Received a tweet today from Bill Vick about a new blog posting at Employment Careers about surviving a downsize.
Been there, done that, survived it, arose anew from it.
And while we hope most HR suppliers can keep their heads (and butts) during these turbulent times, and keep their marketing machines revved, the nature of business is that it’s inevitable for some.
You can read the full post at Employment Careers, but here are the highlights:
Asset Inventory
The first thing that a business professional should do when a layoff looms is to conduct a quick but thorough inventory of assets. Like a business, an individual has a portfolio of financial and intellectual assets that requires regular maintenance. It’s these assets that provide the bridge from the here and now to the next professional situation.
Intelligence Analysis
Developing a good intelligence system that can separate fact from fiction is critical. The best way to vet an intelligence source is to verify information through a variety of avenues.
Support Coalition
All professional transitions require a broad network of support to be successful. This is true whether the transition is a job search, a promotion or a new entrepreneurial adventure. It ’s never too early to start building a business coalition.
Career Focus
Are you doing what you love or would you rather be doing something else? If you were living your dream before the layoff, chances are very good that you will be living that dream at another location fairly soon. If you were never that satisfied with your job, now is the perfect time to put together a solid plan for achieving your dreams.
But it was the last paragraph of the post that meant the most to me:
The best survival tactic for a layoff is recognizing that it’s your life and you are ultimately the one in control. Although it is tempting to turn your career over to an employer and hope that hard work and dedication will pay off, the current riff of mergers, acquisitions, layoffs and downsizings would seem to indicate that that course of action is just too risky for both your career and your health. Decide what you want, inventory your assets, gather the intelligence you need to make good strategic decisions and build a thriving business coalition to support your dreams. You are the one in control of your own professional journey.
Word. Seriously.
Posted by Kevin GrossmanLabels: Bill Vick, downsize, HR suppliers, layoff, professional growth
