Keeping Your Spirits Up When You Keep Your Job
by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs
It's no secret that a soft economy is forcing employers to cut their workforces. According to the U.S. government, in the first two months of 2009, there have been over 1 million job losses -- on top of the 2.6 million losses in 2008. You may be among those who lost a job, or you may be a remaining survivor.
While folks who keep their jobs aren't getting a lot of sympathy these days, they may deserve it. It can be difficult to feel positive around the office and stay focused on your career when you've lost trusted colleagues and close work friends. Those people may have been the only reason you looked forward to work each day.
Jason Seiden, author of "How to Self-Destruct: Making the Least of What's Left of Your Career," notes, "Nothing puts a relationship to the test like someone getting fired. There are a number of reasons for this, but what's important is what you do about it." Seiden reveals his five tips for maintaining friendships and your career after a company layoff.
1. Offer up an assist.
You may be feeling helpless after job cuts, but you're not. The people who are leaving need your assistance. Says Seiden, who helps organizations hire, manage, and develop next generation talent,"Help everyone you can! When we go to bed at night during tough times, we want to know someone is looking out for us. Be that someone for others. That's your job as a human being." Provide job leads, resume help, networking introductions, or simply a sympathetic ear. He adds, "It doesn't even matter if it comes back to you later, it's just the right thing to do and you know it. Man up to the moment!"
2. Don't let too much time go by.
Work friendships often fail after layoffs or a firing because both people may feel tongue-tied. Seiden, who blogs about professional development at http://www.jasonseiden.com, points out, "This type of awkwardness is a function of uncertainty and passage of time. You can set time to zero if you move fast. And, the faster you reach out, the less your former colleague expects you to say. So move!"
3. Force yourself to focus on the positive.
It may be tough to feel charged up when you confront constant reminders of your coworkers' absences every day. So do something to avoid them. He advises, "If you have to personally move your stuff so you don't have to walk past an empty cube farm on your way in, do it; do whatever it takes to make it easy to ignore the bad and stay mentally engaged." Those worried about any repercussions for being proactive shouldn't. Seiden, who holds degrees from Wharton, where he attended as an undergraduate, and the Kellogg School of Management, where he earned an MBA, shares, "Believe me, you will not get fired for this. If anything, you'll inspire HR to rearrange the furniture."
4. Acknowledge (but don't indulge) your guilt.
If you worked closely enough with team members, you may be privy to how precarious someone's finances or relationship is and, thus, feel all kinds of awful about this setback. "Survivor guilt is real. So is the adrenaline rush you feel when narrowly missing getting run over by a bus!" Seiden exclaims. You can feel bad for your colleagues, but remember to be thankful that you've still got a job. "Take a deep breath, shake it off, and move forward," he counsels.
5. Stand out by stepping up.
You've survived a layoff, but you've still got to concern yourself with your employer's survival. Do whatever it takes to go out and bring in business. Seiden shares, "In times like this, dollar finding trumps cost cutting. If you are in a position to make a sale, make it. Build revenues. Now's not the time for cute, or even proper. Now is the time for cash!"
by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs
It's no secret that a soft economy is forcing employers to cut their workforces. According to the U.S. government, in the first two months of 2009, there have been over 1 million job losses -- on top of the 2.6 million losses in 2008. You may be among those who lost a job, or you may be a remaining survivor.
While folks who keep their jobs aren't getting a lot of sympathy these days, they may deserve it. It can be difficult to feel positive around the office and stay focused on your career when you've lost trusted colleagues and close work friends. Those people may have been the only reason you looked forward to work each day.
Jason Seiden, author of "How to Self-Destruct: Making the Least of What's Left of Your Career," notes, "Nothing puts a relationship to the test like someone getting fired. There are a number of reasons for this, but what's important is what you do about it." Seiden reveals his five tips for maintaining friendships and your career after a company layoff.
1. Offer up an assist.
You may be feeling helpless after job cuts, but you're not. The people who are leaving need your assistance. Says Seiden, who helps organizations hire, manage, and develop next generation talent,"Help everyone you can! When we go to bed at night during tough times, we want to know someone is looking out for us. Be that someone for others. That's your job as a human being." Provide job leads, resume help, networking introductions, or simply a sympathetic ear. He adds, "It doesn't even matter if it comes back to you later, it's just the right thing to do and you know it. Man up to the moment!"
2. Don't let too much time go by.
Work friendships often fail after layoffs or a firing because both people may feel tongue-tied. Seiden, who blogs about professional development at http://www.jasonseiden.com, points out, "This type of awkwardness is a function of uncertainty and passage of time. You can set time to zero if you move fast. And, the faster you reach out, the less your former colleague expects you to say. So move!"
3. Force yourself to focus on the positive.
It may be tough to feel charged up when you confront constant reminders of your coworkers' absences every day. So do something to avoid them. He advises, "If you have to personally move your stuff so you don't have to walk past an empty cube farm on your way in, do it; do whatever it takes to make it easy to ignore the bad and stay mentally engaged." Those worried about any repercussions for being proactive shouldn't. Seiden, who holds degrees from Wharton, where he attended as an undergraduate, and the Kellogg School of Management, where he earned an MBA, shares, "Believe me, you will not get fired for this. If anything, you'll inspire HR to rearrange the furniture."
4. Acknowledge (but don't indulge) your guilt.
If you worked closely enough with team members, you may be privy to how precarious someone's finances or relationship is and, thus, feel all kinds of awful about this setback. "Survivor guilt is real. So is the adrenaline rush you feel when narrowly missing getting run over by a bus!" Seiden exclaims. You can feel bad for your colleagues, but remember to be thankful that you've still got a job. "Take a deep breath, shake it off, and move forward," he counsels.
5. Stand out by stepping up.
You've survived a layoff, but you've still got to concern yourself with your employer's survival. Do whatever it takes to go out and bring in business. Seiden shares, "In times like this, dollar finding trumps cost cutting. If you are in a position to make a sale, make it. Build revenues. Now's not the time for cute, or even proper. Now is the time for cash!"
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