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A lot goes through our heads during company restructurings: Will I get laid off? Will my coworkers lose their jobs? What will happen to my workload if my team is affected? But in the wake of such events, if we dont get laid off, we often ignore or dismiss the emotions that linger because we dont feel we deserve to experience them. After all, we kept our jobs, were the lucky ones. Why should we complain or feel upset? However experts say that not addressing this so-called survivors guilt can negatively impact your confidence and productivity moving forward. Those employees who remain, they feel either undeserving of being able to stay, or they feel responsible for their colleagues who lost their jobs, or they just feel kind of an overwhelming sense of guilt and sadness, even though theyre still at the job, says Isha Metzger, a psychologist and cognitive-behavioral therapist specializing in trauma. Theres also often a fear of the unknown among employees who make it out of a major transition unscathed. Its this wrestle in the mind of, Oh man, I got to stay, but now I dont know for how long, says Lisa Rigoli, who worked in human resources for brands such as Target and CarMax before becoming a leadership consultant for individuals and teams navigating change. Luckily these feelings dont have to stick around forever. Heres how to overcome survivors guilt so you can make the most of your situation and come away from the organizational pivot stronger, wiser, and much less overwhelmed. PINPOINT THE WHAT AND WHY OF SURVIVOR’S GUILT Common wisdom says that the best first step to tackling any emotion is acknowledging it. That can be easier said than done, which is why Rigoli recommends asking yourself three pointed questions: What about this experience motivates me? What about this experience triggers me? What are some of my blind spots as a result of this experience? Lets say your boss was let go. You might be motivated by the fact that theres now an opening to step up as a leader, but triggered by the advanced responsibility or skill set that would entail. Meanwhile, your blind spot might be how to go about taking on this new role. When youve identified the things that excite and scare you, you can then begin to take steps toward solving for them. Metzger says labeling how youre feelingwhether hopeless, nervous, angry, or something elsecan also further prepare you for getting what you need to process it effectively, be that talking with a coworker who can comfort you or a family member who can help you decompress. Without being able to first identify and then communicate what it is that you need, its very hard to advocate for yourself, she says, adding that its also okay to acknowledge uncertainty. Empowerment can also look like, I dont even have the feelings, or Im not even able to communicate those feelings right now, and thats why Im coming to you for help. Meeting yourself where youre at, giving yourself grace, and being able to articulate . . . is the best way to get that help that we need, Metzger adds. SET BOUNDARIES You might be tempted to overcompensate for organizational confusion or a lack of resources by working harder or longer hours. Or maybe theres a spoken or unspoken expectation that youll take on more. As much as you can, resist this urge and set clear boundaries. You can give yourself permission to disconnect as needed, Metzger says, noting that this can be as simple as deciding not to check emails after 5 p.m. If now you need to recharge and rest twice as much, make sure that youre doing that as well. With this, its important to get clarity on whom youll now report to, if management has shifted or left the company, as well as who on your team is new to you. Once thats clear, youll be able to form a relationship built on mutual respect for work-life balance and boundaries. The best way to do so? Advocate for yourself early and often. FIND YOUR COMMUNITY Its easy to feel like you have to go it alone in the aftermath of a transitionespecially if your organization tends to promote a dog eat dog culture. But even in the most competitive of spaces its possible, and crucial, to find a community that can support you emotionally. Focus on those allies or those advocates youve already been able to identify, and then . . . if youre asked to take on an extra load, you can go to that ally or that advocate youve identified, and hopefully that will be someone who can protect you, Metzger says. If all your friends or mentors have left, ask them who at the company you could connect with. If there isnt anyone whos currently at your job, you can certainly think about mental health resources that exist, peer support groups that maybe you could find online, Metzger adds. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL Survivors guilt often stems from the fact that something happened to us that was out of our control. Moving past it, then, requires us to focus on the things we do have a say on. If youre feeling a loss of control over your workplace, then reframe the narrative in terms of, Okay, I dont have control over my workplace, but what sorts of things do I have control over? I can maybe get involved socially or civically, or even politically. I can make sure that I am staying close with those colleagues who no longer work here. I can make sure that I can contribute positively to the new workplace reality, Metzger says. Just because someone has left your team doesnt mean you cant remain friends, close colleagues, or mentor-mentee. Chances are youll need that person for emotional and career support down the roadand so will they once the smoke clears and theyre ready to make their next moves post-layoff. CONSIDER YOUR NEXT MOVES Sticking around long term, even with the residual feelings that stir up, might be exactly the right move for you. However, in some cases, your survivors guilt could be a sign of something biggerfor example, that youre ready for a new job. This was the case for Rigoli, who faced a restructuring in 2022 that had her reconsidering her career path. It forced me to take a moment to really ask myself, Whats right for me? If I were to stay in that role, how would I feel? And I felt not complete, she says. Or it could mean that you need some extra guidance from a therapist or career coach. If youre having these conversations and you find yourself still ruminating, still worrying, still feeling sad or guilty or hopeless, Metzger says, it never hurts to get that additional professional help.
