A Minor Instruction for the Workplace

They call it many things: restructuring, succession planning, a new direction, expansion, diversification, a promotion, a sideways move, a special project, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. But it's never called betrayal, because you never had their loyalty.

They won’t warn you. You won’t have a chance to change anything.

The decision is already made.

Meetings start happening without you. Your inbox slows. The phone pings less than it used to. The energy cools. They stop including. Stop inviting. Stop consulting. All while smiling and offering shallow excuses. They might even seek your opinion about bringing someone new into the team for a better distribution of work or to broaden the scope of work, but it's not because your opinion is valued, it’s just to gauge your resistance. Your role and your voice all the while shrinking like the fading music at a ballroom’s edge.

Then it happens.

A new voice in the room.

Someone fresher.

Hungrier.

Less experienced.

More pliable.

Someone you might have trained.

These series of events confirm you’re being cancelled from your job. A slow, cruel push towards the exit.

You may have watched it unfold before, without knowing what you were seeing. But now, you understand. It’s being performed with chilling grace and precision in workplaces around the world. The names change. The titles are different. But the steps remain the same.

My advice?

Exit as soon as you can. There’s nothing to be salvaged here. Nothing gained by staying.

When you say you’re leaving or are gently offered the option to leave and accept, they won't feign surprise. They won't flinch.

They’ll say all the right things though, they always do, “We’re so grateful. You’ve made a lasting impact. Please stay in touch.”

And they’ll mean it, in the way people might thank a ladder before putting it away.

So if you’re still in that phase where loyalty in the workplace feels noble, consider this:

You’re not their friend.

They don't see a place for you in their future.

You're a resource, a polite placeholder until someone more relevant arrives.

When the time comes for you to announce your departure, frame it with purpose. Say something like, “The time has come for me to pursue [insert your next venture here, real or fictional]". Present it as a pivot, not an exit. You’re not leaving. You’re launching into a new chapter. Art. Study. Moving away. Industry change. Retirement. Travel. Whatever sounds better than the alternative ...staying.

Best not to mention the obvious, that you’ve been bullied, lied to, and quite possibly tricked into accelerating your own demise. But if you decide to confront them, be very clear on what your goal is.

The world is ruthless.

Don’t let your worth be defined by people too busy covering their own cracks. They project their insecurities. And when you get too close to seeing them clearly, they get uneasy.

It’s disappointing, but not unexpected.

Hold your narrative. Shape your story. Move forward with intent.

Don’t burn the bridge. It won’t help. It’ll just make you look like they were right, “[insert your name here] was the problem all along.” Let the bridge stand, hollow and ornamental, a monument to their indifference.

So when the moment comes (and it will), say the words they expect. Smile. Leave with your spine intact.

And yes, it will happen again, when you least expect it. And it will always catch you by surprise. Stay vigilant.

Yours in disappointment,

D. Gray 🐾