777: How to Help Employees Handle Tough Moments, with Anthony Klotz

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Apr 6, 2026

Anthony Klotz, organizational psychologist and UCL management professor known for researching quitting and author of Jolted. He defines “jolts” that make people rethink work. He explains how managers can predict and shape reactions, why clear explanations and perceived fairness matter, and how partnerships help people process big career shocks.

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INSIGHT

Jolts Cause Narrow Focus On One Problem

People overweight the single element that caused a jolt and neglect a holistic view of job satisfaction.
That narrow focus can lead to misguided decisions about quitting or changing careers instead of targeted fixes.

INSIGHT

Manager Influence Determines Jolt Outcome

Managers can buffer or amplify jolt effects because they can change tasks, schedules, or small work conditions.
Open communication lets managers make small adjustments that prevent jolts from becoming career crises.

INSIGHT

Leaders Often See Jolts Coming

Leaders often know organizational changes before employees and can predict who will be jolted.
That foresight allows targeted mitigation for high-value or vulnerable employees before rollout.

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Anthony Klotz: Jolted

Anthony Klotz is an organizational psychologist and Professor of Management at the UCL School of Management. He is the person who both predicted and coined the term “The Great Resignation,” and his groundbreaking research on quitting, work design, and employee performance has made him a leading voice on the future of work. He is the author of Jolted: Why We Quit, When to Stay, and Why It Matters (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

Most of us have attempted to support an employee dealing with a tough career moment. Not all the time, but certainly sometimes, we see those moments coming. When an employee is dealing with a big jolt – or about to – this conversation with Anthony will show you how to help.

Key Points

Jolts have an outsized influence on people’s overall relationship with their work.
Managers play a deciding role in how people respond to jolts and are in the best position to insulate the negative effects and amplify the positive effects.
Managers can often anticipate and predict jolts to employees. The plans leaders have often become the jolts that others experience.
If people can make sense of a jolting event, they are better able to deal with it constructively.
The perception of how fair an event is and how fair the process was leading up to the event massively impacts how people perceive it.
A clear explanation of why change is happening and what it means can substantially minimize the negative effects of career jolts.
The tendency for organizations to delay bad news often is counterproductive to helping managers and employees navigate jolts.
Partnership with others (managers, friends, family members) helps most of us better process what we might otherwise attempt to do alone.

Resources Mentioned

Jolted: Why We Quit, When to Stay, and Why It Matters (Amazon, Bookshop)* by Anthony Klotz

Interview Notes

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Related Episodes

Engaging People Through Change, with Cassandra Worthy (episode 571)
How to Quit Bad Stuff Faster, with Annie Duke (episode 607)
Stop Solving Your Team’s Problems, with Elizabeth Lotardo (episode 764)

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