“Being fired has some of the advantages of dying without its supreme disadvantages. People say extra-nice things about you, and you get to hear them.”
― Howard Zinn, You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times
The world of work is full of chaos. People have decided they will take a stand, while Leaders have decided they don’t like stands.
A friend with twenty-five years at a corporate job made it through three years of COVID but did not make it through a Leadership change. The new bosses came in at the beginning of the year and let 25% of the workforce go within a week. They reassured everyone they would replace the furloughed employees: they were in the bottom 25%. The company did not need them, anyway.
The remaining employees rallied to get all the work done. They picked up their colleague’s projects. They started working longer days, nights, and weekends to satisfy their customers. Since these are “salaried” individuals, they paid none of them overtime. Customer satisfaction did not suffer. Although the first-quarter profit report was glowing, the company had hired no replacement workers. Those positions appear to be permanently gone.
The pace has been that way for five months. The employees asked for and got a meeting with the bosses. Although the team worked together on what they would say, my friend, did the talking for the group of employees. Management listened and then told the workers about company visions, family, and careers in many flowery words. Nothing was going to change. The next day, they terminated her.
The good news was she was prepared. She did not know they were going to fire her. I got unexpectedly fired and screwed over long ago. That experience taught me (and I taught her) to always know what you want from the company at all times. If they decide to put you out, you already have your mental cardboard box packed. In today’s world, they tell you they fired you, offer you a terrible severance package, then walk you out of the door immediately.
The leadership doesn’t expect you to refuse the package they offer you. Management is surprised when you present your terms to leave in an uncontested manner. They count on the shock and dismay which stuns most people when they are put out of the door unceremoniously to keep it short and straightforward.
Because of my awful experience, one skill I mentor is to advise those I mentor to be prepared for termination, even if they are doing a great job. Doing an excellent job will not help you if the company removes you. Once the decision is made and you have been told, your strength is in making sure you get what you want from them to leave quietly.
Knowing precisely what you want makes the meeting easier to deal with. Instead of being in shock, which will start when you get home, you are in a mode to do the best for yourself. Now, the company is the one caught unawares.
No matter how much you trust your boss and company, always be prepared for the unforeseen. Surprise them while they are attempting to surprise you.