I was reading a very interesting article in the harvard business press on how to get fired with dignity – or as they say in America get your pink slip. (I guess that is our equivalent of a P45) http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/kanter/2009/05/how-to-get-fired-with-dignity.html?cm_mmc=npv-_-WEEKLY_HOTLIST-_-MAY_2009-_-HOTLIST0519
I’m an avid apprentice fan – and normally the fired candidate does come across very well in the ‘you’ve been fired programme’. In fact, Ben even seemed human rather than the pompous guy who didn’t actually go to Sandhurst. Here is one ‘fired’ person who is able to retain his dignity.
Reading through the harvard business blog, it prompted some thoughts of how you can retain your dignity & pick yourself up after hearing that you are ‘at risk’ (HR speak for “1 foot already out of the door)
1. Get some control back
Unless you have been made redundant, it is difficult to explain that feeling when you are told the news that you are likely not to have a job. As well as feeling a mixture of shocked, hurt, upset – you are grasping for control over your worklife. I once heard from one soon-to-be-made redundant person that he had started to have 2 tea bags in his tea, as it was his way of ‘getting back at his employer’ and having control over his personal situation.
Whilst I am not advocating petty behaviour on your behalf, do take steps to regain control over your work situation. The sooner you can do this, the sooner you can start to take positive steps to get your working life back on track.
2. Review the reality of your finances
A very common first reaction to hearing the news of impending unemployment is a fear over how will I pay the bills? In fact, even those who actively want to be made redundant still experience this fear. Therefore, take a long hard look at your finances and work out how long, with belt tightening, you can live on your savings & redundancy money before you need to get a job – and what is the minimum salary you can accept. You may find that this is longer than your first initial gut reaction
3. Avoid the desire to hit back at your employers
However much you want to hit back at your employers, it only gives temporary satisfaction and often prolongs the time before you can move on. I do encourage you to take prelimary legal advice. However, unless you have a strong case against your former employers (and you are happy to risk losing all good will from your former employer) then don’t take your employer to tribunal.
People have long memories, and you never know when you may need to call upon the help of people from your soon-to-be former firm. Or who from your previous firm may be instrumental in getting your next position
4. Find personal space & quality thinking time
Envitably when an ‘opportunity’ is thrust upon you, it does cause you to evaluate more than just your work life. Unless you give yourself the opportunity to find this space, then you will end up with your mind still in a whirl and losing valuable time to get yourself back up and running.
A good career coach, such as one from The Efficiency Coach, can help you achieve
* clarity of thought,
* enable you to focus on what really matters and then,
* support you to design & execute a plan to get you well on your way to your next career goal.
5. Set yourself specific goals for your job hunting
Here at The Efficiency Coach, we know that you start to become successful the moment you start to move towards articulated, specific goals. This also holds when you are job hunting and rebuilding your life after redundancy.
6. Very cliched, but treat redundancy as an opportunity
I know you really don’t feel it now, but most people do create a better existence for themselves after they have been made redundant. I’m afraid that if you have been recently made redundant, you are going to have to trust me on this one!
I’ve personally been made redundant twice – so know what it’s like to be made redundant. If you would like a conversation about your personal situation, (& talking genuinely helps to start the healing process), give us a call, + 44 (0) 1234 48 0123 - you never know what it could lead to.
Or you may like to look at our website http://www.theefficiencycoach.co.uk/Personal_Efficiency.php to see how we help people like you get their career back on track.
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- 8 things you must consider if you are leaving an organisation as a result of redundancy or compromise agreement The Efficiency Coach advises on the issues you need to consider when leaving an organisation as a result of redundancy...
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4 Comments
The majority of people who get made redundant find it’s a great opportunity. They may not have made the jump if they hadn’t been pushed. It can be hard to come to terms with at first – going through the inevitable shock and adjustment but there is life after being dumped.
One of my money building tips is to have enough money saved that you can survive for a minimum of three months should the worst happens. Ensures all your bills and basic living requirements can be met if you find yourself out of work through either being fired, made redundant or illness.
Thanks Clare for your great comments. As someone who a year ago today set up her own company as a result of redundancy, it was the opportunity and push I needed to follow my dream of running my own business. No-one, apart from myself, can make me redundant any more.
I agree with you, you do need to have savings put by of about 3+ months. My advice to anyone setting up their company, is to plan to live off savings for at least 6 months, as it probably will take that amount of time to replace your monthly wage cheque with business profits.
My best tip? Go and have a coffee with your 100 best contacts, don’t talk bitterness, just ask them how they are going and describe what work you might enjoy doing ‘eventually’. Then let those 100 talk to their contacts, and you will be surprised where your next job might come from. At 4 coffees per day, you are looking at 3.5 weeks. Robert
That’s a great tip Robert. I’m continually amazed by how many people instantly think about going to a recruitment consultant when they want a new job.