HEADS HELD HIGH

Intimately and unavoidably connected, life and livelihood share the full range of human emotion from trauma and shock to loss and grieving. While losing a job (livelihood) or a coworker do not compare to the loss of life or loved one, the emotion involved can be devastatingly similar, especially when employee exits are handled poorly—without preparation, consideration, and commiseration—often creating problematic ripples throughout the organization. In our three-part, intensive workshop series, we help those responsible for planning and implementing employee exits, from departmental layoffs to executive departures, work through potential options of and possible impacts on the departing and the surviving. We then co-develop a communication and support process from industry best practices and decades of collective experience to minimize trauma for all involved—including the notifiers—and set the stage for a dignified departure that preserves the integrity and legacy of past contributions. The goal is to close this storied chapter—be it a beloved contributor, essential executive, departmental or company-wide layoffs—in such a way that all stakeholders feel closure and an eagerness to turn the page and begin the next exciting chapter.