Lessons: What to do when you get “layered” at work

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3:09There's an experience that a lot of people go through at work. You start as an individual contributor. Then as your company grows, you get to hire and run a team. You're in the biggest job you've ever been in, and you're slightly overwhelmed all the time. Then one day, your manager sits you down and says, I think we need to bring in someone who has more experience to run this area. I want you to stay and work for them. That's called layering. When your manager decides to bring in a boss for you or split your job in half. It happens to a lot of people, but somehow we don't talk about it very much.

3:49And the thing about layering is that it sucks, honestly, for everyone involved. And it can go really wrong and be really messy if it's not handled thoughtfully. Recently, you met my friend Don Fall. Don was most recently the CEO of CrossFit, formerly the CEO of Athos, a wearable startup. And before that, he was the head of operations at Pinterest. And before that, where I met him, he led all of operations for Facebook's users and developers. The thing is, early in Don's time at Facebook, he was layered. Sheryl Sandberg, the COO at the time, decided to split his job in two. He did not take it well initially.

4:32I was honestly devastated. I was like, this isn't good. This is clearly a step back. I have clearly failed. I remember Cheryl saying to me at the time, Don, you will be better. You will be better by virtue of this. You will be better at your job. You will find that this gives you the ability to focus. And honestly, at the time, I was like, that is all BS. That's what you say to the person whose job, like, stop. So here's the thing. Even if layering is painful and unsettling, it is often a necessary and normal part of a company's growth. But learning how to navigate it well, that's really hard.

5:11And it's what this episode is all about. I'm Molly Graham, and this is Work Life, a show where we untangle the messy human side of work. Layering happens for a bunch of reasons. Sometimes the business is growing so fast that it needs a leader who has seen this phase of growth before. Some people are strong individual contributors, but weak managers, and they should return to their previous roles for the sake of everyone's sanity. Sometimes the function has simply gotten too big for one person to run. In Don's case, he was running all of operations at Facebook for multiple departments, plus sales, plus the delicate work of risk and fraud.

5:59Cheryl would personally tell you that Don was the highest performing manager in the company, and his job was too big for him to do well, especially at a time when Facebook was scaling really quickly. So one day, Cheryl called Don into her office. And at the time, Facebook is growing and scaling at an enormous rate. So, you know, going from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of users in hundreds of countries. The team has grown from 40, 50 to, I don't know, six, 700 at this point. The scope of my role grew. So, you know, it grew to a point where, you know, managing this large global team, as far as I know, things are going great.

6:42And Cheryl, you know, I've met weekly one-on-one. And, you know, in one of those one-on-ones, she tells me, you're doing a great job and I'm going to split your role and I'm hiring someone else. And it's come again. Those two parts of the sentence don't seem to line up. I was honestly devastated. I was like, I, this isn't good. And even though he was really upset, as Cheryl continued to explain her decision, Don began to see the logic behind it. She had said, Hey, look like the, you are doing a great job, but the company is growing faster than your ability to scale. And that's no slight against you.

7:20Um, we will be better. Um, and you will be better, um, from us hiring someone to take on the advertising piece. and you know if you would ask me at the time like across that team how are things going I would have probably said like look not perfect obviously but like you know eight out of ten like we're doing really well team's doing great fast forward a year or two looking back we were at like a three or a four and what what Cheryl said was a hundred percent right like she hired in someone great, you know, fortunate for me. He and I, I learned a ton from him. We were amazing partners. And I found out that the time that I now had to focus on those teams that I led allowed me to grow, allowed me to be that much better.

8:09And probably in the long run was the best thing for my personal career and very clearly the best thing for Facebook. Looking back on it now, Don would tell you that it was both the worst part of his career and he's grateful it happened. I would say to Cheryl now, like, you were right. And thank you for that. And it was hard for me, but I appreciate the care. And that circumstance, even though it was hard, you used it as an opportunity to show that you cared about me and you cared about my career. And if you can pull that off as a leader, like that is, that's really powerful stuff.

