How do I deal with redundancy?

In these troubled times of cost reduction, squeezed profit margins, lack of long term strategy and focus. Not to mention corporate human error, poor judgement and general lack of integrity. Jobs can go. The question is what do you do when you are asked to leave?

After a company has looked at all exhaustive measures then asks someone to leave. This could be a pretty traumatic experience. Let’s think of a common example. You receive an email for an urgent appointment with HR. The Director of HR argues that due to cost cutting measures they would like you to leave with immediate effect. ‘Our people will ensure that you receive a good pay off.’ ‘Thank you for your good work.’ ‘We will ensure you get good references.’ ‘We are sorry, Harry, but the decision came from the top, don’t take it personally.’ These might be common answers. You argue, you reason and battle but to no avail.

You then walk back to your desk; the company security officer is standing next to you. You take your personal belongings. There is no time to down load anything personal from your computer, contact emails, private letters that you have accumulated over the years. You hand in your company mobile, laptop etc. All company access and computer codes are blocked with immediate effect. You might have a chance to shake hands with a few good colleagues who have become friends over the years. He or she then walks you out of the door. You are out on the street. And that’s it.

What happens next? Well, you may become disorientated, try to reason and rationalise in your mind. Why me? You hardly understand anything. You go to the pub and might have a few. You may panic or become depressed. You may fight it. It hardly sinks in. You don’t know how to tell your friends or persons close to you and your pride and ego may have been severely damaged. It could be a huge relief as you were not happy in any case. I just don’t know. Again this would be a case by case situation. Each case is different as each person is different.

My advice here is that I believe that everything in life happens for a reason. In most cases a few years later, you will look back, and it was the best thing that had ever happened. I say this because over time, you would have got your act together and got over it. Human beings are generally resilient and certainly adaptable. My guess is that you would have sat down and really put some time in yourself to really understand your own ability, talents and added value. Possibly ask ourselves not what I can get out of life but more along the lines on how I can contribute. Something you had failed to do when you were working for your ex-employer.  Life can be full of pleasant surprises.

Nevertheless, if your new situation continues to trouble you in that you still find yourself unsettled; Time MCG can guide you out of it and into your future. Time MCG will give you time to understand your capability whereby rediscovering and tapping into your hidden talents. Think out of the box and re-discover yourself. To re-instil your inner belief and courage whereby offering you the right career counselling on a new path or even change. Out there, there could be many opportunities for you that you were totally unaware of regardless of this tight market. In the end it is not all a ‘dog eat dog’ world or a world full of takers.

‘You have not done enough; you have never done enough so long as it is still possible that you have something of value to contribute’
Dag Hammarskjold.  Nobel Peace Prize winner 1961

Let us wake up this career of yours!!