Lisa Rosendahl, SPHR challenges leader to grow up and lead. She writes about leadership, human resources, social media and things that don't fit neatly into those categories.
Having the last word is not all it's cracked up to be.
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Whenever I feel the need to put someone in their place, slap their hand or make a point simply because I can - and act on it, karma comes back around and smacks me right between the eyes.
Never fails.
And I regret it every time.
I was at a conference recently and the presenter had us do the "look to your left, look to your right, chances are that 1 of the 3 of you will experience having to survive a job loss" thing.
So, I looked to my left and I looked to my right thinking (or did I actually say it?) too bad, too sad, so sorry for you my friends.
Nice, huh?
Well, karma is a bitch. One headline and one phone call later, it's too bad, too sad for the Rosendahl clan. Verso Paper is laying off 175 employees, including 40 salaried, and my husband, Bill, is one of them.
First thoughts? No stinkin' way! He was there 25 years, did whatever was asked, never caused trouble. Not indispensable <no one is> but hmph. Huge cuts impact good people.
Second thoughts? Of an HR friend making the phone calls. A simple Facebook message, "Tough week, 'eh?" confirmed what I already knew to be true: no one wins in these situations.
Business is business. I've been on the other side of the desk and know how difficult these decisions are, yet they have to be made. And, they will continue to be made in boardrooms, town halls, coffee shops and at kitchen tables in communities across the nation.
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The timing could have been better <like never> but all in all, we are very fortunate. We saved $$, minimized our debt and developed strong networks. We are prepared to survive this job loss.
And that's the reason for this post.
It's not to lash out, criticize or judge. It's not to take this any broader than its impact on us <it's all about me, remember?>
It's to remind you to take a critical look at your situation. Identify the risks. Acknowledge the strengths. Think about, "what if" and know what you can live without if the time comes. Don't be caught off guard. Know where you stand.
As Wally Bock says in his post, calm down. "If you're the one people look to when a crisis happens, you need to learn this. Calm down by taking and counting deep, diaphragmatic breaths."
Preparation is the key to surviving job loss . . . and to calm.
Be prepared.
Lisa Rosendahl, SPHR challenges leaders to grow up and lead. She writes on leadership, human resources and social media. She also writes on topics that don't fit neatly into those categories
WElcome to Winter in Minnesota
