We work hard to create atmospheres where people enjoy coming to work, get feedback that matters, deliver results — and trust their leaders. Trust matters. It’s tough to earn and easy to lose. All it takes is a few bad decisions.
That’s why I’ve been appalled at the treatment of federal employees during the DOGE rampages.
A recipe for breaking trust
This is not a political issue. It’s purely about process. Specifically, apart from the intent, DOGE’s process around employee relations and terminations has been poorly thought out and abysmally executed, and they have often been inhumane. Consider the following:
- People with stellar evaluations were terminated for “performance.”a
- Staffers were offered resignation deals that turned out to be firings.b
- Employees were left in limbo about benefits and next steps.c
- Some botched firings led to whipsaw rehirings, with clouds of uncertainty still lingering.
There’s conflicting information. Fear. And the soul-crushing message that the work of dedicated employees is so inconsequential it should be snuffed out, or worse, it represents a waste of taxpayer money.
Then there are remote employees summarily ordered to do in-person work, only to find problems with space, equipment, technology and security.d It’s what happens when there’s a demand without a plan.
Moreover, results of a recent poll by Pew Research Center show that DOGE’s actions are not being well received by the public, with 51% saying the cuts will undermine the government’s performance, compared with 36% who say the cuts will improve its performance.e Pew also found that 48% believe the cuts will increase costs over the long term for Americans, while only about 41% expect that they will lead to savings.
Consequences of dehumanized downsizing
As I see story after story about these fiascos, I believe it will have a negative effect far beyond the federal government. It can cause trickle-down distrust among employees everywhere, including on your team.
Why? Because workers have now seen worst-case scenarios that take “worst” to a whole new level.
The psychological safety that is so important to performance, innovation and morale — per experts like McKinsey — has been discarded in a very public way.f It leaves people wondering, “Could it happen here?”
Despite your best efforts as a leader to build a positive workplace culture of high performance and high trust, people now see how easily lives can be callously upended.
How DOGE’s approach differs from the past
To be clear, government and private sector businesses have downsized in the past. But not like this. There was study and analysis behind past actions. Scenario planning. Implementation strategy. There was concern for and even involvement of workers in the process.g
Even when done strategically, downsizing hurts good people. Wise leaders know that tough decisions need to respect human dignity and be done with empathy for those who are cut and for those left behind.
Empathy has no place in DOGE’s action plan
Elon Musk has publicly disparaged empathy.h Musk is dead wrong, his success in business notwithstanding.i Research supports the idea that empathy is beneficial in business and in life.j I would add that this idea is also just plain common sense.
Research also might explain Musk’s coldblooded approach to leadership. Studies say that power can erode our capacity for empathy — the premise being that the more power we have, the less we depend on others.k Having unfettered power to advance our own interests makes it easier to lose sight of others’ feelings and perspectives.
From my experience with leaders, I don’t think that’s you. (It’s likely you wouldn’t have gotten this far in reading this if it were.) In my experience, effective leaders care about the people they lead. Their staff members’ trust matters. And it should.
That’s why it’s important to take forceful steps to ensure that Washington’s ill-considered practices of employee relations don’t cause your people to fear that those practices could become a “new normal” in business.
How to bolster your staff’s trust and confidence
Here are six practical things you can do:
1 Recognize the potential impacts of the DOGE actions. Assume that a rocky economy and the treatment of federal workers could generate worry and distrust in your team.
2 Remind your mid-level managers that now, more than ever, they need to focus on employee engagement. Ask them to raise their feedback game, and be better than ever at providing sincere, specific feedback on people’s strengths. Show genuine appreciation. Provide constructive criticism truthfully and tactfully.
3 Go on a listening tour. Ask people how things are going for them. Be open to questions and be as candid as you can about the state of your organization.
4 Talk about values and how you live them as a leader. Put “respect’ at the top of that list.
5 Make sure everyone feels they belong, especially those who’ve been traditionally underrepresented in your workplace. Remind staff that your commitment to a diverse, inclusive workplace is not motivated by politics but rooted in the quest for excellence.
6 If you have unions in your organization, treat their members as colleagues who care as much as you do about quality and service, not as competitors. Support for unions has grown in recent years.l And what’s happening at the federal level might lead people to feel they need significantly more protection — from you. Don’t prove them right.
Prepare for the inevitable challenges
But what if the economy takes a toll on your organization? What if grant-funded positions and programs take a hit? What if you end up reorganizing or downsizing?
Remember that you will be leading during some of the roughest times in people’s lives.
Understand the importance of “process fairness.”
As Joel Brockner, a Columbia university Business School professor, explains, “A lot of things go into a fair process: Are people allowed to participate in decisions, were the reasons for decisions explained to them, were the decisions based on accurate information, was it transparent, was it a level playing field?”m
People may not cheer for the outcome of a process, but they at least feel it was fairly handled.
And that is especially important for the whole staff as they move forward.
The best guidance I can offer is to look closely at the mismanaged downsizing process in Washington. From the cluelessness to the cruelty, to the untold costs that will inevitably unfold, you have a road map for how not to lead change.
Be wiser and kinder, no matter what the pressure. Keep your hard-earned trust.
a. Douglas, L., Layne, N., and Reid, T., “Federal workers were fired ‘for performance.’ Their records say otherwise,” Reuters, Feb. 20, 2025.
b. Stein, R., et al., “‘Your RIF notice is not cancelled.’ Inside a chaotic week of massive layoffs at HHS,” NPR, April 5, 2025.
c. Czachor, E.M., “Federal workers who were fired then rehired describe uncertainty over jobs, confusing transition: ‘What a mess,’” CBS News, April 3, 2025.
d. Gilbert, D., “‘Wi-Fi keeps going down’: Donald Trump’s return-to-office mandate is going terribly,” Wired, April 7, 2025.
e. Pew Research Center, “Trump’s job rating drops, key policies draw majority disapproval as he nears 100 days,” April 23, 2025.
f. McKinsey & Company, “What is psychological safety?” Featured Insights, July 17, 2023.
g. Riccardi, N., “Trump and Musk aren’t the first to make deep cuts. Clinton-era reinventing government saved billions,” AP, Feb. 23, 2025.
h. Wolf, Z.B., “Elon Musk wants to save Western civilization from empathy,” CNN Politics, March 5, 2025.
i. Kelly-Moore, A., “Is empathy a weakness? Science says Elon Musk is wrong about leadership,” Blue Sky Thinking, March 2025.
j. Wilde, H., “The power of empathy: Unlocking success in business,” Inc., June 21, 2023.
k. Young, R., “How power erodes empathy, and the steps we can take to rebuild it,” WBUR, July 9, 2020.
l. Gallup, “Labor unions,” In depth: Topics A to Z, Approval data from March 24-27, 1972, to Aug. 1-20, 2024.
m. Adler, J., “Success and why the process matters — Joel Brockner,” Work/Life Integration Project, April 22, 2016.
