The premise behind most layoffs is straightforward. Cutting people reduces payroll, payroll is a major expense, and therefore cutting people improves the financial position of the company. On a spreadsheet, in the quarter the decision is made, this logic holds. The difficulty is that the spreadsheet captures only the most visible costs and none of the ones that arrive later.

We are in a constant state of reactivity over proactivity and the trouble is, we may be moving so fast that we pass up opportunities, moments of growth, and the ability to accomplish a lot more by fully stopping.

As organizations continue to drive deeper toward digital transformation in the hopes of solving various challenges, the scope becomes narrower, limiting the capacity for a holistic approach to culture.