Tomorrow you are made redundant. What now?
(Or perhaps you are self-employed – and tomorrow you lose 95% of your customers…)
Let’s not tempt fate here but – is it SO bad?
“But, Andy; I have a mortgage and two kids!” Or “Who’s going to pay the rent – and the interest on the car loan?” Or “I have household bills to pay and food to buy!”
You get the picture… and I am NOT making light of redundancy and businesses folding. It is serious and has far reaching consequences.
I suppose what I am asking is that… not ALL the consequences need be bad. Let me explain…
When I put the question in this article’s headline to my coaching clients, I get a broadly similar reaction. Dread… Worry…Horror…Stress…Anguish. (Strangely, this is where our modern word ‘Business’ comes from – it originally meant ‘concern and worry’!).
And then, just occasionally, I get a startlingly different reaction…
“Tim” I say. “Let me ask you a question… Suppose tomorrow you were made redundant…?”
Tim raises his eyebrows and sticks his bottom lip out. Then a very slow smile spreads across his face and a sort of gleam comes into his eye. He starts to nod as he thinks through, not the pain, but the possibilities…
Adversity of this type is pretty commonplace. I have coached thousands who have faced redundancy – or just been made redundant (or lost their business). And all but an extraordinarily tiny minority (I can think of just one at the moment), found themselves in a more rewarding, exciting, interesting or at least more stimulating situation within a few WEEKS.
It happened to me. Back in the 1990’s I lost a contract that was worth around 70% of my business revenue. Which was just the kick up the arse I needed! The lessons I learned have served me ever since. More focus. Less exposure to one client. Increased mental resilience – and a clear understanding of my transferable skills. I have to say that it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
Yoo Wisdom: If you face an unstable future… by all means, do everything you can to be the one chosen by management to stay. Or… get a gleam in your eye and ask yourself: “What are my new possibilities…?”
Be your best Yoo
Andy and the Yoo team
PS If you want to rebuild confidence, relationships – or tear down some barriers, then check out the Yoo Personal Development Course
I have teamed up with the international learning platform Udemy, and the links in this PS carry a particularly generous discount for readers of my blog (about 90% off!).
