Career experts shares his own positive tale of redundancy

Article From: CareerOne.com.au

By: Peter Tatham* December 04, 2008

We are entering a phase in the business cycle when layoffs and redundancies are once again more common, particularly in the finance and banking sector. It’s an unsettling time for employees, especially when someone else decides your departure date. It’s also unsettling for those who are likely to remain.

After 25 years as a careers counsellor and more than 7000 clients I have seen this cycle before and I know how to help clients deal with the transition from redundancy to next job. Almost always a client ends up in a far more satisfying role.

Sure, they go through a period of uncertainty but few have any regrets. Yet, it’s one thing to know the process for change and quite another to live through the emotional roller coaster that change brings.

After 14 years as Head of a university careers service, a recent restructure meant that my role would no longer exist. And at 52 that was both an exciting and scary prospect.

Exciting, because I am at an age where I have a great opportunity to focus on doing more interesting and challenging projects. And scary because leaving a secure role removes the illusion of a safety net.

What I had not expected was the extent to which my positive thinking could be overridden by negative self talk and tainted by false fears and unexpected levels of anxiety. After all, I know that these feelings are normal in these situations.

The mind raises endless “fright-flight” questions to do with competency and worthiness such as will I ever get another job? Are you good enough? What is happening is that leaving a job is a challenge to our identity.

In our society, the work we do, provides a perception of who we are and where we fit. It’s a shorthand descriptor that tells little about our real selves and interestingly this is borne out by our closest friends and family who don’t really mind what we do. In a kind of contest, my task has been to focus on my actions while managing my emotions. It’s a tough task but ultimately energising and after the storm comes a quiet calm.

What I have learnt is that to make successful transition requires support, action and time out. So here are my ten tips for a successful transition.

1. Develop a pitch that highlights you going forward looking for new challenges. Playing the victim is ultimately draining on everyone and can sap your confidence.

2. Develop a support network. Often colleagues don’t know how to deal with the departing. I established a group of five people to meet with me regularly and to act as support and provide a reality check.

3. Build in some time out to establish some actions to explore your future. Review your values, skills and interests. Seek out tools to give you glimpses of who you are and write it down. Try writing a letter to yourself.

4. Think of yourself as CEO of your own future, your own brand, and your own business. Identify a few possible future clients for what you have to offer. You may want to include an option involving community service. You can go further and get a card printed and establish a simple website. Update your CV and rework it to the future you, not the past you. Don’t censor yourself from applying for any opportunity that maybe of interest. Work out whether you want it when there is an actual offer on the table.

5. Ensure you have a record of contact emails and addresses for your existing network and begin contacting them to get a sense of the lay of the land and possible opportunities. Don’t, whatever you do, cut yourself off from others and check that your language is cup half full not empty.

6. Manage your well-being. Eat well and drink less. Establish an exercise program and stick to it for the duration of the transition. Include some yoga exercises to get rid of some of those hidden stress points and try meditation. See a doctor, counsellor, careers adviser, accountant and anyone else that could have input into your future. Negotiate for your organisation to pay for this advice, if possible.

7. Be kind and generous with your family and friends. They are your greatest support. Try and increase the level of social contact and make it fun. In my case my partner has been a wonderful support, and an interesting side benefit is that we have strengthened our relationship through this process.

8. Establish some specific goals for when you leave. Also consider establishing a list of leisure activities and interests to pursue when you have time.

9. Make it interesting and it will give you a story to tell others about how you are managing yourself. And it will assist you to engage with the people around you and stop them feeling sorry for you.

10. Get advice to negotiate your redundancy package. Try and maximise your entitlements. If you are negotiating be polite and respectful. If people help you, let them know and thank them. Finally, be kind to yourself.

Career transitions expert William Bridges described transitions as a time of fertile emptiness. There is rich new ground to be explored and to do so well is not easy but worth it. Peter Tatham heads Peter Tatham & Associates - peter@tatham.com.au