Everyone around me is completely stressed out. There’s constant talk about layoffs, with rumors ranging from somewhat plausible to completely absurd. I don’t know what to believe anymore. The lack of clear communication from leadership is only making things worse—speculation is running wild. It’s obvious that the company hasn’t been doing well for a while, and we all expect cuts. But can we please get some straightforward information to help stop the rumor mill from spiraling further?
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REMEMBER: you are only a target if you ask for acknowledgment or credit. You are SAFE; if you are QUIET. You may get away with pushing the needle a few times and get away with being a target if you LET THEM manipulate you. If you question the REACTION, then you are just ASKING FOR IT!
@cx+1jtv00tr9 file padding from four periods
Where there is smoke...there will be firing.
Like those abusive relationships that function because they get you to convince yourself that things will always be your fault. Oh I hit you? Well what did you do to make me do that? After a while they don’t need to ask anymore because you’ve internalized “yes, I caused that”, but instead now that they can’t hit you for that old reason because you’ve stopped that behavior completely, they have to find a new reason, then the cycle continues endlessly until the other person’s bored of it breaking up with you, in the analogy (layoff), performance review having scrupulous reasons attached.
…First time?
The people with the most transferrable skills jump ship first so they won't be the last rat trying to find an unoccupied piece of flotsam when the ship sinks.
These are usually the people the company needs to stay until the bitter end.
So, managers have to keep quiet.
Also, if people knew they were definitely going to get axed, there might be some sabotage and theft of IP (if such exists at Ford).
It’s kind of like punching someone and blaming them for why your fist hurts which leads to another punch. Justified hits through “review”.
Confuse them back: float like a butterfly. They want the reaction—don’t give it. Then sting like a bee when it counts. This is just a battle.
@a8+1jtv00tr9 your comment is akin to the film Idiocracy becoming real. Reducing someone’s future to a corrupt review system isn’t just lazy—it’s institutional betrayal. It’s like pushing someone down and then blaming them for falling.
Interesting username: ‘Add Value and you should be fine.’ Reminds me of incremental conditioning—small commitments, subtle suggestions, slowly nudging acceptance. Just like the Chinese brainwashing system for war prisoners. It didn’t rely on torture—it relied on small declarations. Slowly built compliance. That system worked frighteningly well.
Let’s stay aware of nudge theory and what’s happening beneath reassuring messages.
For what it's worth... People have and are being let go in most departments based on their reviews. This was previously announced by our leadership.
I heard layoffs are on Monday
@OP. Usually there is a lot of rumors around when something is cooking upstairs. It seems that managers are divided into two big groups: the ones pushing for local costs cut plus outsourcing, and the ones concerned with delivery deadlines. And they are fighting among themselves.
The only good thing about the slow response of Ford managers, is that every change takes months to assess and make a decision. So the C-suite is still trying to deal with Trump, the removal of BEV incentives, and tariffs. We may have more time before massive layoffs.
The bad thing about having one brain cell managers, is they don't understand much, and tend to delegate to the wrong people (BCG in this case). It seems BCG is doing their rounds, which means layoffs are coming.
Who will be laid off? I think that's where part of the fighting is. As we know, Ford is full of "little empires" warrying among themselves. Who knows who will win? However, ICE should be mostly fine, since it took the brunt of the last 2 layoffs. Model E is bleeding billions, and it should be stopped. So I am guessing most of the layoffs will focus on model E. The question is how deep are they going to cut.
When? No one knows. Ford decided to start using NDAs a couple of years back, so we'll know maybe a week earlier. No more knowing in advance for months or so. So the best to do is be ready for it, by working on your skills, resume and rainy funds.
If you cannot function properly because of the threat of layoffs, maybe is time to change companies. Mental health is really important, and it trickles down in the physical aspect as well. It is better to live long and happy, that dying young with a couple of bucks more.
According to a very reliable source, "it's coming...."