Layoff stories like that are all too common. Managers often take a clinical approach when breaking the bad news, fearing they'll get sued if they say the wrong thing, or end up facing angry -- even violent -- employees. But being too cautious can make a boss seem downright heartless.

    Executive coaches say small-business owners in particular could use a lesson or two in easing the pain, since they often don't have human-resources specialists to help them out and they may go for long stretches without firing anyone.

    Here's some expert advice on how bosses can best express their regret over layoffs and leave their former employees with dignity and self-respect -- and maybe a little less anger.

    1 Say the right things.

    A manager should sit down in a private area and clearly tell the employees one on one that they are being let go and why, says Karen Lucas, a Chicago executive coach. Bosses who rarely have laid off employees before should rehearse what they will say, and even bring notes into the meeting, so they don't say the wrong things or forget something important.

    The basics: Be direct in telling people the company can no longer employ them and explain in detail the financial hardship causing the need for layoffs. And even if performance issues factored into your decision, tell the employees it's not their fault -- it's yours -- and that you've tried to avoid layoffs as much as you could.

    People feel better if "you're giving them a sense that this was not an easy decision but this was a decision that needed to be made," says Ms. Lucas.

    At the same time, refrain from talking about other employees' situations, which could raise questions of fairness. And don't bring up problems with an employee's performance if you haven't discussed them before. Stick to the point: Explain the financial circumstances that caused the need for layoffs.

    You should also give the employee time to react. Some people will be angry, some will cry and some will do nothing at all. But give them time to process what's happening and to ask the questions they need to ask.

    Also realize that they may not take in everything you say at such a tough time. So, Ms. Lucas and others recommend presenting laid-off employees with written materials explaining the terms of their layoff, including any severance or other benefits they qualify for.

    One final thing to remember: It's good to show sympathy and regret for the situation, but don't pretend you know how they feel, warns Leila Bulling Towne, a San Francisco executive coach. "Fact is, you don't know how they feel, because you're not getting laid off," she says. "Saying that will just make them feel worse."

    2 Help them move on.

    You can soften employees' pain over the job loss by helping them find their next job, especially now with the economy so bad. Present a list of possible resources for the terminated employee, such as job-placement experts or contacts at other companies hiring in your industry. Assuming they are solid performers, offer to give them a good recommendation and perhaps even reach out to acquaintances who you think may be hiring.

    It's also important to consider timing. Some managers prefer to handle layoffs on Friday afternoons, assuming that it gives everybody a chance to decompress. But Ms. Lucas recommends handling layoffs on a Tuesday or Wednesday, so people can immediately do something about their job situation, such as contact a career counselor or a prospective employer. Otherwise, they may just spend the weekend ruminating over the bad news.

    3 Allow for transition.

    Fearing retribution, some companies have security escort newly laid-off employees immediately to the door -- perhaps allowing them a short detour to their desks to collect belongings.

    Not only is this a major insult to employees who have worked hard, but it kills the morale of the employees who witness it. Unless there's valid reason to believe employees will act out, give them some time -- even a few weeks -- to announce their departure to colleagues and plan their next move.

    Paul Silvis, founder of Restek Corp., a chromatography company, says he has laid off about 60 employees over the years. He usually allows someone who has been laid off to stay on for up to a couple of months to give the person time to find a new job. He also says he does all he can to coach them and help them find a new position.

    Of course, he must trust the individual employees enough to think they'll act appropriately. And they're asked to sign a contract with some ground rules, such as promising they won't steal competitive information.

    But Mr. Silvis says the employees feel less like they're being kicked out the door. "The primary thing we try to do is let them leave with their self-esteem," he says.

