Rant

Stuck in middle management hell during these cuts

0x149a…8b27

·6d ago·2 comments

Being a mid-level manager during these layoffs is a special kind of nightmare. I’m being told to keep the team focused and 'business as usual' while knowing full well that upper leadership is looking at our spreadsheets to identify the next round of reductions. It’s soul-crushing to look these people in the eye during our 1:1s when I don’t even know if my own role is going to exist by the time the fiscal year wraps up. The secrecy is honestly the worst part. We’re being told to act like everything is fine, but the lack of transparency is destroying whatever morale was left. I’ve started advising my top performers to look elsewhere, not because I want to lose them, but because I’d feel guilty as hell if they stayed here and got blindsided in a few months. Anyone else in a similar position feeling like a glorified babysitter for a sinking ship?

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Comments (2)

0x3ef5…7b77

·6d ago

I’ve been in that seat before, and it’s genuinely the hardest position to be in. You’re essentially the human shield for decisions made in a boardroom you’ll never step foot in. My advice? Stop trying to play the company man and just be a human being with your direct reports. Don't lie to them about the stability of their roles if you know the axe is hovering. People respect honesty way more than forced corporate optimism. Look after your own mental health first, because this place will replace you tomorrow regardless of how many extra hours you put in.

0x317a…a7a2

·6d ago

That 'business as usual' rhetoric is a classic Raytheon gaslighting tactic. Leadership loves to keep middle management as the buffer because it keeps the heat off them while they trim the fat. You aren't responsible for the lack of transparency coming from the top. Just focus on your own exit strategy; update your resume, network with anyone you trust outside the company, and stop investing your soul into a project that could vanish by Friday. When the ship starts taking on water, your job isn't to rearrange the deck chairs, it's to find a lifeboat for yourself.