Redundancy

REDUNDANCY THE CHINESE WORD FOR CRISIS INVOLVES TWO ENGLISH WORDS – DANGER AND OPPORTUNITY. THE CHALLENGE AS WE FACE CONSTANT CHANGE IS HOW TO MOVE FROM A MINDSET OF FEAR TO ONE EMBRACING NEW OPPORTUNITIES, VISION AND GROWTH WITH THE REQUISITE MAJOR EFFORT TO RENEW OUR MOTIVATION. Such a change in mindset can be difficult for senior managers and executives who have built up a successful career over numerous years, never imagining they would be made redundant. A combination of mentoring and coaching can make all the difference, as a successful initiative which took place in Ireland during 2010 revealed.

LIFE CHANGING In my years of experience working with executives who have been made redundant, I have come to appreciate what a significant life changing event this can be. The balance of life can change dramatically -familiar routines

Executive Mentoring Programme

change, self esteem can get bruised, relationships and family life can be affected. The redundant person can suffer serious loss and experience a great sense of grief. It is akin to a bereavement - the emotions of redundancy can

Executive Coaching Solutions Ltd (ECSL), a coaching and mentoring consultancy based in south Dublin had been approached by Ireland’s National Training and Employment Authority, FÁS, to design a programme meeting the needs of redundant managers, leaders and senior executives. The resultant programme, the Executive Mentoring and Networking Programme, was rolled out to around 300 participants over a number of months between March 2009 to September 2010 with extremely positive results.

The programme has been rolled out Nationwide and, due to the success of the initiative, will be ongoing sought to enhance participants´ productive job-seeking skills and self-confidence, helping them keep up their morale in the short-term and be able to carry on despite setbacks. In the long-term, the aim was to help them gain employment with high economic, social and psychological rewards, developing competencies including self-awareness, adaptability, self confidence, adaptability, presenting with impact, empathy and organizational awareness, and influence and communication.

move through shock, denial, anger, hopelessness, stress, into a more positive mindset of acceptance and integration of the experience into creative future life planning.

STRESS triggered by future uncertainty, lack of security, fear of the unknown, loss of self esteem, needs to be understood and managed. Although very difficult to accept in troubled times, the crucial factor is holding the belief that we can still have choices. The programme highlighted the usefulness of being aware of three mindset options when we perceive change in negative terms.

We can see ourselves as: • A Victim of circumstances, • A survivor, adopting a reactive, aggressive approach, or as • A navigator who takes initiatives and harnessing positive energy

SETBACKS Skills, social support, and knowing how to cope with setbacks are all critical social resources that can have powerful preventive impacts for people who would otherwise be very vulnerable to the adversity of life transitions like job loss. Much of the intervention’s rationale derives from research on vigilant coping (Allart-van Dam et al., 2003).

Unusually, the programme recognizes how crucial a sense of control, mastery and social support are crucial in sustaining mental health, as well as the importance of combating feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and depression. The programme encouraged self-efficacy, the knowledge that one can succeed, as a motivational force for attempting new challenges. Research has shown that enhancing job search self-efficacy stimulates participants to engage in intensive job search activities. Positive mental health is a value in its own right; it contributes to the individual’s well-being and quality of life; and also contributes to society and the economy by increasing social functioning and social capital.

Positive mental health refers to human qualities and life skills such as cognitive functioning, positive self-esteem, social and problem solving skills, the ability to manage major changes and stresses in life and to influence the social environment, the ability to work productively and fruitfully and to make contributions to the community, and a state of emotional, spiritual and mental well-being (Hosman, 1997; WHO, 2001)..

This shows that people under pressure often narrow their search for solutions and tend to become prematurely invested in a certain course of action.

Participants were trained in diagnosing unemployment problems and generating alternatives for re-employment. Through the one to one coaching offered on the programme they also received tips on ‘inoculation’ against setbacks as it is recognised that people need to Throughout the programme, participants were given lots of opportunities to engage in active learning processes. These involved group brain storming to diagnose problems as well as suggestions of active coping solutions and ways to overcome potential obstacles or barriers. All along, participants were encouraged to analyze their situation for problems or potential difficulties, and to generate their own solutions in true coaching style so they were more committed to their implementation. The group setting was crucial because even if the person can’t come up with a solution, they were exposed to people who could.

There were five keys to the success of this programme: One to one coaching formed an integral part of the programme. Participants were encouraged to work with a coach to help them with focus, action planning and forward movement leading to effective job achievement.

