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When Teams Shrink

Coping with Layoffs, and Moving On

You breathe a big sigh of relief. Your company has just gone through a heavy round of layoffs, and you're one of the lucky ones. You still have a job.

Many of your co-workers, however, don't. You and the other survivors watch sadly as they clean out their offices, and walk slowly out of the building, carrying boxes of personal possessions.

Now, the rest of you are experiencing a range of emotions ranging from guilt to relief, anger, and depression. And most of you are anxious and worried - after all, how do you know you won't be next?

If you've had to watch team members lose their jobs, then you know how hard it can be. But coping, and succeeding, in the aftermath can be difficult. There are several impacts, both practical and emotional, that can result from company layoffs.

In this article, we'll look at what you can expect to experience when members of your team lose their jobs. And we'll show you how to handle the ups and downs of dealing with a reduced team - including the loss of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs).

Full text of this article is available to members of the Mind Tools Career Excellence Club. If you're a member, please click here for full text, or sign in below.

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