any employee. Expecting people to find joy in work when they haven’t any rewarding/enjoyable moment can also drain their moral. If a rescue dog finds several dead people in a row, workers will sometimes bury a volunteer to allow the dog to find a survivor. Otherwise, dogs will disengage and not search. Note, this is in part because it’s sad for them; however, as pack animals, they will also pick up on the sadness in the humans around them.

9. Build Wisely

Beyond team morale, though it also ultimately also impacts team morale, lie the questions of how you build and organize. As a smaller team with a tight budget, focus is key and rework and shoddy work is killer. By helping the team with transparency and a voice, they can be led and empowered to build things that not only address the current challenges, but are extensible enough to what we can expect to be a fast follow. The work should also be reliable so as not to bog the team done with debugging and addressing issues. This may seem obvious in good times and bad, but the benefits become existentially deterministic in tough times.

If you start with a focus on building a limited scope online bookstore but build it in a way that it could also sell CD’s, then it might lay the foundations for what might grow to an everything store that could even sell web services. Hiring or keeping the right team to do this, empowering and enabling them to do so, is also critical. Much can be said and written about the fundamentals of doing this, but times of prosperity can lead us to lose sight of the importance. In tough times, you need small teams to turn things around quickly, but if they do things sloppily in haste, then recovery will stall out.

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Return to Office

There is a growing trend by employers to ask employees to return to office in the post-COVID era. While COVID is still present, there has been a return to “normalcy” in general. When asked, I’m hearing from employers that they are looking to bring people back into the office because they feel they can’t trust that employees are fully engaged in the work at home. In the office, they feel with supervision, this can be managed. These considerations are particularly relevant in a post-layoff context where trust and morale will already be under strain.

There is a hypothesis, often debated in the business and psychology communities, that employers may distrust the engagement and productivity of employees working from home, which could be a driving force behind the push for a return to office work. This hypothesis, however, might not align with the actual outcomes of remote work, as several studies and surveys have indicated.

Employer Distrust of Remote Work

Some employers hold the belief that employees are less productive and engaged when working remotely. This perception could be rooted in traditional views of work environments where physical presence is equated with productivity. Such employers may feel that they cannot adequately monitor or trust their employees’ work ethic and engagement without in-person supervision​.

• McKinsey: Returning to work: Keys to a psychologically safer workplace
• Psychology Today: Returning to the Office? Here’s Why That Might Harm Your Mental Health
• HR-Executive: Where mental health fits in your return-to-office strategizing
• Pathways: Why Managing Mental Health Matters in a Return-to-Work Plan

There is evidence that “quiet quitting” is more prevalent among remote workers. Key contributor to quiet quitting are stress and burn-out – both of which increase before, during and after layoffs. “The least engaged workers are remote workers with 12% reporting putting in less effort now. For hybrid workers, 8% reduced their efforts as have 10% of on-site workers.“

Several factors contribute to quiet quitting, such as job dissatisfaction, burnout, and work-related stress. These can be amplified in a post-layoff world. Also, in a tight job market, quiet quitting may be more prevalent than actual quitting. This all underscores the importance of these factors at a time where there are many other areas needing attention.

• Resume Builder: 1 in 4 of workers are ‘quiet quitting,’ saying no to hustle culture
• Research Gate: Quiet Quitting: Causes, Consequences And Suggestions
• Nature: Modelling the significance of organizational conditions on quiet quitting intention among Gen Z workforce in an emerging economy
• Ericsson: Why do people quiet quit? Let’s look at the theory

Counterproductive Outcomes

Contrary to this belief, several studies have shown that remote work can actually increase productivity and employee satisfaction. Remote work offers flexibility, reduces commuting time, and can lead to a better work-life balance, all of which can enhance employee engagement and productivity. The insistence on returning to the office, despite these benefits, can potentially lead to lower morale, decreased job satisfaction, and even increased turnover, especially among employees who have adapted to and prefer remote work​.

