How to handle being fired or made redundant

How to handle being fired or made redundant In the peak of the GFC I did some work coaching people who had been made redundant. It was a strange scenario. They would be told the news in one room and then be introduced to me in the next room. There, I would tell them about the option of doing some coaching/support sessions which the company would pay for. As people came in to chat, they often looked like they had been hit by a truck or had swallowed cement. Even when people know it’s coming, to be made redundant or be fired is a very difficult thing to process. No matter what they are told about “not taking it personally” they are the person being told and the decision will impact their lives. Here are some suggestions if it’s you on the receiving end of this news. Be prepared for a roller coaster ride The experience is a type of grief response. You may grieve the loss of your job, possible damage to your reputation and sense of validation. Having been plunged into a world of uncertainty, feelings of anger, confusion and sadness will come and go for some time as you work through this process and begin to discover new hope. If you feel that you have been treated unfairly, try to resist the temptation to fight back immediately as you may cause more concern and damage by doing so. Leave with dignity There is nothing to be gained from abuse and making a scene, especially if you have been told the news with respect and care. The people who are telling you this news may later be the ones that you ask to be referees. Try to end your time well. Be careful how and who you tell There is a real temptation particularly in the first few weeks to be highly critical and verbal about how you have been treated. These first words and conversations may later be regretted as they were done in the heat of the moment. Take some time to cool down and think about who you should tell and how you should tell it. Seek support It is really important to have family, friends or professional counsellors help you through this. Being alone will make things worse as it is too easy to hit the replay button on your memories of the event. Use it as a chance to refocus Although the experience is very unpleasant, after some time of recovery there also can come a time for re-thinking career, education and direction. You have been forced off the treadmill, but given an opportunity to build yourself up and come out even stronger and more focused on your strengths and experience. If there were performance issues involved, then take some time to invest in development in these areas if you are planning to return to a similar job. Prepare for the next step It is a good time to create an effective resume, decide on how to let people in your network know that you are looking for a new challenge and begin to apply for new jobs. HAVE HOPE As time goes past, it is easy to sink deeper into depression and a sense of hopelessness. Being realistic, your chances of finding a new role quickly does depend on where you live in the world, so I won’t just say “don’t worry, be happy”. I will say that no matter how long it takes, hang on to hope. Hope is the fuel that will keep you going and get you to the next chapter of your life.   “ Being fired was the best luck of my life. It made me stop and reflect. It was the birth of my life as a writer” Jose Saramago

Who to move on?

Who to move on? One of the most difficult aspects of being a leader is having to move someone on. (fire, sack, let go). Even when the decision is obvious, it is a difficult thing to ask someone to leave, as it impacts not only them but their families and possibly has consequences for their future. This process can cause the leader sleepless nights and a lot of emotional suffering. Who should move on? Staff who we can’t afford to have. Sometimes we have to let quality people go simply because the organisation doesn’t have the resources to continue to employ them. Maybe times have changed or too many people were put on in the first place. Staff who are doing the wrong thing. Sometimes staff either totally breach ethical or organisational rules or consistently show attitudes and actions which abuse, undermine or harass others. As a leader, your responsibility is to build a strong team. Just one person doing the wrong thing consistently can significantly change the mood and effectiveness of the team. Staff who are consistently underperforming This is more difficult as the person may be likeable but is not pulling their weight or not able to do the work effectively. If nothing is done about this, others in the team may end up carrying a heavier workload, become discouraged and see that the leader is not taking performance issues seriously. People are paid to do a job and if they can’t, then they shouldn’t be in the job. Some things to check before asking someone to leave Are there any temporary personal issues that could be influencing their poor attitudes or performance? Have you done everything you can to help them to succeed in their work? E.g offering coaching or training. Do they know that they are underperforming and in what specific areas? Sometimes we assume that people have tuned into this but it needs to be clear and not come as a surprise out of nowhere. Are there other roles within the organisation that they could do? Have you followed the procedures outlined in the relevant employment laws and are not leaving yourself open legally? Have you sought advice from others? Are you being as generous as possible? Can you convey the news with firmness and care? I have worked in the area of coaching people who have been made redundant and I have seen the process done with care and respect and I have seen it done poorly with clinical heartless precision. This is a very difficult time for the person who is being asked to leave and so the way that it is done will affect them and the reputation of your organisation. If possible, help them to transition into something that might suit them better. Are you prepared to handle a possibly volatile situation. When someone is asked to leave a job that they like they go through a process which is similar to the grieving process, i.e there can initially be shock, anger, confusion, depression and disorientation. Hopefully, with support and time, they can work through this to regain their sense of direction and hope for the future. Do you know how you are going to communicate the news? Sometimes it is helpful to have it written down beforehand so you don’t get sidetracked. If more than one staff member needs to be asked to leave, be aware of the affect of this on other team members. This is one of the most difficult questions I have asked; Is there someone in your team or organisation that should be asked to move on? “Executives owe it to the organization and to their fellow workers not to tolerate non performing individuals in important jobs” Peter Drucker

