The Assumptions We Make

This continuing winter of layoffs extends into another season of anxiety as we face uncertainty and what feels like random, seismic thunderbolts of change. If you were laid off, I feel for you. If you weren’t laid off, I feel for you. In either scenario, and regardless of how layoffs were executed, the assumptions we make about work are challenged.

It’s hard to face up to events that feel out of our control. Emotions can range from mild uneasiness to anxiety, depression and fear. We want to know how layoff decisions were made, how people were selected, why they were selected. There’s a natural desire to combat feeling victimized, a feeling where things happened outside of our control. If we knew, for example, that layoffs targeted low performers, then there’s a way we can address that; how you perform is within your control. It’s an entirely different scenario when events occur unexpectedly, and without any visible pattern or reason. The #salesforcelayoffs impacted high performers; stellar, tenured talent. Things feel out of control, and we don’t yet know what lies ahead.

The anxiety we are feeling is real. There’s a variety of life challenges that we are already facing: student loans, rising rents, high interest rates, mortgages, college payments for our children. But anxiety can also offer us opportunities to examine what we assume to be true.

If I do a great job at a top-tier company, then I’ll be paid a stable and rewarding income and I don’t need to worry about my financial needs.

If I excel at my job, then I’ll be able to keep my job for as long as I want.

If I continue to grow and up-level my skills, then I’ll be even more valuable; I’ll have more to offer, my employer and my career will flourish.

All of these assumptions can be true. Or NOT. The point is, I can use events like layoffs to examine what my assumptions are and ask: Do they still serve me?

Assumptions are the inner framework that hold our beliefs. And our inner beliefs are our defaults. They’re what we believe is true for us and what drives our decisions when we’re not paying attention. They function like our auto-pilot mode. When you take the time to examine what beliefs you hold, especially those that are being challenged and ask important questions about them, you can shift your defaults to more closely reflect what is truly important for you and how to live your life with more meaning and directed purpose. This can open up more choices for you, which gives a greater sense of control. Ask:

If this belief doesn’t serve me, then what do I want to change about it?

By continuing to operate on this assumption, am I passively moving through my career without taking a deeper ownership to direct it?

What do I really want to accomplish?

How do I want to contribute, and in what ways?

Through a process of self-examination, you may find passions left on the sidelines, goals you once had that were temporarily set aside for other priorities. You may discover what’s truly important to you now, at this stage of your life.

The onset of the pandemic also surfaced assumptions many, myself included, held about their lives.

If I take care of my mental and physical health, then I’ll have enough time to do the things I want to do in this life.

As my father often reminded me, there are no guarantees in life. But what I can do is focus on living fully, and well, each day. I can question what I assume to be true and refocus on what is meaningful to me. Putting effort into areas where I can be of service, where I can make an impact each day can be an enriching and rewarding experiences. I’m taking this moment to appreciate that, and derive deep satisfaction from a day well lived.

This is not an attempt to minimize the very real anxiety we are all experiencing. For me, anxiety is a good messenger. It brings to the forefront what’s important for me, and what I need to do to feel secure. So sometimes there are healthy and supportive actions I can take, and then sometimes it’s more of an internal acceptance journey. I think it’s helpful to allow oneself to truly experience everything that’s present in this moment and allow for the journey.

I hope this helps. I’m sorry we are experiencing such upheavals. But I’m so grateful for my communities, inside and outside #salesforce.

For those affected by the #salesforcelayoffs, I would be happy to offer complimentary coaching sessions if that would be helpful at this time.

#coaching #careercoaching #leadershipcoaching