You are in very good company. Over 98% of successful professionals have been made redundant, forced out or fired at some point in their career*.
And when it happens to you, it hurts like mad and you feel like you’ve been rejected. Fear kicks in as we think about our loss of face, our loss of status, and our financial worries.
You’ve probably heard of the change curve: when change happens to us we go through a series of phases such as
- Denial: ‚this can’t be happening to me‘ ,
- Blaming others: ‚it’s all their fault‘,
- Blaming yourself: ‚I’m a loser. This is all my own stupid fault‘
But the second part of the change is the recovery phase and the trick to recovery is to build resilience and bounce back.
#1 Allow a little time to feel sorry for yourself
We’ve all been there. And you are human. It’s a bit like a grieving process, we can mourn what’s gone and regret our misfortune.
#2 Make some excuses
This is part of accepting the situation. And this is the first step to moving on. The situation is temporary. What has happened, has happened.
Treat this as one of those setbacks in life and start plotting your way back: plan your bounce-back.
#3 Communicate with your support network
Don’t hide or keep secrets. People talk so they’re going to find out anyway. Much better to let them hear it from you first and relieve yourself of the emotional burden
#4 Close it out
Put it the old organisation behind you. They are history. Don’t even think about them.
If you are negotiating a settlement or claiming compensation: get this done and closed out as soon as possible. This negative situation can be a big drain on your energies and you need to compartmentalise it and get rid of it.
#5 Turn it to your advantage
What are the positives you can draw from your situation? How can you make this experience make you better and stronger in the future?
Want some help? Contact me for a free consultation on building your recovery plan and landing your new role.
* 98% is my personal estimate. If someone tells you that it’s not true and it’s never happened to them, then I suggest there’s a good chance that they are ’stretching the truth‘ .