The economic and health situation caused by the coronavirus poses challenges for all companies. In the Many Countries and world press, we can read a number of estimates about how many jobs will be lost in the coming period.
In the Americas, for example, the number of people registered for unemployment benefits has increased tenfold, and approx. Unemployment is predicted at 20-30%. It is also difficult to guess what economic processes this situation will trigger, but we can also expect redundancies and layoffs of a certain volume, similar to the 2008-2009 global economic crisis, to those companies that were not affected by the crisis in the first place. The question is: can we do something as an employee to keep our job, or is it better to prepare for the worst?
Stay away from me to humanize it, but there’s a familiar joke here: Two people are gangling peacefully in the jungle when a lion suddenly jumps out of the bush and starts chasing them. They rush with pure force, and one of them begins to shout desperately:
– Hey, man, we have no chance of surviving! The lion is a hundred times faster than both of us. Needless to run, he’ll catch up with us anyway!
To the other’s voice,
“I have no idea of competing with the lion.” I don’t have to leave the lion, just you…
A bit polarized, but that’s pretty much the current situation with layoffs. Not everyone will be sent (at least not from most companies), but downsizing is expected in many places. What can you do to keep yourself from scattering? Here is an 8 point action plan!
Attention! The tips are mainly for those who still have a job and a previous job!
8 tips to keep your job even in times of crisis
1) Be proactive!
Every crisis is also a serious test for the company manager (also). In this case, a so-called power vacuum: the boss’s attention is 100% captured by the crisis. You have to make quick decisions, you have to manage new and new problems that arise on a daily basis, and the previous normal course of business is legally pushed into the background by all managers. Which employee will come out well from the new lineup? The one who doesn’t need to be teased, the one who doesn’t need to be held accountable, checked, does his job without it.
So first and foremost: strive for creative ideas, do your job independently and reliably! Put yourself even better in the next period and help your company and team proactively!
2) Focus on your work!
In addition to a lot of negative news and uncertainty, people also tend to panic and worry about their own worries during working hours. Unfortunately, this will sooner or later be reflected in the performance, which, let’s face it, is not a very lucky point at a time when everyone would have to do the job a thousand percent.
Don’t let the negative vortex take you too! Eliminate panic and helpless anxiety during your work hours! Focus on what you can influence and don’t let your braincheck your performance!
3) Be flexible!
If we are comfortable with it, if not, companies will be forced to redraw jobs and give new tasks to regarded employees in the next period. There will be those who will protest against it hand in hand.
This will now be NOT the “not my business” period, NOT the “not included in my job description” period. I also advise you that if you entrust your boss with a new task, do not bargain with him, do it to the best of your knowledge.
4) Talk to your boss.
Many people choose the tactic that when times are tougher for the company, they tend to hide. Don’t have to confront, don’t have to be mindful, don’t have to report. “Until they see it, there’s nothing wrong.” – This is not a good survival strategy, in fact!
Feel free to find your boss, ask him for advice, ask what you can possibly help. Ask him for feedback so you know what he expects from you in the new situation. And even talk to him a little bit about the company’s situation. He may not be able to tell you a lot of extra information, but feel free to search and even ask him for new assignments. The point is to be mindful and communicate!
5) Be a cohesive force!
Most companies have switched to working from home, which can be quite a challenge for a community. Take advantage of this period and be the one to hold the team together with a little better. Even if the boss is in a telephone consultation all day, he put out the fire, you can be the one to talk to the others, call them, help them.
If this task is not very far from you, feel free to take on the role of coordinator, teammate, and non-intrusive, but a bit of a mouthpiece.
6) Keep in touch with the outside world!
In any crisis situation, regular communication with the outside world is very important. What does the outside world mean? If you’re in a relationship with customers, you’re on the one hand (according to your job opportunities) your customers and, above all, your boss. Many don’t see it that way, but the most important customer of every employee is their boss. And it’s never enough to “just” work hard, you have to be able to show it to your leader! This will be even more so now.
I’m not telling you to learn from politicians :), but I do suggest that you start reporting to your leader at least once a week. Make a summary, even if you don’t expect it to!
7) Pay attention to the internal job opportunities!
Even during the deepest crisis (at least for most of the companies on their feet), internal jobs are constantly being filled. If you see that your job (whatever you do) is in jeopardy, on the one hand, put 100% of the work into it nonetheless, and on the other hand, be on the lookout for positions within the company.
Try to position yourself so that you have a chance to fill another job within the company that you may find more secure.
8) Consider the situation of your company!
One of the most important keys to survival is not to put your head in the sand! Don’t wait for a miracle, rather keep track of your company’s realistic situation. You can’t get out of a crisis with a blindfold!
If you see a ship sinking, if it’s obvious that the entire company is in danger, start preparing for the shift in time. All this is not a let down, just be ready to jump!
So this is an 8 basic guide to survival. Of course, even so, there is no guarantee that your job will definitely escape the crisis. But if you follow these few rules, you’re much more likely that if you have to send one of two people to management, you won’t have a choice.
Remember: change carries dangers, but it also offers opportunities
If you look only at the bigger picture, even politics / economic policy, you can always see in a crisis situation how sharply you can get stuck and how well you can get out of a situation.
You can make good decisions in the long run, but you can even decide on a complete career in an instant. Here is e.g. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo v . Donald Trump case.
While Trump speaks out stupidly about the coronavirus and virtually no longer knows how to cry or laugh at it, it has become completely unbelievable about Cuomo, how honest, supportive, and vain New York is one of the focal points of the virus in the US In, the governor is one of the greatest examples that can respond well to it.
While Trump is constantly undermining himself, Cuomo has practically rebuilt himself, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he got into a higher position after the crisis at lightning speed.
The analogy may be a little strong, but it’s pretty much the same now in the workplace: a crisis is a threat, but it’s also an opportunity for you to jump out.
If you can stay loyal in a situation like this, if you do your job well, make good decisions and prove it, they can very easily notice you now. And when the crisis is over, you may even find yourself in a higher position than where you were before.
