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

3.2. Universal Survivor Linkages

All those involved in layoffs should broaden their cognitive and emotional (head and heart) understanding of the linkages among survivors of trauma. This broad understanding is necessary if managers in particular are to heal themselves and then help others. I will use powerful well-known historical examples of survivorship to define survivor linkages. In comparing layoff survivors to survivors of much more life-threatening events, I do not intend to trivialize or dilute the pain and horror that these other survivors endured. Nor am I equating the violation experienced by a layoff survivor with, for example, that experienced by September 11 survivors. The difference in magnitude is immeasurable. That is not to ...