I grew up in the back of this plane
First of all, thanks to all of you who shared and commented on last week’s post, I really do appreciate it. There were some great and insightful comments and today I’d like to riff off some points made by a former colleague and mentor of mine, who noted that “real growth comes with dramatic change, even when that change is forced upon us”, and mentioned that, in his observation, people affected by corporate restructuring generally “have taken full advantage of the packages and benefits offered to them through the process. More importantly they have actually taken their careers forward, often choosing a new path they have desired but not acted on.”
I’m going to run with another analogy over the next few days, bear with me – let’s get out of the kitchen and into the cockpit for this one. As a fellow pilot, my Dad was always fond of reminding me about an aviator’s priorities at all times, and especially in an emergency: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate – in that order. As I think about the dramatic changes forced upon people who have been advised they are essentially surplus to requirements and no longer need turn up to work every day, Dad’s advice still resonates for me – here’s how:
Aviate – Affirmatively FLY that plane, whether it’s safely all the way to the ground or to an alternative destination.
Navigate – Using all your resources (compass, map, observation etc.) know where you want to go and how best to get there, including terrain and conditions you may encounter en route.
Communicate – Make sure people know what you’re doing and ask for what you need.
I’ve added another one at the end – Celebrate!! As a result of your flying skills and good choices, you and your passengers have successfully arrived at a destination. It may be different from the one you originally headed for, but you remained in charge of our craft and where you ultimately touched down. Congratulations, a celebration is in order!
“There’s more to life than being a passenger.”
– Amelia Earhart
Whether that is to a safe emergency landing, an alternate destination or through different conditions to what were anticipated on the flight plan, your number one job is to stay in charge of your aircraft and to deliver yourself and your passengers safely to the ground (somewhere). So when you hear that fateful sputter of a lost engine, or some other unexpected circumstance ruins your plans for a smooth flight along your charted route, you immediately acknowledge your new reality (after running through some checks to determine whether you can re-start the engine and resume your original plan) and proactively manage the situation to achieve as safe and comfortable a landing as possible (any landing you walk away from is a good one at this point). That means identifying somewhere to land and managing your rate and angle of descent in a way that will get you there alive and with minimal damage to yourself, your passengers and your aircraft.
So, you’ve lost your job. Reel in shock for a while – it’s appropriate and, given that you have more than the seconds or minutes available in an aviation emergency nor have you had the necessary emergency procedures drilled into your head (who practices “what if I lose my job” scenarios? Although that’s probably not a bad idea, for those of you spared the ax this time), something you can take a little while to do. Acknowlede and grieve the loss of what was – that’s also appropriate, just don’t unpack and live in that state forever – because you still need to address whatever immediate threats loom, like rent or mortgage payments, keeping the pantry stocked, making sure your car has gas in the tank – in other words, you still need to fly the plane.
Granted, people laid off with a severance package have a bit more time up their sleeve (equivalent to a few thousand feet of altitude, in our plane analogy), but ultimately we all still need to keep that plane flying. So do what you need to do – whether that means making a budget to stretch your savings or severance money while you take your time with the next priority (navigate), taking an interim job to keep the wolves from the door, or learning to live on one income in your family for a little while. You want to address your basic survival needs before anything else.
Aviation checklist:
- Check your fuel indicator: Do a budget and identify your fixed and critical expenses. How long can you stay aloft with your current resources?
- Trim for best glide path: Eliminate any unnecessary spending and Talk to your creditors to see if you can skip payments on loans or if there is any assistance in debt consolidation etc.
- Check hatches and harnesses: Take advantage of any outplacement services offered (if laid off).
- Determine a location to touch down: Update your resume and identify all immediate income producing opportunities.
You’re in the pilot’s seat, Captain! I have every faith in your ability to keep us aloft. Tomorrow we’ll tackle the next priority: Navigate – deciding where you want to go and how you are going to get there. Keep flying!
Love it. Never to late for me to read it