Healing the Wounds: Overcoming the Trauma of Layoffs and Revitalizing Downsized Organizations

6.2. The Four-Level Intervention Model

Layoff survivor sickness is complex and does not lend itself to a simple solution. It contains conflicts of values centered on organizational codependency and self-empowerment. To be cured of it, people must let go of the familiar old and venture into the untested new. Healing layoff survivor sickness is, in the final analysis, an individual effort, requiring great personal courage. Creating organizational systems that will prevent the reoccurrence of this sickness ought to be one of the most fundamental priorities of organizational leaders.

Only compelling interventions can deal with the pathology of layoff survivor sickness. These interventions will be powerful acts, attention-grabbing and stimulating ...