One of the hardest things for a manager to accept is that a layoff meeting isn’t a discussion about whether someone keeps their job or even why it’s happening. The decision has already been made. The meeting is short and one-on-one. The news comes from the person’s closest manager, unless that manager is also being laid off. HR is in the room. The manager says a few clear sentences, then HR walks the person through the paperwork and next steps. Short doesn’t mean robotic.