That time we all got laid off… and it was ok.
"If you're on this call, you are affected by this layoff."
We were stunned. The entire team had been let go in less time than it takes to order a latte at Starbucks. No one had seen it coming - but then, no one ever does. It was shocking, upsetting, and terrifying. The call was over and just like that, everyone we knew and had worked with , argued with, laughed with, spent the last 2 years with were unemployed. The sense of loss was overwhelming. And then something amazing happened.
We pulled together.
It started with a Slack channel that someone set up and we all joined. Someone else started a spreadsheet with everyone's contact information and job titles. Someone else started channels in Slack for dad jokes and pet pictures, another for sharing job links and interviewing tips....and just like that, we were together again. Over the past two years, we had built and refined such a strong culture of team work and passion, that the fact we no longer worked together couldn't change it.
Over the next few weeks, we grieved together over what was lost, celebrated our wins (anything from getting a call back for an interview to just getting out of bed), supported each other as the inevitable challenges of life took us by surprise (COVID while traveling, spouse getting laid off as well, dislocated shoulder, unexpected family death, car accidents), and reminded each other of our strengths and opportunities. We scheduled happy hours and D&D games. We shared job leads, even if it meant we were competing with one another. There was always someone there who would listen if you needed it and let you know you weren't doing this alone.
Others started commenting on this community. People could see on LinkedIn the support the team gave each other, partners and family members were surprised by the continued collaboration and help. Several members formed their own businesses with others on the team.
Even as folks are starting to get job offers and become busy with their new occupations, the community continues. And that is magic that every company wants to capture.
Happy employees feel like they are part of something bigger - part of a larger community. They feel safe - they can count on their coworkers to have their back, let them know when they are making mistakes and support them in getting better and smarter. They feel a sense of belonging - that even when they disagree with each other, they are still all on the same side. This community is the embodiment of that ideal that so many companies strive for.
So, how did we do it?
Choose the right people
Provide opportunities for connection
Make communication easy and rewarding
Make accountability about deliverables not face time
Frame failure as learning opportunities
Teaching people how to disagree without being disagreeable
We'll dig into these framing principles and more in this blog, helping you understand what worked and what didn't, and how you might use those learnings at your company.