    Mark Eckley無法忘記那一天發生的事：他的100個同事被告知已被裁員，并在保安的監視下被送出公司大門。他們走后，他們的上司還說了幾句很不中聽的話。

    Eckley先生并沒有在十二年前的那一天被裁員，但當時的情景讓他十分憤怒和擔憂，促使他去別處找了新的工作。“我們整天看著窗外那些剛被裁員的人”，Eckley先生說。他是Bellefonte, Pa的一名客戶支持專家。“當時心里真的很不是滋味。”

    small biz　　用上述方式裁員的做法比比皆是，管理者往往會斬釘截鐵地宣布裁員的消息，生怕自己會因說錯話而遭到起訴，或是面臨來自雇員的憤怒和暴力。但這樣做卻會讓管理者看起來太沒有人情味了。

    以下列舉一些專家提出的建議，管理者可以用這種方法來表達對裁員的遺憾，并給被裁員工留下尊嚴和寬慰，至少不會太過生氣。

    1、說正確的話

    芝加哥的一名高管教練Karen Lucas提議，管理者應和員工在一個專門的場所進行談話，明確地告訴他將被裁員，以及他為什么會被裁員。管理者在進行談話前應該先準備一下到時候該怎么說，甚至可以記在筆記本上，這樣就不會說錯話或是遺漏些什么了。

    關鍵在于，要直截了當地告訴員工他將不再被公司聘用，并向他描述是公司的經濟狀況導致了裁員。雖然你在作決定時也考慮到了該員工的表現，但你只要告訴他這不是他的錯，而是公司的錯，只是你已經竭盡全力想要減少裁員了。

    Lucas女士說，當別人覺得裁員雖然是個困難的決定但卻是必須作的決定時，他們就會覺得舒服些。

    同時，要避免談及別的員工的情況，否則會讓員工質疑公平問題。不要主動談及員工的表現，要圍繞主題：是公司的經濟狀況導致了裁員。

    你還要讓員工有時間反應過來。有些人會非常生氣，大聲嚷嚷，也有些人會非常平靜，什么都不做。但你需要給他們時間反應過來，讓他們知道發生了什么，也好提些問題。

    一位舊金山的高管教練Leila Bulling Towne提醒道，還有一點要記住的是：要表現出同情和惋惜之情，不要假裝自己知道他們是怎么想的。“事實上，你并不知道他們的感受，因為你沒有被裁員。假裝自己知道他們的感受只會讓事情變糟。”

    2、幫助他們繼續生活

    通過幫助被裁員工找到新的工作，自然可以減少他們的痛苦，特別是當經濟那么不景氣的時候。為這些員工提供一份求職列表，可以從職業咨詢專家或聯系其他愿在該行業招募員工的公司獲得這份列表。如果被裁員工有出色的表現，可以為他們寫一封推薦信，或是委托熟人幫他們找到工作。

    時間也是需要著重考慮的因素。有些雇主喜歡在周五下午進行裁員，心想這樣可以讓他們有幾天的休息時間。但Lucas女士推薦在周二或周三進行裁員，這樣被裁員工可以立刻著手找新的工作，比如咨詢求職顧問或聯系潛在的雇主。否則他們只能用一個周末的時間來回味裁員的苦果。

    3、允許離職過渡期

    一些公司擔心會遭到報復，就讓保安護送被裁員工立刻離開公司。當然，這樣的公司還是會給員工一小會的時間整理自己的雜物再離開的。

    這種做法不僅對一個向來工作賣力的員工是一種莫大的侮辱，同時也會讓目睹這一切的在職員工心寒。除非有充足的理由證明員工會做些出格的事，還是應該給他們一些時間，甚至是幾個星期的時間，來由他們自己告訴同事離職的消息，并為下一步作好打算。

    Restek Corp.的創始人Paul Silvis說，他一年里裁員了60幾個員工，給了他們幾個月的時間來找新的工作。他為員工提供培訓，竭盡所能地幫助他們找到工作。

    當然，他必須相信每個員工會恪守本分，并和他們簽署一份協議，以保證他們不會泄露公司的機密。

    但是Silvis先生說這些員工根本不像是被裁員，“我們要做到的事讓他們離開得有尊嚴。”