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12:20Okay, so to start, I want to talk about how to respond and handle this if it does happen to you. And then we'll talk about how to handle this well if you are on the company side and have to layer someone. I have friends like Don who have been layered, stuck it out, and built long, successful careers in the same company. And I have also seen dumpster fires that spiral into rage quitting. It really comes down to how it is handled. Here's Don's version of what he wishes he knew when it happened to him. Just knowing that someone else has gone through something like that. And again, having that perspective, it normalizes it.

13:04It helps you like, it just makes it so much easier for folks. And, you know, and then I'll, I'll try to share with them, like, look, I can't guarantee this is good for you, but here's how it ended up good for me. And then often I'll just say, look, you have a couple of choices. like you're a fork in the road in your career and i'll tell you i felt sorry for myself didn't help me you can choose to feel sorry for yourself that will not help you um give yourself the space to work through the emotion and then you have a decision to make and look i know you didn't choose this but you can choose how you want to respond now you can make the best of it you can do everything in your power to make this a positive step forward in your career, or you can leave.

13:51But don't do it initially. Don't do it out of emotion. Like be thoughtful about that decision and recognize this happens to, this is not explicitly a step back. This happens to so many people. And I would say like, that's the biggest mistake that people make is they make an emotional decision in the moment that leads to actually a bad outcome for themselves. And it can be a real opportunity for growth if you think about it the right way. Just to break it apart, here are some things to consider if this happens to you. One, this happens to almost everyone you admire. You are not alone. Two, layering is not a demotion, even if it feels that way.

14:43Layering can feel like a demotion because something visible is changing. Scope, status, autonomy, reporting lines. It's reasonable if your ego needs a good scream or a good cry. But if this is a true layering situation, it is not a statement that you're underperforming. It's a statement that the company has grown rapidly and your role has grown with it. sometimes faster than anyone could realistically keep up with. In other words, the job got bigger. You didn't suddenly get worse. In the moment, it can feel like your opportunities just got limited, like your pathways got cut off, or like there's no room for growth.

15:28But if the company is growing, then the growth will show up. As Don said, he thought his team was doing great at the time. But within 12 months, he realized just how far behind he had been and how much opportunity came from getting to focus on a more narrow area. When it first happens, all you can see is what's taken away. So if you choose to stay and commit, you need to give yourself a little time to realize that every single job, including yours, will pretty rapidly be two or three or sometimes 10 times bigger than it is today. Three, don't let your ego be the only decision maker. Don said this really well, but this is a moment when the ego gets very loud.

16:22Titles, reporting lines, and optics can start to feel like the whole story. But just as Don said, your ego is not the best part of you to make long-term career decisions. The questions that matter more are things like, am I learning? Do I think I might be able to learn from the person coming in? Does this new shape of the role still excite me or could it once the initial emotion settles? Is my work here actually done or is there more for me to do? Those answers will matter far more for your long-term trajectory than anything your ego is reacting to. And you know what? your story is just getting started.

17:07As Don said, yes, it initially felt like a demotion to him, but he went on to have an incredible five-year journey at that company. And he's gone on to have such an interesting career that at this point, basically no one remembers that all of this happened except him and me. And well, now all of you. But the point is that what feels like a car crash in the moment often turns out to just be a speed bump in hindsight. Not always, but often. The fourth thing I want you to hear is consider giving it a real let's see how this goes window. When they explain the change and offer you a new role, if the answer isn't immediately and clearly this is not for me, I am a big fan of giving it a real trial period, usually three to six months.

18:02That window gives you the time to experience what the new working relationship actually feels like and see whether the role creates new learning and energy or just resentment and boredom. You are not obligated to stay forever, but leaving in that first emotional moment often leads to decisions that you'll later wish you'd taken more slowly. Five, focus on the long-term story you're building, not the title math. Assuming the company continues to grow and has an interesting story, most future employers won't care about the exact title you held during this chapter. They will care about what you saw at scale, what you built, what you learned, and the complexity that you operated in.