The Need for Trust and Flexibility

The emerging understanding in modern work culture emphasizes the importance of trust and flexibility. Employers who recognize and adapt to the changing dynamics of work, including the benefits of remote work, tend to see better engagement and productivity. Trusting employees to manage their work effectively, regardless of location, is becoming an important aspect of modern management​.

• Psychology Today: Is Forcing Employees Back to the Office Wise?

Cognitive Biases in Management Decisions

There’s also a discussion around how cognitive biases like the status quo bias and functional fixedness can influence employer decisions. These biases can make some leaders cling to traditional office-based models, even when evidence suggests that flexible work arrangements can be more effective. Overcoming these biases is crucial for adapting to the evolving nature of work and maximizing employee potential​.

In summary, while some employers may believe that employees are less engaged when working remotely, leading to a push for a return to the office, this belief may not align with the evidence showing the benefits of remote work. A flexible approach that trusts employees and leverages the advantages of both remote and in-office work is suggested to maximize engagement and productivity.

• Forbes: The Surprising Reason For The Return To Office
  “The results from a recent poll of over 150 U.S. CEOs by Chief Executive reveals a startling reason for why many companies are enforcing a return to office. The study indicates that many organizations are struggling to foster strong communication, collaboration, and team bonding in these environments.”
• The Power of Proximity to Coworkers – Training for Tomorrow or Productivity Today?
  “We find being near coworkers has tradeoffs: proximity increases long-run human capital development at the expense of short-term output.“

Returning to Work After a Layoff

There is evidence suggesting that the concerns associated with returning to work, particularly after a layoff or reduction in force, can indeed be amplified, affecting employee morale and overall workplace dynamics.

Long-Lasting Impact on Morale

Research indicates that mass layoffs can have a lasting negative impact on the morale of the remaining employees. For instance, the Glassdoor 2024 Workplace Trends report noted sharp drops in employee satisfaction among companies that experienced significant layoffs in 2023. This suggests that the effects of layoffs on the morale of existing employees are profound and persistent​

• Benefits Pro: Layoffs carry long-lasting impact on workplace morale, study finds

Decreased Job Satisfaction and Loyalty

A study reviewed by Washington State University, which analyzed 137 previous studies, found that layoffs, offshoring, and other cost-cutting measures affected employee morale longer than most companies realized. For at least two years after such events, workers reported reduced job satisfaction and less loyalty toward the organization. This had implications for the firms’ productivity and employee turnover​.

• WSU Insider: Preserving employee morale during cost-cutting

Impact on Survivors of Layoffs

Employees who survive a layoff, often termed ‘Survivors’, exhibit negative post-layoff behaviors and feelings like stress and declining morale. The extent of these behaviors depends on various factors, including how management communicates and implements the downsizing process. Clear, honest communication can mitigate these negative reactions to some extent​

• Human Capital Hub: Employee layoffs and its impact on employees
• Inc: Remote Workers Are Getting Laid Off and Passed Over – Recent data shows that fully remote workers could face some key disadvantages. This can cause increased concern for remote employees after one or more rounds of layoffs.

Management Strategies During Layoffs

Effective management strategies during layoffs can play a significant role in mitigating negative impacts. It’s important for managers to prioritize tasks, re-engineer processes, and focus on essential work. Providing counseling and support for surviving employees, including addressing survivor’s guilt and stress, is also crucial​.

• Dr John Sullivan: Maintaining Morale and Productivity During Layoffs

These findings underscore the importance of thoughtful and transparent management practices during layoffs and the return to work process. They highlight the need for companies to consider the psychological and emotional impact of such events on their employees and to take proactive steps to support and re-engage their workforce during these challenging times.

Benefits of Working Together / In-Person

Working together in the same space, even part of the time, can have significant positive effects on teamwork and productivity. Key benefits include:

Team Synergy

Synergy in teams is fostered by diverse skills and perspectives, clear goals and objectives, effective communication, strong leadership, and a supportive culture. This synergy enhances the team’s effectiveness and performance, leading to better problem-solving and innovation​.