Who to employ One of the most crucial elements of leadership is found in staff recruitment. When interviewing possible job candidates it would be great to have a crystal ball to show us exactly who would be the best person in the long term to fulfill the role and do a great job. This would save us a lot of money, stress and heartache which comes from choosing the wrong people. There is no crystal ball, but here are some tips on staff selection. Looking for the right person Know what you are looking for. Rather than a just looking for a living person to fulfill the role, wise leaders have a good idea of the skills and attributes of the person that their team needs. Look within the organisation as well as advertising externally. There might already be someone who has the talent to do this job and the advantage of choosing someone who is already there is that the company has already seen them in action. Advertise in different ways and build on the recommendations of some of your trusted leaders. Interviewing and selecting the right person Think about your questions beforehand. Further to the standard questions, come up with a couple that are different. “Imagine that you have been in this role for 10 years and it’s your farewell dinner and someone gets up to say a few words about you. What would you hope that they would say?” Use behavioural interviewing questions. When was the last time that you were in conflict with your team leader. Tell me about it and what you did to try to resolve the conflict. Get the impressions of others, E.g. the receptionist. Check references thoroughly with probing questions. Look at who you would expect to be on their referee list and isn’t. Why? If possible, utilise some survey tool to get some additional information about the applicant and their skills. I use the Strengthsfinder© survey by the Gallup Organisation. Don’t assume that everyone has self-awareness and is totally aware of their weaker areas. When it comes down to the short list, try to see the people in various contexts. E.g. take them for a tour around, have lunch with them. Be extra careful to never give anyone the idea that they have the job unless you are prepared to give it to them. Get back to applicants as quickly as possible. Don’t employ people from desperation. It is far better to wait and make sure than to rush into it. If possible, have a trial period. Think through the 4 c’s suggested by Bill Hybels             Character      Are they a person who demonstrates integrity?                Competence  Do they have the skills to do the job well?             Chemistry     Will they get along with others in the team?             Culture          How will they fit in to our organisational culture? The truth is that we can never be 100% sure whether we are making the right decision, but if we work through staff selection thoroughly we will have a better chance of getting it right. Time will tell.   Have you ever made a mistake in a staff appointment? What lessons did you learn from this?   What is the next staff appointment that needs to be made? How will you prepare for this? “I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not stategies” Lawrence Bossidy

Don’t miss the bus!!

Don’t miss the bus!!  Another important leadership word is “WHEN”. Timing is such a crucial part of effective leadership. There are so many important timing questions in leadership like when to: launch a new project close down an existing project hire more staff let staff go do the big sales pitch address performance issues with a team member push the team hard let the team rest and recover take more risks than usual be cautious buy sell Timing may not be everything but it is certainly very important. Leaders need the wisdom to read the times so that they can make the right decisions at the right time. Some will do this intuitively while many will need to do their research and listen to wise advice from others. Leaders will also benefit by looking at how their personality influences decision making. Some will tend to jump in impatiently while others will miss the bus as they are taking too much time to think and analyse. John Maxwell, in his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”, suggests four possible timing scenarios and their possible consequences. the wrong action at the wrong time =  disaster the right action at the wrong time    =  resistance the wrong action at the right time    =  mistake the right action at the right time       =  success How is your timing in decision making and taking action? What can you do to make more timely decisions? “The two most important requirements for success are: first, being in the right place at the right time, and second, doing something about it.” Ray Kroc

Why ask what and why?