18:52You can explain a layered role. Many people have. The truth is that you're the person who decides what story you tell after you leave. You can edit what LinkedIn says to do the best job reflecting what your actual trajectory at the company was. You can make it all make sense later. Don't sacrifice a good opportunity because you're worried about what other people will think. And lastly, if you do decide to leave, leave intentionally. Sometimes layering makes it clear that this isn't the right place or phase for you anymore. And that is okay. If they treat you poorly in this process or show you that they really don't care about you, leaving might be the right answer.

19:39But if you do leave, try to do it from a grounded place rather than a reactive one. You have spent time building relationships and a reputation at this company. This moment will not define your career unless you behave in a way that damages your credibility. So find a way to move forward with grace and know that this is just one chapter in your story. Someday, you'll be the one giving someone else advice on how to handle being layered.

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23:34Okay, now let's look at this from the company side, because this is where the difference happens between layering going right versus going to absolute shit. If you're a leader in a company that is growing and changing quickly, I'm talking to you. The first thing to keep in mind is that layering itself is not a failure of leadership. There is nothing wrong with layering, and again, it is basically inevitable at a healthy growing company. If you're scaling quickly, layering is just one of the core muscles you have to build. And it is possible to do it well in a way that builds trust, retention, and helps the story people tell themselves about working at your company.

24:18In Don's case, I think how Cheryl handled the whole situation and the care she showed him made a massive difference to his willingness to give it a chance. Here's how he described what happened. One, like if you're a manager and you have someone on your team going through this, understand this is going to be a big deal for them. And so make sure that you approach that with the requisite care that they deserve. And it's about the conversation and how you tee it up and how you support them and the things that you say. And they're going to be, they're going to question their importance. They're going to question their surety and security in their role.

24:58They're going to question whether they matter to you anymore. They're going to question all these things and you can't absolve all of them. But if you approach that conversation and the overall how you handle it the right way you can ease a lot of that for them and so that initial conversation is enormously important taking the time like Cheryl was insanely busy spending an hour with my leadership team was very costly but she made it a priority and because she knew how important it was to me and uh those things go a really long way thinking about, okay, in the weeks after this, how do I show this person that they can take, again, the things that are dang, how do I show they continue to be important?

25:47You know, if this person's concerned about their growth, do we have a plan together that we've talked about that I'm following through on? Are you checking in with that person? Like, how are they doing? Again, some people will roll. Some people are going to really struggle with it. If there are other folks in the organization who can help them with it, if there are opportunities you can give them, again, that show that signal that you're important to me, that you're front of mind. Are you thinking about those? These things, all of these things go such a long way. Honestly, at the end of the day, like show them you care about them, show them that they are still an important part of the organization.

26:19And if you can do those two things, most people get through it really well. So how you handle this with the person will make a huge difference, both to how they feel, but also how the people around them feel. There's a few key principles I've learned the hard way. The first is you need to get very clear on the actual problem before you layer someone. Usually when layering is coming up in conversation, it's pretty clear that something isn't working. Before you decide to layer someone, slow yourself down and review the situation. Get clear on where the real gaps are. Ask lots of questions, even the uncomfortable ones.

27:05Coach the current leader directly on those gaps so you and they are on the same page about what needs to change. At minimum, this coaching and exploration gives you a real chance to get on the same page as the current leader about the gaps you're seeing. I remember taking over operations at a company and quickly getting sucked into recruiting. So much of my time was getting dragged into hiring for one team or another. One of my rules is that your time is a compass. And when your time is being sucked down into something, it's usually a sign that either a leader is missing or the existing leader is struggling.

27:49In this case, it was both. So I was clear that we had a problem and a gap. So then I had to go talk to the existing leader and also help her see the gap. If you do this well, layering won't be a surprise. That doesn't mean it won't hurt, but it gives them time to acclimate. The next key principle is that you need to deliver the news with a concrete plan. You can absolutely influence whether someone wants to stay after being layered, and I see companies mess this up all the time. Cheryl did an amazing job with Dawn, but a lot of times companies and leaders screw this up. A particularly bad version recently happened to a different friend of mine.

