A Guide to Conscious Offboarding

During this time of large-scale layoffs, we’d like to offer a radical invitation: Would you be willing to stand for a Win For All at the end of your employment relationships?

Just as the concept of Conscious Uncoupling upended the idea that romantic breakups must have a loser and a winner, we believe it’s possible to have Conscious Uncoupling at Work. 

In a conscious offboarding, all parties involved want each other to succeed. They act in support of each others’ wellbeing, success and happiness.

No matter if you’re giving notice, you’ve been laid off,  you’re firing someone, or you’re implementing layoffs, you can apply the 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership to take responsibility for your impact on the world.

Ask:

1. Responsibility: What if we didn’t blame? What if we didn’t make this separation a problem?
2. Curiosity: What if we weren’t attached to being right, including about thoughts like “this shouldn’t be happening” or “they should have done it differently”?
3. Feelings: What if we felt all our feelings to completion and supported everybody else to feel theirs?
4. Candor: What if we were candid with one another? What if we offered all the feedback we have in support of each others’ learning and growth?
5. Gossip: What if we committed to not gossiping about this situation?
6. Integrity: What if we created clear agreements about what this transition would look like? What if we asked, “Are there any agreements about transitions that we need to make going forward, with new employers or employees who are staying?”
7. Appreciation: What if we sat in a state of appreciation of one another?

Asking these questions can help create a transition that comes from presence and seeks the Win For All.