Culture Monkey: Why building team synergy is important: Examples & questions

Enhanced Collaboration

Teams can be more collaborative when they are in the same space. Creating a culture that values collaboration, establishing communication conventions, and inviting co-creation can significantly boost team collaboration. These strategies help build a collaborative company culture, leading to improved project outcomes​.

• Asana: Collaboration in the workplace: 11 ways to boost your team’s performance

Cross-Functional Collaboration Benefits

Cross-team collaboration, or cross-functional collaboration, involves different departments working together towards a common goal. This collaboration can create synergy and efficiency in projects, ensuring faster progress and better outcomes. Communication is key in these setups to make sure all team members are aligned and working towards the same objectives​.

• Project Manager: Cross-Team Collaboration: Best Practices, Challenges and Benefits

Effective Collaboration Approaches

Effective collaboration in the workplace involves setting collaborative goals, promoting open communication, and inviting co-creation among team members. Solving problems as a group and being flexible are also crucial aspects. These approaches can help teams synergize more effectively, leading to improved project outcomes and team satisfaction​.

• Adobe: Collaboration in the workplace — benefits, tips, and tools

Benefits of Collaboration Workspaces

Collaboration workspaces, like huddle rooms and executive conference spaces, are designed to strengthen team engagement, improve meeting efficiency, and increase collaborative productivity. They provide the necessary technological support for effective and efficient collaboration, both in-person and remotely​.

• Tech Journal: The Top 4 Benefits of Collaboration Workspaces

In conclusion, the collectiveness, contentedness, collaboration, synergy, and bonding that result from employees working together in the same space, even if only for part of the time, are substantial. These benefits contribute to a more engaged, productive, and innovative workforce.

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Lessons Learned from my Experiences

Cooperative Solutions, Inc. – Closing down California Operations

Cooperative Solutions was the most funded startup in Silicon Valley at its time. A competitor investing more in marketing and sales creating a significant challenge. We were acquired by Bachman Information Systems.

During the acquisition, an exec from the parent came out, interviewed all 60 employees and had them rank all the employees. He then decided to put me in charge. I was left with five months of work that had been planned for 60, but was told I needed to complete it with 16. I needed to decide who to cut, who to keep and then drive the remaining people to complete the work. At the end of that, they’d have the option to move east or be out of a job.

I decided the best way to decide was to pull everyone together and ask if we could and should attempt this. The immediate question was “Why would we even consider?” My response was “exactly, lets figure out what would make this reasonable for us. That included treating the people that weren’t staying well, and ensuring the remaining 16 we in it to the end with also something at the end. There was some negotiation until I’d closed all the loopholes. We completed the work of 60 with 16 in less time than planned. No bugs were found, and everyone walked away happy.

Involving the team in key decisions impacting them was key to making the right decisions and being able to deliver. Ultimately, the parent company was holding me responsible and that was the right thing to do.

BroadVision, Inc. – Lessons from the Dot Com Crash

Early on, BroadVision stumbled with the initial product offering of personalized video on demand (like an early Netflix). Dot com and the world went through a paradigm shift. We could have folded; however, how we built the product and the organization allowed us to pivot without having to cut costs or heads.

BroadVision became the fastest growing software company on Nasdaq during dot com achieving a $25B valuation. We had made major investments for growth, including building a new office complex just as everything crashed. We had to go through several rounds of layoffs.

BroadVision is a great example of what to do when times are good. While other companies were hiring and spending like crazy, BroadVision drove for profitability early. And we achieved it. We were also prudent in our hiring practices. The teams were five to ten engineers building applications that competed with companies that had hundreds of engineers. We built things on a scalable and extensible platform that we did rewrite once early one as we saw better ways to be extensible and scalable.

The company did crash as the market crashed. Business dropped drastically and we had four rounds of layoffs in field engineering teams before we looked a reducing core engineering. This was feasible as the business was shrinking, but I also remember at the fourth round, the head of field engineering suggesting that some of the engineers left might be stronger than some of the core engineers. After some interviews, we determined that wasn’t the case. By growing slowing and methodically, we didn’t over extend ourselves. This really helped when times suddenly became tough. The company did take a big hit, but still lives on today.