Why say What and Why? To be effective, leaders and teams need to be very clear about what they are trying to achieve and why is this important. So let’s look at these two words and how they can affect your team’s performance. What Strong teams have a well thought through purpose and aim. The question of what the team exists for and hopes to achieve is asked, researched and fought over until it is clear and owned. If teams are unclear about what they are supposed to be doing, they will: not allocate sufficient time, personnel and resources to the most important activities. lack direction and vision and become easily distracted. tend to be reactive rather than proactive. not be able to celebrate key achievements and goals as they don’t know what the measures of success and improvement are. tend to perpetuate the work of the past even if it is not producing results.   Why say why? Purpose or vision statements don’t really connect to people or make a significant difference until the team “buys in” on the WHY?  Why are we doing this? Why is this important? Why are we doing it this way? Effective leaders are keen to ask the question “why?” about their actions and what the team is involved in. When leaders ask “why”, they: show that they are actually interested in the purpose of the action and evaluative thinking to explore the deeper motivations. build a team culture which encourages development, focus and well thought through plans. make themselves accountable as people can ask them why they are doing certain things. challenge the status quo. E.G “We have always done it this way.” “Why?” It is really important for leaders to resist the temptation for quick fixes and decision making on the run. Time invested in planning days away from the office can help the team to look at the “bigger picture” questions. This will pay huge dividends in the long term. My What and Why in sending out “leadership and life” The What. The purpose of these emails is to help leaders in their everyday leadership and development by providing some practical tips on various aspects of leadership. Currently I send this email to about 3,000 people in leadership positions throughout the world. The Why. I believe that good leadership can make the world a better place and that if I can help leaders to grow, even in the smallest way then the flow-on effect could be significant in their lives and in the teams, and organisations that they lead. Also, from time to time, I like to share thoughts about spirituality and world views as these discussions can be lost in the busyness of business and yet they merit our attention, discussion and debate. For example, do you know the What and Why of Easter? “I keep six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew. Their names are what and why, and when and how and where and who.” Rudyard Kipling

It’s not that hard to say “Thanks” How disappointing is it when we help someone, or give them something, and they don’t acknowledge it or say thanks? We don’t expect a parade in our honour, but just a smile and a couple of simple words would make a huge difference. Saying “thanks” makes a difference. In leadership it is vital to express our thanks to those around us. Saying “thanks”: shows that you have noticed what they are doing. expresses your appreciation for their contribution. encourages and shows them that you aren’t taking them for granted. helps to shift your attitudes to gratitudes. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have and what people haven’t done, try to look at the positives. Saying “thanks” privately and publically People are affirmed when we take a few moments to say thanks to them. Sometimes it is appropriate to do this in front of the whole team. Don’t wait until its their farewell speech to say thanks and words of appreciation. Just remember to try to be fair when saying thanks publically and mention all who were involved. Writing “thank you” notes  A card, email or note is a great way to say thanks. Notes will have more impact if: you have taken time to make it specific and personal. Generic thankyou cards or notes will not be as meaningful as all you have done is insert their name in the blank space. you don’t write it beforehand. I have at times been given a note saying thanks for speaking at an event that has been written beforehand. Even though this is still better than no note it doesn’t really have much punch to it. you send them close to the event and not 8 months later. you also send a note to the person’s manager so that they have some positive feedback about that person’s quality performance.                                   Go on, say it or write it today

” Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone” G.B. Stern

Saying “Sorry”

Saying “SORRY” Leaders can do the wrong thing from time to time; whether it’s losing their cool with team members, being too harsh in their evaluations, not following up on promises, breaking a confidence, etc. Sadly, not all leaders own up, take responsibility and say that they are sorry. Some leaders never say this word, perhaps out of: pride, as saying sorry makes them feel vulnerable. their low expectations of how they should treat others. a lack of interest in others and resolving conflict. a fear of emotions. (Yes, there might be tears.) Other leaders only say sorry when confronted with something which brings a serious cloud over their authenticity. Some leaders say sorry too much and for everything. BTW, I am sorry about saying sorry too much… and I am sorry that I just wrote that! Effective leaders will step up and ask for forgiveness when they need to. Some tips on saying sorry Make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons, i.e. restoring a relationship and not trying to “get” something as a result. Make sure that you mean it and you know exactly what you are apologising for. “I am sorry that I haven’t been the best boss” is too vague. Realise that your apology may not be accepted by the person now, in the near future or ever. Don’t try to explain away or rationalise your mistake. Just admit it and say “Sorry”. DON’T use “but….” Say sorry at an appropriate time when you have the person’s full attention and there is privacy. Say sorry to those affected. If it’s a whole team then say it to them together. Sometimes it is relevant to go one step further and ask whether the person can see themselves forgiving you. Is there someone who you should be saying “Sorry” to? What is holding you back? “do not ruin an apology with an excuse” Kimberly Johnson