“POD “activities grew generically from the work carried out during each workshop. Participants worked in groups of four or five, met offline and reported back to the main group weekly. Members of the “POD” groups were rotated in order to encourage networking unless ‘Entrepreneur’ groups were formed when groups were then maintained and became ‘Stable’ Teams Advanced communication skills and presentation skills including skills practice, interview preparation and designing a professional personalised CV for every participant Job campaign strategies, managing mental blocks and emotional well being were a strong focus Facilitators had high levels of social and emotional competencies, including flexibility, empathy, selfconfidence

Programme and positive outlook. They also

MENTORING

THIS SHOWS THAT PEOPLE UNDER PRESSURE OFTEN NAR-

had excellent listening skills, talent

ROW THEIR SEARCH FOR SOLU-

in giving feedback, skill in facilitat-

TIONS AND TEND TO BECOME

ing group process and the ability to

PREMATURELY INVESTED IN A

manage challenge in a constructive

CERTAIN COURSE OF ACTION.

manner. They had the skill of navigat-

PARTICIPANTS WERE TRAINED

ing ‘prescriptive’ course content with

IN DIAGNOSING UNEMPLOY-

the flexibility of working with partici-

MENT PROBLEMS AND GEN-

pants needs at a high level. Also all

ERATING ALTERNATIVES FOR

facilitators were trained professional

RE-EMPLOYMENT. THROUGH

coaches with a strong belief in self

THE ONE TO ONE COACHING

empowerment and faith in the indi-

OFFERED ON THE PROGRAMME

viduals they were working with.

THEY ALSO RECEIVED TIPS

The programme assisted partici-

ON ‘INOCULATION’ AGAINST

pants to carry out a major reassess-

SETBACKS AS IT IS RECOGNISED

ment of their own personal situations,

THAT PEOPLE NEED TO ANTICI-

their strengths and weaknesses, their

PATE SETBACKS AND BUILD UP

career aspirations, and their values

REPERTOIRES TO COPE WITH

and goals in life.

COUNTER-PRESSURES. Many of us will remember the

“YES WE CAN” OBAMA

CLIENT CASE STUDY

to self empowerment. We need to be motivated, challenged and stretched to perceive new horizons.

“IT IS NOT THE EVENTS IN OUR LIVES THAT DETERMINE WHO WE BECOME, BUT THE MEANING WE CHOOSE TO PLACE ON THESE EVENTS.” positive slogan Barack Obama used when he was elected as president of the US – “Yes we can.” This is not just a clever use of words but a description of a very powerful mindset.

Programme participants were encouraged to reframe negatives to positives such as – I can’t to I can; I’ll try to I will; I should to I could; a problem to an opportunity; helpless

There are many aspects to change in our lives, positive and negative.

Change can be difficult, unsettling chaotic, unwelcome, but it can also be exciting, challenging and a time for new opportunities. The words of Victor Frankl should be kept in mind – “It is not the events in our lives that determine who we become, but the meaning we choose to place on these events.”

“I really did not understand that work played such a central role in my life giving me purpose, structure, a sense of identity, social engagement, status and direction and needless to say a source of income and financial security. It also provided me with the opportunity to use my talents and skills, giving me a source of satisfaction, fulfilment and pride. When I was made redundant I felt all of that was taken away from me. I felt isolated and in many ways a failure. I felt I had lost my identity and really did not know how to function in this new and unfamiliar world. Whereas once I bounced out of bed in the morning with a great sense of purpose and, dare I say it, importance, now I found it difficult to get out of bed. I had nothing to do and nowhere to go. I did not want to meet old friends as I felt they were sorry for me and I couldn’t bear that. Slowly I was turning into a recluse.

I believe without the programme I would have become seriously depressed. It was wonderful to meet kindred spirits. I found it challenging and enjoyable working with my coach who had such unfailing belief in me.

I began to think ‘outside the box’. I am a qualified architect and had worked my way up in a very large organisation over a period of years. My focus had been to return to a familiar work environment however through the coaching process and working with my colleagues on the programme I decided to set up a small consultancy. Six months later I have a number of contracts , providing me with not only a respectable income but also allowing me to spend more time with my family than ever before.

My quality of life has improved immensely and I am a happier person than I have ever been. I am not necessarily advocating redundancy as a gateway to a new, more fulfilling life but I now do believe that with positive support people can come out the other side positively” Mark: architect and participant on the Executive Mentoring and Support Programme Paula King is managing director of ECSL and president of the European Mentoring & Coaching Council Ireland www.kingstowncollege.ie