Prosper Marketplace, Inc. – Surviving the Impacts of Covid

One year before Covid hit, our risk manager decided we should emulate a global pandemic to see if and how we could sustain it – including having everyone work from home one day to the next. So, when it hit, we knew it would be bad.

The Prosper experience certainly includes one of laying a solid foundation in good times. The team responsible for “keeping the lights on” had been pretty much 100% occupied by doing so. However, with a shift in focus and some root cause analysis was greatly able to reduce recurring issues. This created bandwidth that allowed for flexibility. We had also hired a few solid players and let go some of the weak links.

When Covid Hit

When Covid hit, the original discussion was to start with a 20% cut immediately with an expectation that more were likely to follow. With quite a bit of persuasion, that was changed to a 20% pay cut across the board. People below a certain base pay weren’t impacted and execs took the biggest hits. The argument against this was that instead of upsetting a few employees that we let go we’d upset everyone. However, with the messaging that in tough times we wanted to pull together and not impact everyone while also having a full team to pivot to address the changes, it was met with enthusiasm instead.

Thousands of borrowers reached out to say they couldn’t make payments and would need to default on the loans. Simultaneously, pretty much all lenders stopped investing money.

What we did for customers

Though good customer management and quick code changes, we were able to allow customers to take pauses in their payments or reduce payment amounts. Of those that said they needed to default, we were able to save more than 99%. The lenders saw this and came back.

What we did for employees

Everyone was shifted to working from home. Pay was cut quickly. We put together a plan that would allow us to monitor revenue and bring pay back up slowly if/when things got better. Things got better and pay went for 80% to 85%, to 90%, to 95%, to 100% to restoring all perks and benefits. There were regular all-hands to update how things were going and field ask-me-anything questions.

What was the result?

What had been forecast as the worst year for the business in 15 years ended up being the best. It had been predicted as a huge hit in employee moral saw a record boost. We did extensive, consistent employee moral surveys at the end of every year. We saw the first double digit jump (upwards) in moral to the highest level ever achieved. In 2021, Prosper filed for IPO – that’s still pending for a variety of reasons, but that seems like a pretty impressive outcome for something that had been fearer as a potential company killer.

Hum Capital, Inc. – Adjusting for Unexpected Changes in Funding and Market

Hum was set up for growth with a funding rounds in the making when the lead investor got into trouble and pulled out. This coincided with a sustained downturn in the market.

We had to cut costs. Initially, this meant reduction in team size after having grown perhaps too hastily. We then turned to graduated pay reductions to keep critical mass while reducing costs. A lot more was done in terms of transparency on finances and how the business runs. Paths back to full pay were laid out that included financial targets and hypotheses for achieving these. Team morale naturally took a hit, but there was approval within the team that we didn’t let further people go in tough times. With increased focus, a better understanding of the business and more focused execution, the team has been able to deliver value more reliability and effectively. The company achieved profitability and pay has started to move back. The morale is good, the team is much more cohesive across departments and the promise of success for the business has become evident again.

Executive and Other Pay Cuts

6 in 10 executives have taken pay cut to minimize layoffs in past 6 months

Key findings:

• 78% of executives say their company has had layoffs in the past 6 months; 70% say there will be layoffs in next 6 months
• 66% of executives have taken a salary cut in the past 6 months, and 94% say this was to prevent or reduce layoffs
• 1 in 4 executives who had salary cut took a 30% hit or more; 5% had salary cut by at least 90%
• 67% of executives who haven’t yet taken a salary cut say they would be willing to in order to prevent or reduce layoffs
• 60% of executives say non-exec employees’ well being is ‘extremely important’

Looking to Thwart Layoffs, Executives Are Taking Pay Cuts (February 9, 2023)

“New data reveals that most executives (66 percent) have accepted a pay cut in the past six months, with the overwhelming majority of those (94 percent) saying the move was to prevent or reduce layoffs, according to a survey of 1,000 U.S. executives at companies with more than 100 employees from ResumeBuilder.”

