Respect and trust aren’t given because someone has a title. They’re earned through competence, honesty, and results. Right now, 3M is failing that test spectacularly.
Layoffs (“eliminations”) didn’t create lean, efficient teams — they created burned-out skeletons doing the work of three people with no relief in sight. The remaining employees are exhausted, demoralized, and at a breaking point. Workloads exploded, deadlines got tighter, and “do more with less” became the permanent excuse.
Yet the same inept leadership that caused or mishandled these problems still expects loyalty, respect, and discretionary effort. Here’s the truth: you don’t get loyalty when people feel disposable. You don’t get trust when every town hall sounds like corporate gaslighting. And you sure as he-l don’t get respect when managers hide behind buzzwords while their teams drown.
Nothing good comes from this. Burnout isn’t a badge of honor — it’s a leadership failure. Overworked people eventually break, quit, or quietly disengage. The ones who stay out of desperation won’t give you their best; they’ll give you the bare minimum to survive.
If leadership wants real change, stop demanding respect you haven’t earned and start earning it. Fix the workloads. Be transparent about the plan. Cut the bull and actually support the people still carrying the company. Otherwise, don’t be surprised when the best talent walks and the rest check out.
Trust is earned. Right now, it’s being burned faster than your employees can recover. The clock is ticking.