How to land on your feet when your company downsizes and you’re forced to exit.
“Layoffs attributed to business demand factors (especially slack work or insufficient demand) accounted for more than 500,000 worker separations, the highest annual level on record.” Those are the statistics and stats aren’t people. The numbers don’t communicate how people feel and what they do to handle this “separation”. How do people rebound from being fired when the company they used to work for downsizes them out of the door? For most of my professional career, I’ve been an entrepreneur so I operate in a perpetual state of uncertainty. What is going on today for many is “the same old same old” for me - generating revenue through my own resources with only a limited sense of control.
Recently I spoke to a woman who was one of those separatees. We spent a long time talking about how she landed on her feet. Her name is Linda Michaels and she is the new Managing Director of eWomen Network of Phoenix, AZ an international women’s networking organization. Linda is vivacious and visionary two of my favorite attributes. She also has great professional skills, another fav. Though she wouldn’t tell me the name of the organization that released her, she said that as their regional HR director she was responsible for over 4,000 people – the hiring, firing (ironic), benefits, compensation, training and other generalist areas. On a personal note, she’s an avid bowler and dancer, hails from Sheffield Lake, OH (Cleveland), and is in a serious relationship.
I’ve coached and trained many people in finding their passion and power in the midst of upset. Here are the tips she and I discussed about how to transition from being a laid-off separatee to someone gainfully employed in an occupation that fits their passion and purpose:
- Take time to grieve. It is a loss that you will likely remember forever. Your identity is not your job.
- Don’t panic! Even though you are in upset, do what you can to keep grounded. Remember in this crazy time of ours you have a lot of company.
- Reassess your skills, what you are passionate about, and your marketability. If it isn’t a yearly thing that you do (and I highly recommend this) get out the resume and go over it with an expert. You may be too emotionally attached to what was vs. what could be.
- Take action! There are many reasons for this. Sitting at home eating bon bons with not get you back on your feet. Go to the gym – do something to keep the body moving. Not only is physical activity fundamental to disease prevention but it lessens depression.
- Create your own happiness.
- Get out of your own way. Bust through your own box. It will be uncomfortable. Deal with it.
- Take risks. Be willing to not know how it will turn out. That’s what transformative leaders do.
- Be authentically willing to give and receive. In this know what will support others, as Linda Clemons said at Linda Michaels’s intensive MD training, “Listen so hard that you can hear what is not being said.”
- Be nice to others. People do business with people they like.
- Don’t be afraid to be a rookie.
- Network and socialize with people that inspire, empower, educate, and are great to be around.
- Never give up! You are much too precious and your contributions too important. You are the only you our world has.
In Linda’s case, number nine assisted her in getting the position. She attended an eWomen meeting as the guest of Rosemary Price the previous Managing Director. Some one sent glowing comments about her to the corporate representative, and she was immediately hired. Good choice for all. Linda wants to increase membership. She said “I want to involve and expose the members, to make them look good, because that’s how we all win!” Her next big eWomen event is Fearless Women Day featuring keynote speaker and trainer Dr. Joyce Mills author of Butterfly Wisdom and the Fearless Women book. Catherine Anaya, three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and anchor CBS 5 News will also be at the podium. That will be a big event with women and men who are all about number 11 on the list above. Number 12, well that’s what I speak about and want all people to get.
What else should be on this list? Let me know, I’d be happy to share what you have found works. JPMartin@TriadWest.com