There are 5 things you have to do dealing with a job layoff experience. As we enter into the 8th part of our series allow me to recap the whole thing.
Principle Number 1 is: to face the Emotional Costs – and get it over with!
Principle Number 2 is: to understand where you are in the 5 emotional stages in the process of mourning.
Principle Number 3 is: to get support from friends. To support each other too but to talk and focus only on positive things. To share experiences for the purpose of helping each other.
Today we’ll focus on the 4th and 5th principles which involve a great amount of attitude work.
Principle number 4 is to turn the experience into a growth opportunity.
When you’re ready emotionally and spiritually, you can now turn your experience into a growth opportunity. Assess the situation and be honest with yourself.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Did I inadvertently contribute to the situation?
- Was there anything I might have done differently?
- Did I learn anything that I can apply in my next job?
Deal with these. Forget the blame game. It won’t bring you anywhere.
This is the process of turning your experience into your growth opportunity. Bring out those business cards. Think of the people you know. Networking is always important.
But understand that every life experience is a learning lesson.
If you’re out of your job that does not make you a failure. What makes you fail is when you did not learn anything from your experience.
Understand this. There is neither disgrace nor shame to be laid off or to be out of job at a time like this. Only stupid people would look down at a jobless person during these difficult times.
As I face the group of people who are now jobless I said, “Hey guys, listen. You may see this whole experience as the loss of something precious or you may choose to look at it as a brand new start to do something else. Maybe you’ve always wanted to go into business, Maybe you’ve always put off that project you know you can do with your talent. You may want to look at this situation as a big vacation break – without pay of course – but a great time to reconsider priorities. Maybe it’s something as simple as spending a lot more time with the family. Giving time to the kids. Turn the experience into a growth experience. Downtime into Uptime.
The 5th principle and the last one in our series is this:
To do strategic thinking.
Strategic planning begins with strategic thinking, ask the following questions:
- What sets me apart?
- What (or where) is my comparative advantage?
Get a piece of paper. Divide it into 2 columns and list down your areas of strength and weaknesses.
This is the best time to look at yourself in the mirror and be honest with yourself.
When you were working, you probably did not bother, nor had taken the time to list down your true person. Sorting out the strengths from the weaknesses. You probably buried yourself to a lot of activities thinking you never needed any moment to do so.
But now you need to do it. This is part of strategic thinking and planning.
Good day sir! I have attended your recent lecture series in the University of Batangas just this morning and it’s such a pleasure and we were so privileged to hear such an inspiring lecture from such a wonderful person like you. I have listened on your inspirational stories from your past experiences and I can feel how you have touched my heart and personality in just a little time that you have shared us. We were so fortunate and I am so thankful that we’ve got a chance to listen to such an inspiring person like you. i hope that you can still share with us a lot of your good words for us to be inspired more in our everyday lives.
Hello sir, thanks for sincerely posting this topic. It means a lot to me right now because I was recently laid off and still in a recovery period while facing uncertainties. I still remember when the management “dropped the bomb” during my probationary period along with 12 of my batch mates (as in last-in, first-out basis) due to global recession. It was a great company that I’m looking for which made me decide to devote my full commitment since the day I was hired. Their decision does not only made my night turned worst but it ruined my long-term plans which somehow will serve as a big help to alleviate financially.
This was a biggest upset I’ve ever experienced as if I was dragged on the hot and dry desert for which I thought everything was ok, perform at my best and getting good reviews from my superior. I still went on performing my task diligently since having an emotional storm thinking that I want to leave positive remarks to my co-workers and to my superiors at the last day of my work, avoiding myself to “burn bridges”. Not only I lost the job, my sister had a thyroid surgery at the same time. My family was “indeed” in crisis, which prompted myself to turn on God to provide miracle for my sister’s life if it meant to lose my job. Through His grace, the operation was successful and completely out of danger of potential cancer which we offered gratitude to Him.
We’re still in a current predicament but still we strive to search opportunities with optimism and strong faith, thinking that this storm is only “TEMPORARY”