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E-Commerce
Theres a growing fear that artificial intelligence will soon replace human talent. While its undeniable that AI will impact the labor market, as with any disruptive technology, a closer look reveals a differentand far more empoweringfuture. Rather than displacing highly skilled professionals, AI is setting the stage for knowledge workers to transition from individual contributors into high-leverage managers, directing teams of AI agents that can execute tasks with breathtaking efficiency. Rather than consign the expertise and creativity of humans into irrelevance, AI will make it all the more essential, as humans direct and guide AI agents toward the ideal outcome. AI as High-Performing Team Members Todays AI systems are already demonstrating mastery in tasks ranging from data analysis and report generation to complex decision-making in finance, legal research, and the creative industries. In many of the sectors mentioned, this capability emerged only in the past few years, as generative AI became a viable and mature tool for businesses. Agentic AI is the next logical step, wherein AI isnt a tool that assists a human worker but one that acts alongside them with a degree of autonomy. In effect, digital agents are becoming the new breed of employees: competent, consistent, and ever-improving, with the ability to work around the clock and to ingest vast quantities of data in a matter of seconds. You can understand the fear this provokes. AI agents have the abilityat least, in their realm of operationsto be faster, better, and cheaper than humans. But even the best talent needs a manager. And managers with the most high-flying players on their team are the most effective in the organization. The future belongs to professionals who channel AIs capabilities into results that are exponentially better than what any one person could achieve alone. Leading AI Through Technical Management This begs the question: What does it mean to be a manager of AI agents? The truth is that effective management has always required a dual set of skills, whether were talking about people or, indeed, AI systems. On one hand, theres people managementthe art and science of understanding human behavior, motivation, and emotions. Although AI lacks that emotional depth, effective collaboration with AI agents requires certain soft skills, like the ability to set expectations and provide clear, unambiguous instruction. On the other hand, management also means organizing, delegating, and ensuring that systems are in place to execute a strategic vision. This isnt just about setting a direction; its about verifying that every task contributes toward delivering a shared goal. These abilities (tactical oversight, process optimization, and strategic judgment) are specialized skills that dont easily transfer among different domains. Its one reason why a stellar sales manager might struggle if suddenly tasked with running an engineering team, and why an esteemed product manager might struggle to motivate a sales team. In a world where AI agents work alongside us, these two facets of management become even more critical. While AI can execute many tasks with remarkable speed and precision, a manager guiding a team of AI agents must both understand the intricate mechanics of the technology and appreciate the human elements of collaboration to work with other human peers who are managing AI systems. The common notion that great managers need to be skilled only in people management, without truly grasping how the work is done, misses the mark entirely. Anyone whos experienced a manager disconnected from the practical realities of the job will tell you that true leadership demands a hands-on understanding combined with a clear vision. Revisiting the Job Displacement Myth Some worry that as AI becomes more capable, well need far fewer humans in the workforce, which will ultimately lead to mass unemployment. The counter-argument to this common claim is known as Jevons paradox: the idea that increases in efficiency can paradoxically lead to even greater overall demand. While AI might take over tasks that human beings currently do in the workplace, the gains in efficiency in certain tasks will increase the need for human operators (and the human touch) in other ways. The mistake people continually mistake is assuming that the demand for humans (and human skills) is elastic only in one directiondown. That weve reached a ceiling for the usefulness of the collective human race and, over time, that ceiling will get lower and lower. If we embrace the possibility that a single person managing AI could deliver outputs far beyond what we see today, we arent looking at a future with fewer opportunities. Similarly, the industrial revolution replaced countless manual jobs, particularly in sectors like garment manufacturing, but at the same time it led to a historic explosion of wealth that continues to this day, although, admittedly, unevenly shared. It led to lower prices for many staples of living, not to mention luxuries, which in turn raised our standard of living. The current wave of AI pessimism ignores previous historical trends. Its equally plausible that the productivity boost of AI will unlock entirely new opportunitiesnew markets, industries, and innovative productsthat we cant even imagine now. While some jobs might be displaced, others may emerge in the economy that offset that loss. AI agent managers are just one example. So, How Do We Get Ready for This Shift? Ive been careful not to minimize the pain that a transition to an AI-centered economy will bring. Just like the industrial revolution brought its own short-term displacement, the same will happen here, but with nowhere near the force and system shock that came with the full-blown mechanization of human labor. I believe AIs path will be slower and more deliberate, and that there are many steps we can take along the way to make the transition much smoother. First, lets talk about education. Universities are great at producing academics, but they dont necessarily provide vocational and professional skills. A computer science program will teach you about algorithms, but it might not cover things like GitHub and Docker. As we transition to an AI-powered workforce, its likely well need to shift the emphasis away from academics and toward practical, real-world skills. These are the skills that were, in many parts of the world, once provided by polytechnic institutes and are now offered by community colleges in the United States. I would argue that we need more of them, and to treat them with greater esteem. For the current workforce, companies need to make AI literacy part of their playbook, inculcating it within existing workers and incorporating it into their onboarding processes. Training should be provided evenly, from the most junior hires to the C-suite. The companies that start from the outset with an AI-enabled, AI-aware workforce will be those that thrive during this period. And for individuals, especially those in jobs most vulnerable to being disrupted by AI, this is the time to take action. The best thing you can do? Start learning. Not everyone needs to become a software engineer, but understanding AI tools, getting comfortable with digital workflows, and building problem-solving skills will make all the difference. But heres the catch: Its not just about knowing how to use AI. Its about knowing enough to question it. AI is powerful, but its not perfect. Blindly accepting AI-generated outputs without understanding the logic behind them, or the limitations of the models themselves, is a recipe for disaster. Its also, fundamentally, the definition of AI illiteracy. Ultimately, the role of an AI agent manager will be to push back against their employees from time to time. The professionals who thrive in this new era will be those who keep their critical thinking skills sharp and who can evaluate AIs suggestions, knowing when to trust it and when to override it. The good news? Theres no shortage of ways to level up: free courses, employer-led training, AI boot camps, and self-guided learning. The resources are there, but you have to take the first step. The future belongs to those who adaptand those who think critically.
