It is normal to experience a mixture of emotions and reactions when losing a job. First prepared by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book “On Death and Dying” the Kubler Ross model includes five stages people may experience at different times and in different ways:
Stage 1: Denial
The reaction one might have at this stage is a feeling that someone made a mistake. Protecting yourself by denying the loss has taken place. You might pretend it never happened and won’t tell anyone.
“No, no, someone screwed up. I am worth too much to fire.”
Stage 2: Anger
When denial can’t continue, you might become angry at those individuals close to them. These being the organization, colleagues or a boss;
“I’ve given my life to the organization. How can they do this to me? This is so unfair, I work harder than my peers.”
Stage 3: Bargaining
Hope that the you can avoid a cause of grief by offer or accepting considerations you may not have before. You are trying to minimize impact of loss.
“Maybe there’s another job in the company I could do. Maybe if I contact them, they would take me back.”
Stage 4: Depression
A feeling of hopelessness and inability to cope develops. Please consider talking to someone if you feel you have lingered in this stage a prolonged period.
“I’ll never find another job as good as the one I had. No one will want to hire me.”
Stage 5: Acceptance
You embrace the inevitable future. You might achieve a calm retrospective view and a stable condition of emotions. Readiness to accept new beginnings unfolds.
“Maybe there is another job out there I will like better. Now I have the opportunity to go back to school. Now I have the opportunity to tune my skills through the Executive Career Academy powered by Vlaad and Company.”
With each stage and get to the fifth as effectively as possible. Skipping a step isn’t always helpful nor productive.
For more information like this, consider joining the Executive Career Academy, powered by Vlaad and Company. This program runs over three days and fully explores best-practice themes, methods, and initiatives to use when transitioning into a superior career stream, re-entering the market, or simply finding a better career.
