What I've Been Asked Not to Publish

Layoffs, ageism, and cost cutting

Many people felt they were viewed less as contributors and more as expenses on a spreadsheet.

• Senior employees were often targeted because of their higher salaries.

• Older workers described a double challenge: being seen as expensive and being viewed as having less future potential.

• Some people reported being pressured to accept significant pay cuts to preserve stock options or remain employed, only to be laid off later anyway.

• Others believed return-to-office mandates or policy changes were sometimes used to encourage voluntary departures, particularly among higher-paid employees.

• Several interviewees described organizations replacing experienced workers with less expensive talent.

The disruption of constant reorganization

Many interviewees described workplaces that seemed to be in a perpetual state of change.

• Frequent reorganizations, leadership turnover, and shifting priorities created uncertainty and instability.

• People spoke about being moved, sidelined, demoted, or reorganized out of positions of influence.

• Women appeared especially likely to describe negative impacts from repeated organizational change.

• Reorganizations often seemed driven by investor expectations or executive timelines rather than thoughtful transitions for employees.

  
  

When support systems fail

Many people discovered that the systems they expected to help them often could not or would not.

• Some felt HR was more focused on reducing organizational risk than protecting employees.

• Employees dealing with toxic situations often felt they were expected to solve the problem themselves.

• Leadership changes sometimes eliminated the managers and mentors who had advocated for them, leaving them without support or visibility.

  
  

Burnout and its hidden costs

Burnout appeared far more serious than simply being tired.

• Years of heavy travel, extreme workloads, and constant pressure left some people needing months or even years to recover.

• Interviewees described physical symptoms including panic attacks, heart palpitations, chronic pain, sleep disruption, and hair loss.

• Several people left jobs while exhausted and overwhelmed, only later wishing they had paused long enough to think through their next move.

  
  

Toxic leadership and workplace culture

Many redirections were triggered not by the work itself, but by the people leading it.

• Employees described managers who bullied, screamed, humiliated others in meetings, or retaliated when challenged.

• Calling attention to bad behavior often resulted in employees being sidelined rather than problems being addressed.

• Women frequently described "bro culture" environments where aggressive behavior was tolerated and concerns were minimized.

• Some women reported being expected to manage the consequences of inappropriate behavior rather than seeing leaders hold people accountable.

  
  

Different experiences for women and men

The stories of job loss and career disruption often differed by gender.

• Men more commonly described layoffs tied to compensation and organizational restructuring.

• Women more often described exclusion, loss of influence, culture mismatch, or being labeled "no longer a fit."

• Women in their 40s and 50s frequently spoke about needing to rebuild their professional identity after a job loss or major career disruption.

• A recurring question was: "Who am I now?"

  
  

The shrinking value placed on expertise

Several interviewees worried about the declining investment in deep expertise.

• Internal research and analyst roles are becoming less common.

• Organizations increasingly rely on vendors, thought leadership content, or AI-generated outputs.

• Some leaders used AI as a justification for reducing senior research positions while underestimating the importance of judgment, context, and experience.

• Longtime researchers often felt pressure to become marketers, sales support, or content creators rather than independent thinkers.

  
  

What seems to help people survive and thrive

Despite the challenges, interviewees repeatedly shared advice about what helped them navigate change successfully. All of these are covered in my Redirecting Foundations. or blogs.

• Build financial runway before you need it.

• Invest in your health before a crisis forces you to.

• Maintain strong relationships and networks throughout your career. Never search alone.

• Create time to "cocoon"—to step back, reflect, and understand what you truly want next.

• Avoid making major decisions while exhausted, angry, or afraid.

• Test small experiments through consulting, volunteering, side projects, or learning opportunities before making a large leap.

• Seek support from peers, cohorts, coaches, or communities rather than trying to navigate major transitions alone.

  
  

Perhaps the most important lesson is that redirection is rarely caused by a single event. More often, it emerges from the accumulation of pressures, disappointments, opportunities, and realizations that eventually make staying the same harder than changing.