Goldman’s Solomon Joins CEOs Taking Pay Cuts After Laying Off Thousands

• David Solomon, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, has taken a 30% pay cut to $25 million after the bank laid off 3,200 employees.
• Solomon joins a growing number of CEOs who have taken pay cuts in recent months, as companies face economic headwinds.
• Other CEOs who have taken pay cuts include Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
• The pay cuts come as companies are also cutting costs in other areas, such as travel and entertainment.

Fortune Pay Cut Study

Many workers facing a layoff would accept a 25% pay cut to keep their jobs—but 97% of bosses don’t even ask. Even the researchers are stumped why.

A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that a surprising 60% of workers facing a layoff would accept a 5% pay cut to keep their jobs. This number jumps to a staggering 97% when the pay cut is increased to 25%. Despite this willingness to accept lower wages, employers rarely offer pay cuts as an alternative to layoffs. The researchers behind the study are puzzled by this disconnect and offer several possible explanations.

One possibility is that employers are hesitant to cede control of personnel decisions to employees. Layoffs give employers the ability to select which workers to let go, while pay cuts would require buy-in from all employees. Additionally, employers may fear that offering pay cuts would damage morale and lead to the loss of top talent.

Another possibility is that employers simply don’t know that many workers would be willing to accept a pay cut. The study’s findings suggest that many laid-off workers are unaware of the financial difficulties their companies are facing and believe that layoffs are an inevitable consequence. This lack of understanding may prevent workers from volunteering for pay cuts.

Whatever the reason, the study’s findings highlight a missed opportunity for employers. By offering pay cuts, companies could potentially avoid layoffs altogether, saving money and preserving the morale and productivity of their workforce. However, more research is needed to understand why employers so rarely consider this option.

What Motivates Us?

Keeping teams motivated and engaged is key in a post-layoff period where raises and promotions are unlikely. In his book “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” Daniel H. Pink explores the underlying factors that truly drive human motivation, particularly in the context of work and business. He identifies three core elements:

1. Autonomy: The desire to direct our own lives. Pink argues that people are more motivated when they have control over their work and environment. This autonomy can relate to task (what they do), time (when they do it), team (who they work with), and technique (how they do it).
2. Mastery: The urge to get better at something that matters. Pink emphasizes that the process of mastering a skill or subject is inherently satisfying. People are motivated by the desire to improve, to overcome challenges, and to grow their expertise.
3. Purpose: The need to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. According to Pink, motivation is heavily driven by the desire to be part of a greater cause or to contribute to something that has significance beyond personal gain.

These tenets are presented as a shift away from traditional ‘carrot and stick’ extrinsic motivators (like monetary incentives) towards more intrinsic motivators, which Pink argues are more effective in fostering creative and cognitive task engagement. The book posits that these intrinsic motivators are key to success and satisfaction in the modern, increasingly automated and purpose-driven workplace.

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See Also (Books, Articles, Blog Posts, Pod Casts)

Books:

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

This book offers real-world insights and practical advice from a veteran Silicon Valley VC and entrepreneur on tough decisions like layoffs, navigating downturns, and building a strong company culture.

Radical Candor: How to Get What You Want by Saying What You Mean by Kim Scott

This book emphasizes the importance of clear and direct communication, even when delivering difficult news like layoffs. It provides tools and frameworks for having constructive conversations and building trust within a team during challenging times.

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Block True Inspiration by Ed Catmull

This book dives into the culture and practices of Pixar, focusing on fostering creativity and innovation even in the face of constraints. While not directly addressing layoffs, it offers valuable insights on building a resilient and adaptable team amidst change.

Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove

“Only the Paranoid Survive,” by Andrew S. Grove, the former CEO of Intel, is a guide on navigating the challenges and opportunities in the rapidly changing world of business. Grove emphasizes the importance of recognizing and responding to ‘strategic inflection points,’ significant shifts in a business environment that force a company to change its strategy fundamentally. While the book does not focus specifically on layoffs, it addresses the broader theme of adapting to drastic changes in the business landscape, which can include workforce adjustments as part of a strategic response to maintain competitiveness and ensure company survival.

