LAYOFFS: PREPARING FOR THE UNKNOWN

Volume #23 - October 2001

The world has turned upside down in a short amount of time. We are beginning to understand in a deeper way how intricate our network of connections and relationships are - every event has multiple impacts. Four airplanes tragically crash, and the airline industry and the economy, which had both been in trouble, go into a nose dive. When big things happen, when large companies are destabilized, it's the small individual units in the system - the people - who take the first and often the hardest blow.

Thousands of people are losing their jobs. They are often surprised with the swiftness and force of the punch. Knocked down, kicked out, and feeling bewildered, they are not sure how to find their footing.

Those left behind suffer too. The number of people might diminish, but the workload doesn't. Their emotions range from gratitude for still having a job to resentment for overwork to anger at the organization for not having better foresight or for not finding better ways to cut costs.

Recently, I was coaching someone whose merged company had just announced a round of layoffs. Although people should have been expecting the loss of jobs due to redundancies they were nevertheless caught off guard. My client thought that his department would be spared because he considered everyone invaluable. He even thought that perhaps he could demonstrate how irreplaceable his team was. He ended up losing three times as many people as he thought he would. In the eyes of organizations everyone is expendable.

However, there are some things that you can do to empower yourself in situations that seem to rob you of control.

Make sure your roles and responsibilities are clearly understood by decision makers. Make sure they understand the value of your contribution to the business and the bottom line. If the people don't know what you do, they can't appreciate your contribution and value, and you'll be one of the first to go.

Distinguish yourself. If there are several of you doing the same kind of job become the expert in some area that is necessary for the success of the department or the organization. Again, make sure that the people recognize your expertise.

Have the attitude. In times of stress and change, senior management is going to want to keep those people who have "can-do" attitudes. They want people who can rally the troops and who can inspire and motivate the remainder of the employees. If they're trying to choose between two people with fairly similar levels of competence, they're much more likely to pick the person with a smile on her face.

Be on top of what's going on in the environment, both internally and externally, and create strategies to save yourself. One of the executives in my book Success on Our Own Terms was a mid-level manager in the Defense Systems Group at Texas Instruments in the early '90s when the group was losing business. She saw the writing on the wall and before the business unit was sold, she successfully repositioned herself by assertively introducing herself and her skills to vice presidents and senior managers in other divisions of the company. Periodically conduct informational interviews to get your name in front of people and to learn about opportunities in other parts of your organization.

Never stop networking inside AND outside your organization. You need good contacts and connections to people with power inside your organization, but you also need a strong external network. Often, people who work in larger companies get so involved building connections inside that when disaster hits they discover they have no external network to turn to. Join professional and trade associations so that you get to develop a wide web of connections. Make networking a daily part of your career building strategy.

Be prepared. The economy is not in good shape and the world is operating on shaky ground. Things are going to get worse before they get better. Have a couple of versions of your resume ready that reflect your ability to apply for different kinds of jobs. Know your skills and strengths and know how to talk about your ability to transfer those skills into a number or arenas.

Act wisely. Make sure you have emergency funds (preferably six months of living expenses) stashed away just in case you need them. Knowing you have a cushion reduces worry and stress and gives you more energy to handle the present.

Whether you are let go or are one of the survivors, don't burn any bridges. You might be furious about the turn of events but don't let your feelings get in your way. Maintain a professional demeanor and nurture your relationships. Your web of connections is your best safety net.

COACHING QUESTIONS

1. What's happening in your industry?
2. What's going on in your organization?
3. What are your skills and competencies? How can you leverage them?
4. How well positioned are you in your company? Who knows about your skills and competencies?
5. What do you need to do to enhance your value?
6. What does your network look like? What relationships do you need to develop?
7. What does your resume look like? What do you need to do to get it in shape?

Copy © 2001 Virginia O'Brien All s Reserved

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