On a recent Friday, layoffs took place in my company. After the dust settled, only my three direct reports and I remained in my department. How was I to rally these employees and keep them from feeling paralyzed or suffering from survivor's guilt? Here are some tips in today's issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Layoffs trigger many emotions. Fear of change and a feeling of helplessness are two of the most common. Additionally, employees lose trust in an organization, especially if there are a lot of hush-hush meetings in the lead-up to the layoffs.

To address those emotions, don't keep information about the company's health to yourself. The rumors will fly and cause even more damage. Instead, speak openly about the company's financial state, whether there may be more layoffs (everyone is wondering) and what employees can do to help out. If you don't know whether more will lose their jobs, say so. Express empathy for employees feeling anxious about their uncertain futures. As a manager or company owner, keep your office door open and invite employees in at any time to discuss the situation, in addition to answering questions as openly as you can in staff meetings.

Striking a balance between acknowledging employees' feelings and getting back to business is key. Don't let employees dwell on the past. Let them know that you're doing everything you can to keep the company afloat and avoid more losses. You will need to reassign some of the laid-off workers' duties; try to do so with an eye toward offering employees opportunities to expand their skills or add a more creative aspect to an otherwise dull job. And don't forget to offer the training needed to perform their new tasks. This will help take the sting out of what many feel is more work for the same pay.

Take any opportunity you can to reconnect the team. Ask remaining employees to offer solutions to process problems or ways in which the company can increase revenue. And if they make valuable suggestions, form teams of employees to implement the solutions. This tactic helps employees feel committed to the mission of keeping the company alive. Remaining employees need to feel connected to and engaged in the company or they will surely be looking for other jobs.

Restore morale by recognizing good work frequently with incentives and bonuses. You may not be able to give out money, but you can offer employees a day off, small tokens such as movie tickets or a nice restaurant meal for two, or even just a public acknowledgment of "Great job!" Without being too chipper, point out the ways in which the company and its employees are emerging from the slump.

The truth is, in many organizations, morale will suffer and productivity will decrease after a layoff. Your job is to minimize the emotional damage and the time it takes to get back to work. If you're honest, transparent and communicative, your employees will get back to business quickly.

Source: Emily Esterson is a contract writer, editor and publisher specializing in small-business topics.