Karma (and Job Loss)

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.

Hell Bent for Leather: Relieving HR Anxiety

What's the surest sign of an HR professional experiencing unnecessary anxiety? They make this stuff personal.

I've got this thing I do. It has nothing to do with clothing, food or body parts and everything to do with words.

I collect phrases.

If I hear a phrase that resonates with me  - it may be an insight, a perspective, or a snappy little comeback- I enclose it in a grade-school-like cloud in the upper right hand corner on the first page of my notes. Phrases that have made their way into my vocabulary are "dirty stinkin' liar," "manage the smiley faces" and "karma is a b**ch." 

My new phrase, thanks to a colleague in Florida during a recent discourse of our HR lives is "hell bent for leather." Now, let me add a few words to get right to the heart of the matter for me.

Hell bent for leather . . . and under scrutiny.

As an HR professional, leader, supervisor, manager, former Army officer, I am no stranger to questions, challenges, or disagreements but lately, I've felt that the spotlight <or is it mirror> has been on me, my decisions, my priorities, my leadership and "Frankly, Scarlet, I <do> give a damn." 

Bottom line: I don't like it. 

This latest round started with an HR Oversight and Effectiveness Survey. This was our first ever and I welcomed the team with open arms, fully aware they would have findings. But did they have to find so much the first morning of the first day of a 3 day visit?!

I am sure Doctor Daniel Crosby, has some valuable insight into the "psychology of an audit" but you have to know that I wasn't seeing much beyond loser by the end of the first day. Throw in employee relations, labor relations, dips in customer service delivery, staff performance and my own performance as a supervisor and, well, anxiety was alive and well.

Today, it is different. Not all the HR problems of the world are solved, they never will be, but the anxiety level has dropped dramatically for this one HR professional.

How?

I stopped making this personal.

The spotlight, the questions, the scrutiny from self and others - it's going to happen. It's unavoidable. Just when you think all is lost and you think about turning in your keys and parking pass, stop and take a look around. 

Notice that your hands are gripping the reins. They are clenched, sunburned and achy. Notice that your legs are cramped and your spurs are dull.

Now, notice this. You are still on the horse. 

Photo creditiStockphoto