Rebuilding Trust—Your Shot of Fearless Culture #399
Where change agents find their weekly dose of culture insights and exercises, one topic at a time.
Your company just saved money by cutting people.
Congratulations. You also just bankrupted something far more valuable: trust.
I’ve sat with too many teams in the aftermath of layoffs. The executives who made the cuts have moved on. Meanwhile, the people who stayed are stuck thinking: “Why them and not me?”
Companies expect survivors to feel grateful. After all, they kept their jobs. But gratitude isn’t what I see in those who stayed. I see guilt, anxiety, and quiet resignation.
Research confirms what I witness: 74% of employees who survived layoffs report their productivity dropped significantly.
Most survivors aren’t celebrating. They’re updating their resumes.
Here’s what makes this worse: Survivor’s guilt affects managers, too. You worked with these people for years. You made the list. You delivered the news. Now, your team sees you as both a survivor and an executioner.
This week, I’m tackling the reality that executives don’t want to address: How to rebuild trust when the people who stayed wish they hadn’t.
Explore this week's newsletter:
My latest article → Your Team Survived the Layoff. Now Comes the Worst
Practical steps to rebuild trust after layoffs
Inspiring reads on navigating survivor’s guilt
Stay fearless, my friend.
Gustavo
In Case You Missed It
We just released the US Culture Pulse report, part of our global initiative exploring the state of the workplace and challenges ahead.
Download the full report → US Culture Pulse 2025 by Fearless Culture
You can also explore insights from Ireland, Finland, Spain, and Sweden.
Reports from the UK, Australia/APAC, Italy, Perú, Canada, Switzerland, and Mexico are coming soon.
Ask Your Team This
How has your relationship with work changed in the past few weeks?
⚠️ Try This
Practice Ruthless Deprioritization
You can’t cut 20% of your team and keep the workload intact. Efficiencies have limits.
Meet your team and discuss how to deprioritize: For every new task, remove or reduce another one.
Ask each member to reflect on their workload:
What work are you doing that doesn’t fit our main goals?
What tasks could we stop doing with little to no impact?
What tasks would you eliminate if you had the freedom to choose?
Make a “Stop Doing” list that’s as important as your to-do list.
If you don’t cut the workload, you’ll lose more people.
🍦 Feed Your Curiosity
Layoffs that don’t break your company
Mitigate survivor syndrome: how to support workers after layoffs
How tech CEOs talk when they lay off people
🔎 Get the Culture You Deserve
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Gustavo Razzetti
CEO, Fearless Culture