What Being Made Redundant Taught Me
As clichéd as it might be, almost without exception, my experience of being made redundant has been a positive one.
I must say, right from the start, I appreciate the position of privilege from which I experienced it: a good salary, not the sole earner for my house, relatively experienced and with a broad skill set. I know for many, particularly those who have lost jobs in sectors that Covid 19 has decimated, it may not have been so positive. However, I was still keen to share my reflections – in part as an attempt to help others who may be going through something similar or may face redundancy in the future.
1. It has nothing to do with whether you are any good
Everyone says this, although almost no-one believes it. We’ve all worked in organisations where redundancies have been used to address poor performance or poor leadership. But that is not what they are for. It’s a change, whether carefully planned or hurriedly forced, that prompts different requirements. The more you can genuinely view a redundancy in an objective, emotionless way, the more quickly it will feel less painful. Be proud of your achievements and the contribution you made – you have huge value.
2. It challenges your assumptions
I learnt quickly that the things I had thought were most important to me in a career, for the most part weren’t. I had been so busy I had continued, albeit successfully, along an unchallenged path – so engrained were some of my beliefs, I was no longer testing them, checking in from time to time that they were indeed still true. The prospect of redundancy immediately called those beliefs into question – what did I want to do? What were the important things? What did I actually miss while on furlough? (Aside from the schools being open…) Looming redundancy provided an opportunity to reflect from a very different vantage point and one which I took a lot from. Make time to do this every now and then – check in on your beliefs and what is important to you, and see if the areas of your life are in fact in line with those things.
3. Stop caring about what people think (most are thinking about themselves anyway)
In 2019 I spent some time working with a coach, trying to help me clarify and achieve my career goals. I discussed taking a sabbatical at length, but only with her. My shoulder-chip is about being a working mum and outside of the safety of those sessions, my inner voice would take over. Horrified, it would say ‘you can’t take a sabbatical, you can’t not work, what would ‘everyone’ think?!’ Tentatively (after a glass or two of wine) I mentioned the idea to a few close friends – ‘that sounds great’ was the general consensus… but still no action. I was worried about what other people would think, the judgements they would make. Facing redundancy became a wonderful opportunity; of course I would be considering my options at this time – and suddenly those voices were muffled. I wish I had moved quicker to make a change and not paid attention to that pessimistic voice.
4. Your network is bigger and more supportive than you knew
When I say network, I mean literally anyone you know; friends, family, neighbours, other parents at school pick up, colleagues past and present, recruiters – anyone. Without a single exception, everyone I contacted for advice, an introduction or some market knowledge was generous, helpful and supportive. If you are worried people will say they are too busy or can’t help I would be truly surprised if that were the case. Fundamentally people are good and kind, and chances are there will be something you can help them with either now or down the line…plus a little bit of flattery will get you a long way.
5. You are braver than you believe
And, to continue the famous Winnie the Pooh quote, also: stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. I had been looking at new roles for months; I had wanted to move but didn’t know where to or what for. I had been so busy being busy it had handily got in the way of any actual change, any bold decision, any leaps of faith to start something new. I had twice agreed with my husband a date for when I would hand my notice in – irrespective of having a new role … but had it not been for my redundancy, both of those would have come and gone with no change. Don’t wait for a redundancy situation; you are resourceful and resilient – if you want to you can create change in your life, believe in yourself.