Recent job cuts have created low morale among you and your colleagues. Is there anything you can do about it? There are steps you can take, although the negative atmosphere may be out of your control to a large extent. The mood after layoffs is set by managers, said Simma Lieberman, a management consultant in Albany, California, and if they fail to address the situation from the beginning, morale can sink quickly. "One of the worst actions management can take during this time is to not acknowledge the situation and the impact it is having on employees," Lieberman said. "This only makes the situation worse." The best way to combat the negative atmosphere is to lead by example.
See "The Workplace: Feeling let down by layoffs?", Matt Villano, International Herald Tribune, July 30, 2007