By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
“Life is not long. We like to think we are immortal, but life has a way of showing us how ridiculous it is to live from this perspective.”
You may remember that a few weeks ago I went to Florida to visit my brother. I knew he wasn’t in good health and was shocked that he was doing so poorly.
He died Thursday night. As I write this, I’m in New Jersey. I was one of the speakers at his funeral today (Sunday) and traveled to a cemetery in New Jersey for his funeral before heading home on Tuesday and back to work on Wednesday.
As I think about what I have to say, I want to remind you that our loved ones live imperfect lives and beautiful memories, and to put away any inherent toxins we carry with us from our imperfect loved ones.
Are you a target for layoffs?
If a disaster destroyed your home, would you sit back and complain or would you make new plans?
Many times when a company has a problem, the first thing people do is sit back and mope, complain, do anything that doesn’t fit their job, or quit. After all, complaining has no effect. Action does.
So, if you learn that your company is experiencing serious financial problems that could result in layoffs or that your job is in jeopardy, here are some steps you can take.
If you run a business unit or a company and the results are disappointing, don’t just accept it; Make your case to the board, the president, and anyone else who should hear it. Don’t let the numbers go unchallenged. Make sure people know this isn’t unique to your company and that you have a plan to change things.
If you’re Joe or Josephine, become the “backbone of the organization.” Come early and leave late. Care about what you do and document everything. Make sure people know how much effort you put in without appearing like a martyr.
If you are new to the company when the problem occurs, become an “enthusiastic beaver” by being a sponge of knowledge. Ask lots of questions and get advice from everyone who matters. Let’s go!
If you’re an “old timer,” become a work machine. Make everyone think you’re important so they won’t believe you and your high salary are disposable.
While all of this is going on, get your resume ready and start reaching out to people within the organization to see if you can be transferred to a department where layoffs are unlikely or to a department outside the organization so you can start interviewing before you get laid off.
© 2008. 2011, 2024 All rights reserved.
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Schedule a free discovery call with me: www.TheBigGameHunter.us/schedule Discuss my guidance for you. My calendar is full. I work with more senior talent rather than individual contributors.
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Jeff Altman
