Going through redundancy is a major life changing event.
One minute you are secure in your role, and suddenly, you are informed that your career and financial security is at risk with no clear plan on what to do next.
When I worked in a HR Transformation role, I was introduced to the Kübler-Ross Change Curve, A framework by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross developed in the 1960’s that describes the emotional stages people experience when they experience grief or loss.
Over time, organisations have applied this logic to life changing events, and going through redundancy is definitely one of those moments where this framework can be applied.
For many, especially those with a long tenure with an organisation, this announcement can feel very much like grief or loss. You’ve been loyal to the organisation and created strong bonds with team members throughout the years.
This article will talk you through how this change curve applies to redundancy and the steps you can take to accelerate your journey so that you come out of the experience in a better state than where you were with your previous role.
Let’s start with applying each of the stages to the context of going through a redundancy announcement.
Shock - “This can’t be happening”
You’ve just had the announcement which was unexpected, you’re unsure what this really means and you’re taking the time to process what impact this could have on you.
Denial - “This won’t affect me”
You could be having thoughts that if you work really hard on the handover, or apply for internal roles, you’ll stay and none of this will really happen. On the flip side, you may have accepted that this is happening but feel like you’ll get a job instantly once you start applying so you’ll not be impacted at all.
Frustration - “Why do I have to do this?”
You have been loyal to this company, worked hard for them, and felt betrayed that they’ve done this to you. Despite the assurance around it being a business decision, it feels personal, and you’re angry about it.
Depression - “What’s the point?”
You begin to doubt your capabilities, whether you’d add value in another organisation, you worry about your financial commitments and how you may have to change your lifestyle as well as how you might not actually get a new role given what you’re hearing about the market. What’s the point in even trying? The odds are not in your favour…
Experimentation - “Maybe I’ll try it out”
You start to accept what’s happened. You’re enjoying some of the benefits of not working such as more time with family, more focus on wellbeing activity, and perhaps, you’ve started to dust off your CV and start looking at what jobs are out there. You’ve maybe even applied for one or two.
Decision - “It’s time to take action”
You have taken the time to determine what roles you are going to target, what strategy you’re going to target them with, have a strong tailored CV for each application and prepare your interview examples. You are in full job-seeker mode. It’s time to get a new career.
Integration - “I’ve found my new normal”
You’ve secured a new role! This chapter is over and you can now focus on what the future of work could look like for you. You’re hopefully enjoying a new career that feels better than where you were previously meaning you’re better off than where you were at the start of this journey,
Most clients start to speak to the likes of me at Week 4 of the decision phase.
By this time, they have tried to apply for jobs, but they’re having limited success with their applications, and almost no feedback whatsoever.
For some clients, they speak with me almost a year after they’ve reached the decision stage.
How can I accelerate things so that I can get to the Integration stage?
Let’s consider your car breaking down.
You rely on this car. You use it for your commute, for the school run and it gives you your independence to jump in the car and go from A to B.
The moment you hear the engine start to go, you’re in shock.
Once you start to pull into the hard shoulder, you’re in denial.
Once you’ve stopped, you’re frustrated.
Once you’ve stopped slapping the steeping me, it’s depression.
Once you’ve lifted the hood, you’re in experimentation.
Once you’ve realised you are unsure what to do, you make the decision to call the breakdown service.
The breakdown service fixes the issue or puts you in a courtesy car and off you go integrated into the new normal and continue with your day.
Because you rely on a car, and because most of us are not mechanics, we know we need to call them to get back on the road.
The same applies to a redundancy announcement, but the challenge is that we typically feel we can do it ourselves because we’ve had experience doing it before.
- I know my skills and experience so I know which roles to apply for.
- I have an old CV, I just need to add my recent experience and apply.
- I know my career story so I can convey it well in an interview.
Sadly for some, the change in the market means that the old tried and tested methods of the past are no longer as effective, so the time between Decision to Integration takes much longer.
In the same way that we rely on our cars, we absolutely rely on our careers so that we can enjoy our lives.
So why not get in touch with a Career Transition Coach so that they can get you into a new, fulfilling role?
The aim of Career Transition Coaching is to accelerate you on that journey.
If you are currently in Shock to Experimentation, a free consultation with me will move you to Decision mode, even if you decide not to proceed with coaching.
And if you’re in Decision mode but struggling to get to Integration, I can accelerate your journey there through Career Transition Coaching.
If any of this resonates with you, let’s have a chat.
I’m here to help you take this life changing moment into a positive outcome for you.
