Comments on: Two Years Ago Today: “We’re Going To Let You Go…”

By: JibberJobber Blog » Blog Archive » Your Job Sucks - Get Out Before You Get Kicked Out

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:50:11 +0000

[...] Two years ago today I was still reeling from the news of being laid off. I’ve said many times that I saw the writing on the wall. Interesting concept, as the writing didn’t just say, “you are going to be kicked out of here eventually.” It said other things. [...]

By: Ricky Dyson

Ricky Dyson — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:31:37 +0000

I have just joined JibberJobber and am beginning to navigate. Jason’s heartfelt blog was very close to me.
I had joined the company seven years ago when they were close to bankruptcy, very poorly managed and had an ant heap of employees, most of whom were filling their days with unconnected activities. I helped save the company, reduced the staffing levels by better than half (mostly by attrition) and, with steady growth in revenue and steady reduction in overhead, turned the company into an excellent profit level.
I thought a year ago that I would become redundant. (Now the owners are making good money — why do they need me?) But somehow, I thought that my loyalty and hard work would be reciprocated. Like all of us, I did not believe that the day would come. But here it is — end of January — end of job. There is an interesting evolutionary dilemma here — the selfish desire to get more in your rice bowl than the other fellow versus the drive to fairness or equal rice levels. “Business decisions” are completely logical in the minds of the owners. Fairness and loyalty are technically illogical in the short term.

By: Scot Herrick

Scot Herrick — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:00:00 +0000

Jason, et. al.,

One of the characteristics of great employees (and people) is their personal engagement and commitment to the work at hand. This personal engagement and commitment means that being laid off is a personal — not a business — decision. Sure, it’s a business decision to the people laying you off, but because of the engagement and commitment, to you it is personal. That is where the pain comes from. That is why it stays.

All layoffs, in my opinion, can be traced back to management’s mismanagement. And, with some 40% of the workforce not engaged in their jobs, many won’t think the layoff as personal because of the lack of connection between management and the work at hand.

But good employees are engaged — and I’d take an engaged employee on my team any day.

By: SOB Business Cafe 01-11-08 - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You are only a stranger once.

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 22:16:37 +0000

[...] Two Years Ago Today: â€œWeâ€™re Going To Let You Goâ€¦â€ [...]

By: Susan Guarneri

Susan Guarneri — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:06:10 +0000

Think about how much you have learned and grown since you were laid off! It enabled you to go on to own your personal brand and express it convincingly and with compassion to the world. On a selfish side note, I’m grateful for this turn of events in your life because otherwise I might not have ever gotten to know you and value you as a professional and personal friend. Congratulations on your business and life success!
Susan Guarneri
Career Assessment Goddess
Blog: http://blog.careergoddess.com

By: Bengt Wendel

Bengt Wendel — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:36:22 +0000

Thanks for a great and personal post!
And may the coming year be your best so far.

By: billiesucher

billiesucher — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:34:30 +0000

Jason, I love your openness and honesty…in my book Between Jobs: Recover, Rethink, Rebuild, I dedicated it to the president of the company who “relieved me of my duties” (aka fired me)…even though that happened a gazillion years ago, the day is permanently etched in my mind. Maybe you won’t “get over it” (whatever that means) — maybe getting on with it is what matters. And you are a role model at doing that, for sure! Congratulations on your two-year anniversary! : – )
Best, Billie

By: Robert Merrill

Robert Merrill — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:26:15 +0000

@Jason, I know this is selfish, but I am glad this happened or else we likely never would have met.

@Laura, I am sorry, deeply…

By: Laura Moncur

Laura Moncur — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:35:07 +0000

God, I remember the day I was laid off at the engineering firm. I had known for well over a year that they didn’t need me, but it was still a kick in the gut when they did it.

I was fine until the point where my coworker pretended not to know what was going on and made me explain it. She HAD to know that I was being canned because she was in charge of preparing that paperwork. It was a minor bit of sadism that I just couldn’t handle.

I left within the hour and I’m still angry and sad and hurt.

The funny thing is, I don’t feel better now that I’m in a MUCH better situation. You would think that my current success would ease the pain of it, but it still HURTS.

If I could stick a pin in my sadistic coworker, I would do it and watch her jump at the pain, over and over again…

By: Marina Martin

Marina Martin — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:19:32 +0000

I would not want a life with no obstacles and no pain along the way. That’s what makes our future success taste even sweeter and, arguably, possible at all.

Thanks for sharing, and happy two-year anniversary