Leaders who think they can easily show workers that they understand their plight are sadly mistaken.
Performative empathy is the worst kind of corporate gaslighting. It can be as sly as referring to the workplace as “family” to unjustly placing the blame on workers through the loss of jobs and benefits. Getting laid off is the price workers pay for a problem they did not create. Amazon
Without a doubt, workers lose when companies only pretend to understand.
Here are three ways companies can avoid performative empathy during cutbacks and layoffs:
1. Know That The Workplace Is Not A Family
Avoid trumpeting that your workplace is a "family.” This mindset is dangerous because the word family blurs boundaries and exaggerates our loyalty.
In a piece for The Harvard Business Review, leadership development trainer Joshua A. Luna wrote, "We must understand that ‘family’ means different things to different people. Not everyone wants to connect with their coworkers on a deeper level, let alone create a dependency on the organization."
Layoffs highlight this toxic concept of workplace family. Recently, I was laid off from my full-time role as a recruiter in tech, and I can confirm there was a particular sting when you had bought into the promise of family. If this toxic language is part of your company brand, consider using the delete button.
Using the word “family” is a red flag indicating communication is weak within the organization or that speaking your mind is unsafe. When a communication process is in place, feedback on company branding is continual and inclusive, frequently catching missteps.
2. Have A Process of Communication
Some companies are able to incorporate employee feedback.
Oceanit, a scientific mind-to-market company, has fostered a culture of curiosity since 1985. "We have a process where we review the last quarter of the year, every year," CEO Patrick Sullivan said via email. "It's part of our strategic review process. We discuss key items, including what to keep, what to kill, and what to build."
A holistic view that the world is continually changing is central to creating a successful, fast-paced communication process. "It's an open process,” said Sullivan. “We invite participation from across the enterprise.” It is essential to acknowledge that people know that change is coming.
According to Sullivan, communicating regularly about change prompts teams to have greater buy-in and "helps to foster accountability – people look at how they contribute to the enterprise." Notice Sullivan refers to his company as an enterprise, not a family.
3. Support Your Team After They Are Laid Off
I've been laid off twice during the pandemic, and the phrase I heard both times was: "It's nothing personal." Managers and company leaders often miss a massive opportunity to put some weight behind this rejection script, but they rarely take any action. Simple ways to support a laid-off worker include a warm introduction to someone hiring and a LinkedIn recommendation note.
Too often, managers believe their job is done once they've delivered the layoff news to an employee. In reality, though, their position has shifted. So what’s the difference between a manager and a leader?
A leader asks how they can help and follows up, rather than saying, "Let me know what I can do." A leader asks you to pass the ball back after a company makes you take your ball and go home.
Leaders who think they can easily show workers that they understand their plight are sadly mistaken. It is a miscalculation to believe that silence by your team indicates support for your messaging. The cost of not respecting workers during difficult times is higher than anything that will ever show up on a spreadsheet.
