Happy New Year - You're Fired!
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D.

With many of us feeling the pain of an economic slowdown, it's important to be aware of and proactive about possible changes in our organizations. While we can't control the economy or the other forces of change, we can position ourselves to survive and even thrive in these challenging times.

Here are six tips to consider, whether you feel secure or think your job may soon disappear:

1. Don't get caught unaware. Too often, workers fail to recognize the early signs of looming layoffs, downsizing or shutdowns and are caught by surprise when they find themselves without a job. Keep your eyes open for signs of trouble: Notice if there are large-scale layoffs throughout your industry, if new competitors are increasingly crowding the market, or if demand for your company's product or service is dropping.

2. Imagine the worst-case scenario and make a plan. What if you lost your job? What would you do? When you examine and confront the situation, you can consider possible options. At the very least, you will feel that you have more control over your reactions if that scenario should indeed occur. Here's the trick: Once you have a plan of action, stop focusing on the potential downside and start searching for potential opportunities.

3. Neutralize your fear. Neuroscience tells us that when the fear system of the brain is active, exploratory activity and risk-taking are turned off. You can start to neutralize that system by avoiding people who are all “doom and gloom” about the economy and by turning off the constant barrage of bad news from the media. Remind yourself that you have already worried about the worst possible outcome and that you have a plan for dealing with it.

4. Keep a positive attitude. You never know when a seemingly negative situation may turn out to be for the best. If your job changes or disappears, it's an excellent chance to learn something new, discover untapped skills and meet new people. If you keep a positive attitude, you'll be able to rally your energy toward furthering your career - regardless of the circumstances.

5. Stay in the game. In tough times, your first reaction may be to “hunker down.” Nothing could be less helpful. This is a time to become very visible in your organization. In a recent survey of 150 business executives, 49% said they consider an employee's dedication to the company's mission and values when downsizing. So volunteer for projects, take credit for your success, and speak up. And if you can come with ways your organization can save money - now is your time to really shine!

6. Network, network, network. First, understand the importance of "social capital." Capital is defined as "accumulated wealth, especially as used to produce more wealth." Social capital is the wealth (or benefit) that exists because of your social relationships. Think of social capital as the value created by your connections to others. There is no more valuable commodity in today's volatile business environment.

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., is an author and keynote speaker who addresses association, government, and business audiences around the world. Her latest book and program topic is THE NONVERBAL ADVANTAGE – Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work. For more information, contact Carol by phone: 510-526-1727, email: CGoman@CKG.com, or through her websites: www.CKG.com and www.NonverbalAdvantage.com.

DO YOU CARE?
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D.

At a claim office of about 125 employees, the head of Human Resources spent the day observing the claim manager. This particular manager had received fantastic feedback on her company’s Quality Leadership Measurement System (QLMS) survey, so the HR executive was curious to watch her with her people to figure out what generated this great feedback. And as they walked through the office, conversing about the normal work conditions, the manager would often stop and refer to specific individuals: "Steve over there has been in our area for 15 years. Steve also coaches Little League. They won their game last Thursday.”

They’d move on to someone else, and as they left that person's area, quietly the claim manager would say, "Sally had some problems with her daughter this year. You know how difficult teenagers can be. We've had many sessions behind closed doors where Sally’s trying to sort through these problems."

Months later, when I interviewed the HR executive, that day at the claim office was still etched in her mind: “It became apparent to me that this manager knew all of her people. And I don't mean just knew their jobs. She knew each individual – their backgrounds and hobbies, what their concerns were, what got them excited. She knew when they were upbeat because things were going well, and she knew when they were struggling and needed her time and attention. When I asked, ‘How on earth can you do this for 125 people?’ she replied, ‘That's my job.’"

Great leaders understand that you can’t pay people to excel. You can only pay them to show up. But once you’ve got them there, the leader’s job is to encourage people to excel by create an atmosphere of caring, trust and inclusion. Sun Tzu, author of the Chinese classic, “The Art of War,” “Regard your soldiers as your own children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Treat them as your own beloved sons, and they will be with you even unto death.”