Starting with a blank page.
Being made redundant is not easy for anyone, so what do you do if it happens to you? Jon Hartley offers some thoughts.
This is what I was advised to do many years ago – well, 2005, when I was made redundant after almost thirty years with the same company.
Redundant is such a terrible word isn’t it? Unwanted, cast out, surplus to our needs. In other words – get out.
Oh it was done very nicely, and with quite a good handshake, but it was still a “P*** off, we don’t want you”.
Some of you will have either been through this, or just as bad, been forced to implement it on a colleague. It’s not pleasant for anyone, but clearly far worse for the recipient!
What is not often thought of, is the parting of friends and colleagues you may have worked with for years, and to some extent have grown up with. Despite the rushed exchange of home telephone number, addresses, and emails, there are some people you are not going to be in contact with again, save for the exchange of Christmas cards, and even that may peter out as the next few years pass. One never knows just how far to get involved in a person’s private life, when you have only known them in their professional capacity. If you end up staying in the same industry, then contact can be maintained, but it really is a very difficult situation.
When I was told it came as no real surprise, but I was advised after my 10.30 am meeting to go home for the rest of the day, and come back as normal tomorrow. Looking back, this is exactly the right advice, as I had to take stock of my life, and get things into perspective. At least I wasn’t asked to clear my desk and leave at once as some are, for that must be a terrible experience.
So I drove the fourteen miles home, and for some reason once the car was parked, I veered into my local pub, which was just opening.
Once I had my pint I sat in one of the window seats and started to think what to do.
Is it me, or does a pub that has just opened have a strange smell to it – all hops and polish. I don’t know why this has stayed in my mind, but I can almost smell it to this day.
Now I will not mention him by name – not that he will ever read this – but a friend of mine walked in with a “Thought I saw you sulking your way in, need a top up?” I declined (which proves I wasn’t myself), and he came over with his drink and sat down.
“Mum OK?”, he asked knowing she was ill, and I told him she was, and then he said “ You need a blank piece of paper”.
He had sussed it. The takeover was headline news in the regional papers, and had been in the ‘nationals’ too, so it was no secret that big changes were ahead.
“Write on one side the good things that would have happened if you had stayed, and on the other the things you are now free to do!”
This was the best piece of advice I have ever been given, as it later settled my mind on what was important to me, and what was not. He left me to it, and advised me to take it home and add thoughts as they came to me.
Two days later, one side was still blank, and the other full of ideas thoughts and possible plans. My mind was settled, although my career was not!
Possibly strangely, I felt no animosity towards my new Directors, for I was closing that door behind me, imagining a brick wall with no way back, but ahead were blue skies, green pastures, and distant beaches. They had made a business decision and I, along with others, just had to go.
I am sure a psychiatrist would have had a field day with this – but that is at it was.
During the next few days I was always on the phone speaking to both friends in the industry, and friends who were hoteliers. Some of these were naturally none too pleasant coverations, especially where I was dealing with the third generation of the same family, and had known them since they were babes in arms. I was careful not to burn any bridges, as one never knows what the future may bring us!
One of these calls led to a meeting with my next employer, where I spent four of the happiest years of my life before an accident led to early retirement. New friends, new challenges, and that vision of new, green pastures certainly came true.
And it all started with a blank piece of paper.
When I was forced to retire, well semi retire at least, I repeated the exercise, and finished up setting up my own little company. It was intended just to keep my mind active and occupied, but as sometimes happens it grew and grew, and I have to keep a close watch on it to keep it away from VAT and other interested parties!
It all started with a single piece of paper. Should this happen to you, by all means fell sorry for yourself for a brief – very brief period, and then just think how lucky you are. You are, I hope, fit and healthy, you have knowledge, you are able to communicate, and you are able to live on the extra pennies for anything up to six months with no financial worries. Even if you walk away with only a months redundancy, that is a full month of telephone calls, meetings, emails and letters you can do – and harsh as it may seem, if no-one offers you a new position, are you really sure ‘they’ are at fault and not you? Is it just possible that your previous employers were right, and you were not up to the job, and it is time for a change of direction? A great deal of course depends on the position you held before, and how adaptable it and you are to change. It’s going to be hard, bloody hard, as it is doubtful that you will find something on the same salary, and may well have to take a hefty cut or even relocate to continue employment. You will be short tempered, hard(er) to live with, depressed, and hurt. Those around you will suffer too, and friends can be lost for words, and may even avoid you. It can be almost like bereavement.
Only one person can get you out of this, and that is YOU. Sitting on your arse will get you nowhere, so start with a list on your paper of what you want to do, and then who you need to contact to fulfil this dream. Think of the benefits you could bring to this company, and be prepared to go for a probationary period if need be. Don’t lie on your CV, don’t exaggerate, just be open and honest, truthful and straight. Have you ideas or knowledge that could take your new company into unchartered waters (for them), or have you plans that were ignored by your previous employer that might be beneficial to you now. Make notes on who you have spoken to, when, and about what. When your brain stops working, grab a coffee, think, and then return to the fray.
It is so important to believe in yourself and your abilities, and to get the word out that you are available. Someone out there is looking for someone like you, and should you find yourself in this terrible position, I hope you find each other as soon as possible and that you can throw your piece of paper away and get back to full time employment and normality.
Good luck my friend.