28:36The basic message when he was layered was, we're hiring above you. What do you want to do? They literally asked him what he thought his job should be. It put all the emotional and strategic labor back on him, and it made him feel expendable and unimportant. This is so easy to avoid. Before you talk to someone, take the time to come up with four things. One, a clear explanation of the gaps you're seeing and why they led to layering. Two, a concrete new role that matters to the company and also aligns with their goals. Three, areas where you genuinely want their input on how to move forward and how to set the new leader up for success.

29:26And four, real incentives to stay. In other words, compensation, equity, and opportunities to learn. This kind of thoughtful, concrete plan makes people feel seen and cared about, even in a hard moment. And to be clear, this does not all need to happen in one conversation. You should give the person a chance to digest the change before you tell them every little thing that's in your head and all your plans. Thoughtful pacing here often leads to better outcomes. But look, ultimately, the most you can do is ask someone to give your plan a chance. The next principle is, even if you do everything right, the person you layer might still leave, and you should have a plan for that.

30:18Let's be clear. Deciding to layer someone is opening the door to them leaving. How you handle the conversations and the process makes that more or less likely. but the risk is real either way. Choosing to layer someone is choosing to solve a problem that's more important than retaining this specific person. You may want them to stay, but you have to be honest about the trade-off you're making. That means planning for the version where they leave, not just hoping that they don't. That plan doesn't have to be complicated. It just needs to answer one question. What will you do if this person quits?

30:59It might be as simple as having an interim or fractional leader ready or temporarily folding their org under another leader while you regroup. Planning doesn't mean you want someone to leave. It just means you're not scrambling if they do. One mistake I've seen repeatedly, and it honestly feels juvenile is leaders getting angry when they layer someone and that person quits. I saw this recently with a CEO who had repeatedly layered an operational leader in their organization, but then he got mad when the person found a COO role at a different company. I think it often happens because someone like the CEO still believes the opportunity at the company is great.

31:43And maybe it is from their perspective. But the person being layered may not experience it that way at all. Your job as a company leader isn't to assume that they'll see it the way you do. Your job is to clearly tell the story of why you believe staying is compelling, ask them to give it a real chance, and then be open to their reaction. Speaking of which, here's my last principle to keep in mind. And it should be pretty simple. Don't do this behind their back. You don't need to have every detail figured out before you talk to the person, but once you're confident that layering is a real possibility, honesty matters more than precision.

32:32You can talk to your board or your manager. You can cautiously explore outside options. But what you can't do is pretend like everything is fine with your current leader while quietly building a different future behind their back. That kind of behavior almost always blows up in your face. Nothing demoralizes someone faster or turns a situation that could have been constructive into an angry mess than feeling that leadership has been lying to you. If you're talking to external candidates before talking to the person currently in the role, be extremely careful. Once this starts to feel real, the conversation with your current leader needs to happen before they hear it through the grapevine or infer it from your behavior.

33:20Surprise here does not just hurt feelings. It destroys trust. And not just for the person being layered, because the whole company will be watching. So ultimately, here's the thing. Even if you're layering someone, they're probably a respected part of your organization. And the way you treat them will send a message to everyone else about what they can expect when they take risks, when they need support, and most importantly, how you treat people, how they can expect to be treated as things change. So to recap, get clear on the problem. Make a concrete plan, prepare for any reaction, and be honest every step of the way.

34:11That's it for this episode. Good luck out there. And reach out if you have any questions about this. Our email is worklifeatted.com. Talk to you all next week. Worklife is a production of Ted and Pushkin Industries. This episode was produced by Isaac Carter. Banban Chang is our story editor. Mixing by Hansdale Shi. Ted's executive producer is Daniela Balarezzo. Constanza Gallardo is the executive producer for Pushkin. Special thanks to Roxanne Hilash, Valentina Bohanini, Lainey Lott, Tansika Sungmanivong, and Ashley Murphy. If you like the show and want more, come join the discussion on my Substack Lessons.

34:56I'm Molly Graham. Thanks for listening.

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