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E-Commerce
For decades, human organs, some of the most fragile cargo imaginable, have been transported on ice. Not because it was the best method, but because thats how it had always been done. A process with life-or-death consequences remained unchanged simply out of habit. I didnt fully grasp the flaws in this system until I experienced it firsthand. I saw the gaps in coordination, the last-minute scrambles, and the life-altering consequences of relying on outdated methods. But identifying a problem isnt the same as knowing how to fix it. Innovation happens when leaders refuse to accept the way its always been done. It happens when they show up, ask questions, and stay immersed in their industry long enough to see the gaps that others overlook. Research proves this: Founders with at least 3 years of industry experience are nearly twice as likely to succeed as those without it. What numbers dont show Before developing Paragonixs organ preservation technology, I spent years traveling with transplant teams, standing in operating rooms, and observing every step of the process. I experienced how outdated transport methods created uncertainty, how communication breakdowns led to preventable delays, and how every inefficiency had real consequences for patients. Numbers tell part of the story, but experience fills in the gaps. More than 103,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ transplant, and every 8 minutes, another person is added to the list. A spreadsheet can track transplant success rates, but it wont capture a patients anxiety as they wait, unsure if a life-saving organ will arrive in time. Data can show transit times, but it wont reflect the pressure on a transplant team racing against the clock, knowing that every lost minute could mean losing a life. Many well-intentioned ideas fall apart because of this gap between analysis and reality. Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann calls this pattern a false start when founders launch solutions before fully understanding the problems theyre trying to solve. His research shows that many entrepreneurs, eager to launch, skip the critical step of customer discovery and assume theyll figure out the details as they go. Turn immersion into innovation The most effective solutions come from understanding the problem in practiceseeing it, feeling it, and engaging with the people who experience it every day. That doesnt stop once a company is built. I travel with our sales reps, visit transplant centers, and speak directly with the people using our technology because thats the only way to understand whats working and whats not. Staying embedded in an industry provides the knowledge to innovate, but making a real impact requires persistence. Here are three things Ive learned: Expect resistance and keep going Even with overwhelming evidence, people still doubt new ideas. Research shows that controlled organ preservation improves outcomes, yet resistance remains. Some pushback strengthens a solution, but not all criticism is useful. The closer you are to the problem, the easier it is to separate valid concerns from reluctance to adapt. Staying in the field provides the conviction to push forward when others hesitate and the clarity to know what feedback is worth acting on. Listen for whats not being said People dont always voice their biggest frustrations. A transplant team might say a process works, but watching them tells a different story. For decades, organs packed in ice could only travel so far before becoming unusable, which forced teams to work within tight geographic boundaries. These limitations were simply accepted as part of the job. Real insights come from noticing inefficiencies and workarounds that shouldnt exist. Leaders who look beyond whats being said are the ones who recognize opportunities for real innovation. Identify patterns, not just problems Not every problem needs fixing, but when the same inefficiencies surface again and again, theyre worth a closer look. For years, transplant teams worked around unpredictable organ arrival times. They developed contingency plans, adjusted schedules at the last minute, and braced for delays. Real-time tracking wasnt the result of a single brainstorming sessionit came from recognizing a repeated problem. The best insights start with paying attention to the patterns others ignore. You cant spot a breakthrough from behind a desk. No matter the industry, meaningful innovation starts with questioning what others accept, seeing the problem firsthand, and refusing to look away. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
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E-Commerce
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