Articles and Blog Posts:

A Better, Fairer Approach to Layoffs by Harvard Business Review:

This article criticizes traditional cost-cutting methods during downturns that prioritize short-term savings over long-term well-being. It proposes a framework emphasizing transparency, fairness, and humanity in layoffs, advocating for open communication, objective selection criteria, generous severance packages, and outplacement services. This approach aims to minimize harm to employees, maintain morale among remaining staff, and protect the company’s reputation, ultimately leading to a smoother transition and faster recovery.

Startup Layoffs: A CEO’s Guide to Doing It Right by Harvard Business Review:

This article provides a step-by-step guide for CEOs on approaching layoffs in a humane and responsible manner, minimizing negative impact on employees and the company’s reputation.

The Art of the Layoff: 5 Things Startups Need to Get Right by TechCrunch:

This article emphasizes the importance of transparency, communication, and severance packages when executing layoffs, offering practical tips for startups.

How startups can survive and thrive in uncertain times by LinkedIn:

In the ever-evolving landscape of business, startups often find themselves facing a unique set of challenges. Uncertain times, marked by economic downturns, global crises, and rapidly changing markets, can be particularly daunting.

Why “Copycat” Layoffs Won’t Help Tech Companies — Or Their Employees by by Melissa De Witte of Stanford Business School

The Stanford Business School article criticizes the prevalent trend of tech layoffs, highlighting their ineffectiveness and the overlooked evidence suggesting more beneficial alternatives to handling economic challenges​.

Don’t Want to Cut Employees? Try Cutting Salaries by Skye Schooley of Business.com

The article by Skye Schooley explores strategies for businesses facing economic hardships, suggesting salary reductions as an alternative to layoffs. It outlines the legal considerations, potential impacts on employee morale, and the importance of a fair and transparent approach in implementing pay cuts​.

Companies prefer layoffs to pay cuts by Peter Coy and Jena McGregor of NBC News

This article, while arguing that layoffs were more prevalent in 2008, highlights that some businesses did try to implement pay cuts during the financial crisis.

Workers say they’d take a pay cut to keep their jobs if recession hits by Kathryn Moody of HRDrive

While focusing on worker sentiment, this article alludes to the use of pay cuts as a cost-saving measure during economic downturns.

The Case for Lower Wages and More Government Spending By Derek Thompson of The Atlantic

This article leads with “General Motors and the United Auto Workers union agreed last week on a new wage structure that works out to a 20 percent wage cut for GM employees,” and explores why when demand is down, the price for work — wages — should be down, too. But wages have a tendency to flat-line, not fall, in recessions.

Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company Better approaches to workforce transitions by Sandra J. Sucher and Shalene Gupta of Harvard Business Review

This article discusses the negative effects of layoffs on companies and employees. It also offers a better approach to workforce transitions. Companies should avoid layoffs whenever possible. Instead, they should focus on retraining and redeployment. If layoffs are necessary, they should be handled fairly and with a clear plan.

What Companies Still Get Wrong About Layoffs by Sandra J. Sucher and Marilyn Morgan Westner of Harvard Business Review

This article discusses the negative effects of layoffs on companies. Layoffs can hurt a company’s reputation, lead to knowledge loss, and decrease employee morale. In the long run, layoffs can cost companies more money than they save. The article also mentions some recent examples of companies that have laid off employees.

Pay Cuts May Be The Least-Worst Option When Compared To Layoffs And Furloughs by Jack Kelly of Forbes

From 2020, the article opens with “It’s been widely reported that about 40 million Americans have lost their jobs over the last few months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There’s a growing trend, however, that’s not garnering as much attention. A large number of companies have elected to cut the pay of some—or all—of their workers instead of enacting massive layoffs and furloughs. These corporations run the gamut, spanning many different sizes and all across industry sectors, including HCA Healthcare, Aon, ESPN, Tesla, the Chicago Cubs, Vice Media, BuzzFeed and others.“

Offering Pay Cuts to Stave Off Layoffs is Easier Said Than Done for Employers by Joseph Abrams and Paige McGlauflin of SHRM

The article explores the complexities and challenges of offering pay cuts instead of layoffs in today’s workforce. Explore the insights and considerations from a recent study and employee compensation expert on why this strategy remains rare.

