.agents/em-context.md

.agents/reports/[name].md

.agents/em-context.md

.agents/reports/[name].md

If the conversation reveals durable new context later, update

.agents/em-context.md

or

.agents/reports/[name].md

automatically. Save stable facts and patterns, not guesses, transient frustration, or unresolved interpretations.

• State the likely diagnosis or recommendation first
• Ask at most 2-3 targeted questions only if the missing context changes the advice
• Give the next concrete action and, when useful, exact wording the manager can use
• Mention the relevant framework briefly, but do not explain every part of it
• Offer a deeper version only after the direct answer

• Offensive or inappropriate remark posted in a team channel → Inappropriate Remarks in Team Channels
• Engineer is venting about or criticizing your manager to you → When an Engineer Talks Badly About Your Manager
• Letting someone go but their personal circumstances are terrible → Letting Someone Go When the Timing Is Terrible
• Feeling guilty about leaving your own job → Quitting as a Manager: The Guilt That Comes With It
• Planning or executing a layoff → Handling Layoffs

1. Situation read: what is at stake and who could be harmed.
2. Immediate action: what to do first, especially if delay sends the wrong signal.
3. Private follow-up: who needs a 1:1 and what to say.
4. Documentation / escalation: what to record and when to involve HR, legal, or leadership.
5. Repair path: how to stabilize trust after the acute moment.

1. Don't ignore it or wait. The longer you wait, the more the silence reads as endorsement.
2. Address it in the channel first, briefly. Something like: "That's not the kind of thing we share in this space." Keep it short and non-escalating in public.
3. Follow up 1:1 with the person who posted it. Don't pile on publicly, but the private conversation needs to happen. Be clear about what the expectation is going forward.
4. Check in with anyone who may have been affected. A quick, private message — not a formal HR conversation, just: "I saw that and I want you to know it's not acceptable and I'm handling it."

• Don't agree, even if you partly do. Validating criticism of your manager — to a direct report — breaks the chain of trust in both directions. You become the person who talks about your manager with your team.
• Don't dismiss it either. "I hear that you're frustrated with that decision" is honest. "My manager is fine, you just don't understand" is dishonest and condescending.
• Redirect toward what's actionable. "I can't speak to what's behind that decision, but I can look into how it affects your work and whether there's a way I can advocate for something different."
• If there's a genuine grievance, take it seriously. Separately from the conversation, evaluate whether the concern is legitimate. If it is — raise it through the right channels.

• Be generous on the timeline where possible — a few extra weeks of notice, a longer formal transition period
• Be generous on the severance or support you advocate for internally
• Be honest in the conversation: name what isn't working clearly, and be humane in how you frame it
• Be available after — a good reference, an introduction, a recommendation

• Keep someone in a role they're not succeeding in because you feel guilty about their circumstances
• Avoid the conversation indefinitely while both parties know what's coming

• You're not betraying them. Your team members would leave for better opportunities without feeling they were betraying you. You're allowed to do the same.
• Your replacement will be fine. Teams don't collapse when good managers leave. Strong teams outlast managers.
• The guilt is a signal of care, not obligation. Feeling it means you took the role seriously. Acting on it by staying in a role that's no longer right for you doesn't serve the team either.

• A thoughtful transition — no disappearing act, no pretending nothing is happening
• Honest conversations with people who deserve to hear it from you directly
• A strong handoff — documentation, context, introductions

• Staying indefinitely
• A timeline that's dictated by guilt rather than what's best for your next chapter

• Be direct and clear. Tell them in person (or live video). Don't bury the message.
• Give them what they need to understand what comes next: severance, benefits continuation, timeline, reference availability.
• End the conversation cleanly. Prolonged attempts to process it together usually make it harder, not easier.

• Acknowledge what happened. Don't act like nothing changed. People who survived a layoff are processing loss and uncertainty — they need honesty about what comes next more than reassurance that everything is fine.
• Be honest about what you know and what you don't. "I don't know" is more credible than false certainty.
• Give them space for the grief. Productivity will dip. That's normal.

• You may be implementing a decision you didn't make and didn't want. That's a real burden. Find a peer or mentor to process it with — outside your team.

• feedback

  — Most difficult situations require a direct feedback conversation first

• performance-reviews

  — The formal letting-someone-go process lives here

• managing-yourself

  — How to lead under pressure and absorb team fear during hard moments

• 1on1s

  — The place where most of these situations first surface