Retrenched? Why “she’ll be right, mate” won’t make it right.

This is a Blog we posted last year, but with the currently economic climate the say it is, and everyone knowing someone who has been recently made redundant, we felt it a good time to re-post.

Australians are notoriously bad for asking for help. It’s in our psyche to just get on with it, not quite knowing what “it” is and trusting that somehow it will all work out fine.

This is particularly evident when people are retrenched. It never ceases to amaze me how many people hesitate to start an outplacement program when it is offered to them. Having provided outplacement services to thousands of people, I’ve seen four different types of responses to being made redundant. Individual’s responses can be categorised according to Agency (that is, how much action a person takes) and Self-awareness.

1. The Victim has low self awareness and low agency. Victims withdraw after retrenchment and take little action to find something else. Occasionally victims are saved by an unexpected opportunity from a contact.

2. The Lone Wolf is “She’ll be right, mate” personified. This group launches into a job search with energy and vigour believing that they have everything under control. Sometimes they do, but more often than not they don’t. Lone wolves are usually derailed by what they don’t know.

3. The Park Bench realises that they need to take action but don’t. Park benches spend too much time processing the emotions of the change rather than shifting focus to a positive future. This failure to take action is the most common career derailer.

4. The Phoenix is self aware enough to move quickly through the difficult emotions and takes action to make a positive change in their career. These people are the most successful careerists as they take action throughout their career.Today’s labour market is increasingly sophisticated. A transition to a new role will see you pitched against those in the Phoenix category so take every opportunity offered by an outplacement program to enhance your career management skills and self awareness.