Career Management for the Nervously Employed: Performing and Planning in Turbulent Times

Barry J Horne Executive Career Coaching M: (0425) 308 625

E: barryjh@amnet.net.auJune 2016 L: linkedin.com/in/barryhorne

Consulting to Organisations: Change Projects, Employee Benefits

Coaching Teams: Cross-Functional Projects

Leading Professional Teams: Research, Actuarial Workplace Coaching: Executives, Managers

Coaching and Advising Individuals: Career Direction/Transition, Financial Planning

Training Career Professionals

My Perspective

Horne (2016)

The State of the Economy

Career Transition Practice Learning

Inadequacy of Either/Or Thinking

Helpful Career Perspectives

Workplace Engagement

Contingency Planning

Overview

Horne (2016)

State of Economy: Unemployment

ABS (2016)

Western Australia : Unemployment Rate (%), April Series

11.2% (1991)

2.7% (2007)

5.6% (2016)

Career Transition Practice Learning

Turbulent, White Water Workplaces

Organisational Change, Restructuring and Reengineering “Normal”

Retrenchment / Role Redundancy Event(s) High Probability Across Employee’s Career

Anticipating, Preparing for, and Dealing with Role Redundancy are Critical Career Management Skills.

Horne (2016)

Career Transition Practice Learning

Horne (2016)

Career Transition Practice Learning

Horne (2016)

Level of Role Redundancy Anticipation

Proactivity

Context Career Management Actions

High High Engaged in Restructuring

Emotionally Adjusted; Range Taken

Moderate All Spotted Trends with Potential to Affect Job Security… High Risk Assessed as

Significant “State of Emergency”; Range of Pre-emptive Actions Taken

… Moderate Risk Considered Real Couple of Actions Taken (e.g. Update Resume, Pre-Positioning with Recruiters)

… Low/None Risk Assessed as Negligible (e.g. ”Felt Safe”)

Maintain a Watching Brief. No Actions Taken.

Career Transition Practice Learning

Horne (2016)

Anticipation

Proactivity

Context Career Management Actions

Low Noticed Events/Communications, Momentary Unease re Job SecurityLow/None Denied Risk, Did Not Trust

Instincts, or Returned to “Busyness”

No Actions Taken

No Low/None Totally Blind-sided No Actions Taken

Levels of Anticipation/Career Management Proactivity Important: Notification Day Support Reactions; Pace of Emotional Adjustment; Demands on Program Support; and Length of Time to Secure Next Position.

Sandgroper

Inadequacy of Either/Or Thinking

A resident of Western Australia, named after a sand burrowing desert insect. [Australian Dictionary]

Source: WA Museum Source: thewhirlingwind.com

Horne (2016)

Helpful Perspectives

McCulloch (2015)

Helpful Perspectives

Inkson (2006)

1 Inheritance

2 Cycles

3 Action

4 Fit

5 Journey

6 Roles

7 Relationships

8 Resource

9 Story

Helpful Perspectives

Horne (2016)de Bono (1990)

Nervous Employment• Performing in Current Role• Busyness Momentum • Short-term Focus• Defensive Posture• Survival Mentality• Scarcity/Deficit

Perspective

Strategic Career Management• Eye to Future • Helicopter, Creative

View• Medium to Long-Term

Focus• Proactive Stance• “Thrival” Mentality• Abundance/Capability

Perspective

Workplace Engagement

BlessingWhite (2011)

Contingency Planning : Be AlertTrends Impacting Job Security

Government Policy Major International Events / Crises Pressures Faced by Industry Industry Merger and Acquisition Activity Financial Pressures on Organisation Work Methods Applied

Make NO Assumptions About Professional Indispensability

Horne (2016)

Contingency Planning: Be Prepared

At Home Share Feelings with Trusted Family and Friends Audit Financial Situation* Formulate Strategies to Reduce

Impact of Potential Job Loss*

At Work Know How to Contact People

Known Through Employment Document Workplace

Achievements Observe Office Politics

Horne (2016)

Contingency Planning: Be Prepared

Develop Self-Marketing Resources Create a High Quality, Up-To-Date Resume* Join LinkedIn, Develop or Improve Profile* Frame a Contact Card (for Networking

Purposes)*

Increase Professional Visibility Industry/Professional Events Develop Networks (e.g. Recruiters,

LinkedIn Connections)

Be Alert to All Opportunities/Explore/Inquire

Horne (2016)

Contingency Planning : Be Dignified

If Attending a Role Redundancy Notification Meeting, TRY to: Pay Attention to Proceedings Maintain Composure Refrain from Directing Personal Comments Towards

Organisational Representatives* Remember You May Interact Professionally in Future (e.g.

Consultant, Supplier) Recognise the Value of Positive Referee Reports

Note (*): Organisation may Narrow Options Offered, if Behaviour Considered Totally Unreasonable

Horne (2016)

Redundancy is “Normal” - No Wonder We’re Nervous!

Don’t be a Caricature Sandgroper - Head Up!

Meet the Challenges of

- Performing at Work- Achieving at Work- Being Alert to (Internal and External) Opportunities

If You Are Nervous, Plan for Contingencies (Be Alert, Be Prepared and Be Dignified)

Key Points

Horne (2016)

Actually I never really thought of it as a career, since a career suggests evolution and progress, whereas my professional life has been a series of advances and retreats: stagnation and renewals, lulls and surges, doldrums and typhoons. A career could be planned, my life was the result of chance and improvisation. It was plotless.

Humphries (2002)

A Parting Quote

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2016). Labour Force, Australia. Catalogue 6202.0

BlessingWhite Inc (2011). Employee Engagement Report 2011 – Beyond the numbers: A practical approach for individuals, managers and executives.

de Bono (1990). The Happiness Purpose. Penguin Horne (2016). Strategies for Supporting the Nervously

Employed. Humphries, B (2002). My Life as Me. Viking Inkson, K (2006). Understanding Careers: The

Metaphors of Working Lives. Sage Publications McCulloch, A (2015). The BIG Picture & Honest Career

Advice. LinkedIn Pulse

Resources