The Redundancy Escape Plan

Part Four in the Surviving Redundancy blogs

So now you have told your family that you have been made redundant and the emotional shock is, mostly, behind you. What happens next?

The answer is simple – you plan.

You draw up a plan of attack to save yourself, and your family, from the situation that you have been thrust into. Your plan should cover a number of areas:

Budgeting – if you haven’t done it before then now is the time to draw up a monthly budget so that you and your partner know where the money you do have is going to be spent. Be realistic and record everything. You might find it useful to see this blog Stemming the Flow where I outline some budget writing ideas.

Economising – no one likes to do this but your income just got seriously reduced so now is the time to cut out the non essentials. If the pain of giving something up is too much then consider cutting down. Bear in mind that retail therapy has a time and a place but now isn’t it! Remember that hopefully you are only going to have to do this for a short time.

In case anyone is confused the difference between budgeting and economising is that budgeting is the recording, in advance, of what money is going to be spent and where; economising is agreeing to spend less on things.

Job hunting – You need a job and probably sooner rather than later. However it pays to sit down and think through exactly what kind of job you want. Rushing into something now might mean further upset down the road as you struggle with a job you hate. So give some serious thoughts to what you want to do next. I have an e-book titled “How to Succeed at Job Hunting” which will be available soon – more news on that when it is ready.

Good times – So you’ve done the serious tasks of economising, budgeting and job hunting take some time to consider that life goes on. You should take some time out to plan some fun things. You might find that by not being able to purchase a ton of new things to entertain yourself frees you to enjoy some of the other things in life.

Consider how you can spend quality time with the people in your life. Does being redundant mean that you are now home with your partner? Then use some of the time, when not job hunting, to do things together. Go for walks, visit art galleries and museums or simple sit and talk in the comfort of your own home.

Is now an opportunity to do some small household tasks or spring clean the house? Do you have an attic or garage that could do with a clear out? You might indeed find some things to sell on sites like ebay as you clear things out!

I leave it to you to consider how you can spend your time. You might not have a job right now but you do have a life. I encourage you to turn your situation into as positive an experience as you can whilst at the same time you plan your way forward.

Until next time

Stephen Hart

Visibility

There is a storm raging through the business world. Large companies and small companies alike are being battered and buffeted. So what can you do to weather the storm?

Well first have a little faith. The economy will recover, industry will pick up and the job market will regrow. That’s economics for you. It never stops even though it can be a roller coaster ride sometimes!

In the meantime there are some steps you can take to avoid the worst of the storm. In this blog I want to talk about one of them, specifically; personal visibility.

This is a principle that can make or break even the best career’s yet is often overlooked even by experienced business people. The heart and sole of it is this – it doesn’t matter how good you are if no one else sees how good you are.

Let me illustrate like this – you know all those talentless people you have seen who seem to do really well? The ones who are always talking to the bosses and getting promotions for no reason that you can work out. They were visible. The bosses knew what they had done because the individuals made sure that the bosses knew.

Bosses, whether managers, directors or other title holders, like to know what people are doing. It makes them slightly uneasy when they don’t. So to have someone confirm their part in actions makes the bosses comfortable.

Further bosses are universally busy. I know it might not always look it from where you are but take my word for it they are busy! Consequently they don’t remember all the details all of the time.

So if you and Bob work on a project equally but Bob goes and chats to the boss about the project what will happen is this: The boss will remember that Bob worked on that project and you helped Bob or were involved in some way.

And this will happen not because Bob bad mouthed you but simply because Bob actually talked about the project and his involvement and you didn’t. Unfair perhaps but really all the boss is doing is filtering and storing information and they just aren’t in a position to remember everything so they tend to remember what is easy to remember and what is headlined the most. Namely Bob. Not you.

So make sure your boss knows what you are doing. Not in great detail or in a ‘kiss ass’ way but in a ‘I’m doing my job’ solid, reliable way.

The other thing you can do to really make yourself visible is go to your bosses with ideas. People doing a job often complain that they know ways that it can be done better or more efficiently. Given the economic environment efficiency is at an all time premium so go to your bosses with ideas. Especially ideas that affect things outside of your immediate area. Someone who is concerned about the company at large is always a valuable asset. And if you have ideas about improving your immediate job then absolutely go and talk to them.

Do bear in mind that possible there are reasons that things are done in a certain way so present ideas not demands. When you do, whether or not your ideas are implemented, your personal visibility will be increased. Consistently doing this will help your chances of weathering the current storm and in the future it could be a career defining habit.

Until next time;

Stephen Hart

Picture by Chaand; with thanks.

Your Potential

Let me give you a New Year gift.

What I’d like to give you is something that I would normally save for when I was acting as a life or career coach with you. Something valuable; something powerful.

It is a statement that applies to everyone who reads this blog and to everyone who doesn’t. For this is a statement that once you realise it’s truth, and it’s significance, will make you see yourself and everyone else on the planet in a different light.

So here it is, please read it slowly and savour it:

“You have not yet reached your full potential.”

Does it make you smile? Does it make the future seem a little brighter? Does it give you a little hope?

Who ever you are, what ever you are, you can do more, see more, and be more in 2009 than you have before.

We are not machines with maximum operating efficiencies; nor are we just people – we are limitless people. We, each one of us, has the potential to be amazing.

So I am not going to tell you that you can achieve whatever you want in 2009 but I am going to tell you that you can achieve more of what you want.

You can, and it is your choice, become more of a saint or a sinner as you wish. Whatever virtues you have, you can develop them; whatever vices can equally be increased. It does come down to choice, and I will talk more about that over the coming months.

‘You have not yet reached your full potential’ is my gift to you all this New Year period.

May it unlock potential and open your hearts and minds to possibilities.

Best regards

Stephen Hart

Thanks to John for the splendid picture