Reinterpreting Redundancy
I was chatting to a friend of mine early on Saturday morning whilst waiting for the gym to open up. I hadn’t seen him for sometime, and he explained to me that he’d been made redundant. He continued to say that from the 23 people affected, he is the only one to get himself back into work. Not only that, he just happens to enjoy his new role much more than his last!
The difference, as with all things in life, is attitude. Where his colleagues remain in an unproductive cycle of doom, feeling victimized and sorry for themselves, my friend dusted himself down and got on with it. Of course, being made redundant isn’t pleasant (at least, not until you see it for what it truly is), but he chose not take the news personally; he stepped up and moved on for his greater good. That’s the attitude of a real leader. Life is 1% what happens to us and 99% how we deal with it.
I’ve been made redundant in my career too. Actually, that’s misleading, the role I was employed in was made redundant, I just occupied it at the time. What a difference having that perception could make to people. When you change the way you look at things the things you look at change. Redundancy isn’t personal, it isn’t that the person concerned isn’t good enough; it’s the job that is surplus to requirements.
Redundancy offers a wonderful opportunity for personal reinvention. It’s the ideal time to take stock and step forward into something you are passionate about, establishing and living your purpose.
Here’s something that may change your perception of redundancy. I know of at least 3 senior directors of large corporate companies who frown upon the CV of a person who hasn’t been made redundant. For them, it sets off warning signals that the person concerned doesn’t like change, and given that change is our constant companion in the creative age, that isn’t an attractive proposition.
If you’ve been made redundant, consider how you are reacting. Stop licking your wounds and start to think. You don’t have to follow the path you’ve always followed; the 21st century offers opportunities to earn a great living in so many diverse and varied ways, you just need to make yourself aware of them.
As a human being you have been given the incredible capabilities to reinvent yourself at any given point. Don’t waste them and your life. Step forward into your greatness. It is your birthright.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Think of redundancy as a wake up call to get off your butt and move forward with your life. We should never settle for less.As Les Brown says ‘It’s possible’ believe in yourself and your opportunities. Take action on your goals and persist. Redundancy is for those who wait. Dont wait! do it. If you’re not living on the edge you are taking up too much room.