Pay Cuts Vs. Layoffs Dialog with Stacey Vanek Smith on NPR

This is an NPR article discussing layoffs versus pay cuts during a recession. In the past, layoffs were more common, but in the pandemic recession, many companies prefer pay cuts. This is because the pandemic is seen as a shared experience, and there’s hope for a quick economic recovery, allowing pay cuts to be temporary.

Can An Employer Legally Reduce Your Pay? A Guide December 18, 2023 by Matthew K. Fenton

A perspectivee offered by a Florida based law firms that represents employees in disputes with employers.

Can My Boss Reduce My Work Hours With No Notice? By Christie Nicholson, J.D. of Find Law

Generally, employers can reduce your work hours without notice, unless it’s a large company reducing hours by more than half. Exceptions apply to exempt vs non-exempt employees. Consult an employment lawyer for details.

Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, Says Laying Off 12,000 Workers Was the Worst Moment in the Company’s 25-Year History by Inc.

Pichai reflects on the difficult decision to lay off 6% of Google’s workforce in 2022 (around 12,000 employees). The article likely stems from a leaked audio recording from a recent Google all-hands meeting where Pichai discussed the layoffs. The context surrounding the article is important, as it highlights the broader challenges faced by tech companies in a changing economic climate and the difficult choices leaders must make.

Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company (Harvard Business Review)

This article provides insights on how to conduct layoffs in a way that minimizes damage to the company. “research shows that job cuts rarely help senior leaders achieve their goals. Too often, they’re done for short-term gain, but the cost savings are overshadowed by bad publicity, loss of knowledge, weakened engagement, higher voluntary turnover, and lower innovation, which hurt profits in the long run.“

Hiring back is neither free or easy

Letting people go or losing them is a bigger hit to the business than many people realize. Finding and hiring replacements is not easy and it’s only the beginning. Employees need to come up to speed before they are fully contributing…

• RemoteBase: What Is The Cost Of Hiring An Engineer In 2023? Budget-Friendly Pro Tips
• WhatFix: The Cost of Onboarding New Employees in 2024 (+Calculator)
• BuiltIn: The Most Effective Ways To Onboard New Software Engineers
• BambooHR: From Recruitment to Onboarding, What’s the True Cost of Hiring Employees?
• Introdus: Software Developer Onboarding: Best Practices & Checklist

Blog Posts & Podcasts

• Weathering Storms (CD) – Weathering storms is a critical ingredient to a startup’s success. Every startup I’ve worked at and most of the famously successful ones came close to failing at least at once.
• Sozialverträglicher Personalabbau – Das Konzept der doppelten Freiwilligkeit – The article discusses a humane approach to workforce reduction called “the concept of double voluntariness” which involves avoiding compulsory redundancies through a voluntary program. This program is part of a social plan that includes offering employees the option to transition into a transfer company, incentivized by a bonus for early departure. The process is structured into phases: voluntary phase, direct approach, social selection, and compulsory redundancy, prioritizing voluntary departures and preserving essential staff. This method aims to achieve over 90% voluntary exits, ensuring a socially responsible and legally secure reduction of staff.
• 10x Engineers (CD) – what I’ve learned about how to find them, motivate them and retain them.
• How to spin up new hires (CD) – effectively without impacting progress – especially important offshore.
• Becoming a manager (CD) – Who to promote to managers and how as an aspect of rebuilding
• Human Transformation (CD) – The need to stay current with advancing technology
• Layoff done Wisely by Patrick Lencioni: We’ve all heard stories about the mistakes leaders make when conducting layoffs, but how can we carry them out well?  This week, Pat, Cody and Beau discuss how to preserve our employees’ dignity and strengthen our organizations by conducting layoffs with courage and clarity.