Lessons from a Casualty of Staff Cutbacks

By Thaddeus Lawrence

Note from Wendy: Thaddeus is one of the associates in WAND team. He had a bigger associate role in another company which recently decided to make his role redundant due to business restructuring. I see much potential in Thad, and so am coaching him to stretch himself with WAND, and in other areas of his life. He took up my challenge to write an article for our website – so that his recent setback and bounce back may be an inspiration to others. May you enjoy his article and be encouraged.

“Due to the current economic climate…we are not able to retain your services with immediate effect.”

“Surely not”, I thought. Staff cutbacks are making the headlines, but it can’t possibly be happening to me!

After that period of shock and denial, my anger quickly took over and I sank to fuming about how I was a victim of a myopic business decision, an unappreciated and undervalued asset that has been unfairly and unjustly treated.

“How can they make such a drastic and hasty move? The business development folks are not doing their jobs!” “The finance people need to know how their decisions are affecting people’s lives!”

Fortunately I did not linger too long in that space. That sort of confrontational stance can be somewhat liberating and provide much needed release, but too much energy devoted there is not only unproductive but potentially damaging and highly detrimental.

I now understand that tough business decisions have to be made; I understand that I can be adversely affected (my income and ego have taken a massive beating). And I now accept that I am not indispensable and no one is indebted to me; I accept that life is full of imperfections, whether I like it or not. C’est la vie.

I am now learning the lesson of moving on. This lesson contains four elements and each pose further questions.

Get up and get moving
As a perceived victim, it is so easy to complain about, and blame, someone else. This fosters an attitude of entitlement, that someone owes me a living. This approach absolves me of any responsible action and invites sympathy from others but it catches me in a vicious cycle of recriminations and endless wallowing in self-pity and stagnation.

It is important to notice that and to step out as soon as possible. It is perfectly okay to feel angry and afraid. Only after fully throwing myself into my emotions am I then able to detach myself and move on. It’s like a mantra - get up, lick wounds, learn lesson and move forward. I may have been the victim of a staff reduction; now what other work can I do? What other business can I build? It is not worth agonising what could have been and worth absolutely everything to look forward and ask ‘what’s next’

See the silver lining in every cloud
Sometimes life throws up challenges that make me throw my hands up in the air in full surrender. These are the moments when all feels hopeless and I am fighting what seems like a lost cause. For many people, losing a job can be a traumatic experience, especially when they have mouths to feed and financial commitments to take care of.

When I adopt a change in perspective and look at the picture from a different angle, I see this episode as a reminder to focus and chase my dreams. Especially at this stage of my life where I have the energy and gumption to take risks and try new paths, this episode also helps build my resilience and ability to cope with future trials. What doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger. And I am stronger in bouncing back from adversities and developing a winning mentality.

Surround yourself with supporters
Supportive is not to be confused with sympathetic. Many people are willing to listen to our grievances and take our side. But it takes a special group of people who is willing to take the risk and challenge you to bigger and better things, with the intention of having you win.

I have been fortunate to have a group of friends willing to give me honest feedback and who will not accept anything less than what I am capable of achieving. Sometimes it can get a little uncomfortable to receive a metaphorical kick up my butt to get me moving again, but this group of people have been, and are, a huge source of support and love.

When you snooze, you lose
I had built up a seemingly safe and secure working arrangement and was the envy of many of my peers: I was spending fewer hours at work and earning more; and what hours I spent at work, I enjoyed. In short, I was comfortable. And it is when we begin to rest on our laurels that life decides to throw a spanner in the works.

I realised that there is no standing still in my comfort zone. Comfort is not growth; growth is all about creation – of opportunities, of outcomes. In essence, it is about creating the life that I want. So what kind of life do I envision? What is my life goal? What steps am I taking to get there? The answers to these questions provide the destination and the direction.

Everyday life presents a multitude of lessons. It is up to us to grab them with both hands and use them as opportunities to learn and grow.