When downsizing entered the national vocabulary, Maynard Brusman, a San Francisco-based corporate psychologist, had the walking wounded coming to his office. His first task was to let people know "the whole world of work has changed, there is no longer that psychological contract, no one owes you a job for life any more." While many realize this at one level, it doesn't change their feelings when they're dismissed, feelings so intense that Dr. Brusman had people coming in, "feeling that there's a death" when a job went away. Dr. Brusman's second concern? Those left behind after a downsizing were being scarred by anxiety so severe that managers needed to rebuild employee morale and dedication.
Mergers, acquisitions, personality conflicts or outgrowing a job can lead to your needing to move to another position. Middle managers aren't immune, since they're among the most expensive employees a company has (don't think top management is about to cut itself). The best definition of job security is the ability to find another job right away, which means people today are always looking for work. If nothing else, having an outward vision of what they can do and their worth helps protect employees from a state of shock if their situation suddenly changes. Asking questions is the first skill you need; it will lead to many other skills needed to keep you employed.
During the depths of one recession, I interviewed many middle and senior managers who had never thought they'd be fired. One had worked for what was once one of the largest corporations in America. In his recently bought upper-middle-class home, surrounded by polished wood and silver, he talked of having been out of work for more than six months without any promising interviews. I realized why the wood shone so brightly: He had all the time in the world to polish it. The victim of a merger, he clearly had to recalculate his worth and the measure of his career success.
Since any company can be sold or broken up, you need to be constantly questioning what your company is doing. Francis Quittel, a management consultant, says most people aren't fired for cause but are restructured or reorganized out of a job, and "most of the time there have been signals all along the way that people choose to ignore." If there's word of cutbacks or your star is fading, the rumor mill will be running at full speed. Careful inquiry will keep you from wearing the blinders of denial and warn you if your career is headed for an unscheduled interruption.
Don't vent if you think you're being shown the door; this is the time for cool, calm questioning. Be smart so that you can walk away with all you deserve. Don't feel automatically obligated to help train the next person or finish off any projects -- focus on your future. You could be out of work for many months and you'll need all the resources you can muster to cover the gap.
If you're called into a meeting to discuss your uncertain future, you'll want to be prepared to question all issues of your reputation and compensation. Unlike in other business situations, you may not be around the next day to ask for further explanation. If your position is being eliminated immediately and you're being rushed through the discharge process, ask politely and calmly to have the agreement in writing so that you can come back the next day to negotiate the entire severance package. You need to ask for time to think about all the issues that need to be addressed so that you can make the most of this unfortunate circumstance.
While you may feel powerless and worthless, there will also be a sense of guilt among those firing you. You can leverage their short-lived concern to help smooth your way through unemployment. Make no threats and shed no tears. Instead, use positive questions to be all business. There are many issues you can negotiate, although you may have to go beyond your boss for answers to some of your queries. The organization will want you out of the door as soon as possible, so you may have only a couple of days to work on the negotiations and play off the guilt they may feel. Move quickly but decisively.
While you can't get fired again for asking for any benefits or severance, don't ask for your job back. If they turn down requests for items such as additional time in your office or secretarial help, use the denial to ask for more money. This is one case where taking too many notes might hurt your situation. In such an emotionally charged situation, it might come off as your trying to document their words for legal purposes. Take some notes, but, above all, listen carefully; you're negotiating your future.
One of my bosses used to advise employees that how they left the work force was how they would re-enter it, either bitter and angry or confident and assured. The choice was theirs. Take the situation when two self-assured and aggressive people had their employment coming to an end. One took the news with disbelief and shut down all positive communication with the company. The other surveyed the boss and co-workers for suggestions on what to do and what future employment opportunities existed elsewhere. The one who asked the questions lined up work that began on the moment his current position ended, and the other faded out of view and took several months to find new work, a powerful lesson to those who witnessed the difference.
The most important question for you is how much severance pay you can negotiate. The most fundamental figure is enough to get you to your next job. You may need to call another company or industry trade group for the standard severance package in your field. These can range from one week's pay to a month's pay for each year of service. Those who see a dismissal coming can question to find the high-end their organization offers. You can always say, "I'm just asking for fair treatment by the company." Think about asking co-workers and bosses for letters of recommendation.
-- Mr. Finlayson is the news director for KTVU Channel Two in San Francisco and the author of "Questions That Work -- How to Ask Questions That Will Help You Succeed in Any Business Situation" (Amacom, 2001), from which this excerpt has been adapted.