Layoffs: How uncertainty drives siloed mindsets
“20% of staff are being laid off.”
The percentage may vary, but these words have been uttered around countless offices over the past many years, bringing with them fear, anxiety, anger, and resentment. Early in my career I accepted a position at a large non-profit organization full of hope and excitement about the change I could help create in the world. Within the first six months into my job, I heard these dreadful words. Colleagues with incredible tenure, institutional knowledge, and talent were dismissed. One day they were there. The next day they were not. I was stunned.
What started as a new growth opportunity, abound with great promise and possibility, quickly shifted to an environment of scarcity and survival. I recall the feeling of a black cloud hanging over those of us remaining after the layoffs. There were quiet hallways, a “heads down”and “get your work done” atmosphere, and colleagues whispered to each other in closed office spaces. There was a lingering unknown of what was around any proverbial corner. Additional reorganizing announcements? More layoffs? Inevitably more responsibility, and elevated stress levels.
A normal response to uncertainty is the siloed mindset of scarcity.
Beyond layoffs, there are myriad sources of uncertainty, such as public health crises, AI (artificial intelligence), and economic turbulence, to name a few. Brain science tells us that when we’re in survival and scarcity mode, cognitive function is impaired. That mode applies to organizational behaviors and actions, too, which shuts down creativity and productivity. Instead of being innovative, collaborative, and feeling motivated to bring their best each day, employees in this mode operate with a “heads down and stay in your lane” mindset, feeling like everything is urgent.
In short, organizations lose a lot when team members are in this siloed state of mind. People who stay may feel worn down and unmotivated. Personally, I lasted several more months before leaving that unhealthy environment. Because the siloed, scarcity mindset that I was surrounded by was so pervasive, I elected to try something new.
As I reflect on my personal experience, I now know that in the wake of layoffs and organizational restructuring, the lines and boxes of reporting matrices aren’t the only thing we need to pay attention to. We also have to remember how to work together again. A new configuration of people and revised organizational mandates are opportunities to reaffirm or create new ways of working.
At Unlimited Boundaries we help teams work better together across silos. Through high-touch facilitation services we help organizations and teams connect, communicate, collaborate.
Join us for a free 60-minute participatory workshop Stuck in Silos: 7 Habits that Hold Us Back. We’ll share new insights and inspiration to level-up your team collaboration. If you’re an organizational or team leader who cares about transforming workplaces to promote flourishing, this opportunity is for you.
Silo in an open field