Here We Go Again: (Part 5) Showing Up- A Call for Action

"Here We Go Again" is a 5-Part Series Written for People and Families Navigating a Job Loss

This final article in this series is about how we show up during hard times. It is a call to action for those impacted by job loss, those who are supporting people who have lost their jobs and especially for ALL OF US that are not directly impacted but show up anyway because that's what humans do.

HOW TO SHOW UP: Showing up for people during hard times is critical. This quote from Adam Grant captures the heartfelt needs of people struggling with losing their job. If someone you know is impacted by this latest round of job loss, please make it a priority to show up for them. There are multiple, authentic ways to do this. I have outlined a couple action steps below, but perhaps the best thing you can do is to get in touch with your own hard times and remember how it felt when people showed up for you. If you can tap into your own experience, you will access empathy for their struggle and from that space you are likely to find wisdom and know how to show up.

HOW NOT TO SHOW UP: Unfortunately, sometimes people can make things harder by showing up awkwardly, giving unhelpful advice or silently expressing nonverbal cues of judgment or shame. I don't fully understand why this happens, but I have seen and experienced this phenomenon enough to point it out. If this happens to you, please ignore it and do this instead:

If someone's reaction or behavior makes you feel bad, take note of the feeling, and remember that whatever message that is sent says everything about that person and nothing about you. Then let that feeling go.

There is nothing wrong with you.

Honestly.

I will admit that when I started writing these posts over the Thanksgiving break I had written a 5th post for Leaders. In my initial writing I was trying to empathize with the challenges leaders are having, tell a story about leaders that care and inspire them to lead change. Watching the headlines and hearing stories about what is happening, I have lost my faith that the leaders can help right now. Instead, I think it depends on all of us who care.

The most impactful action we can take is for ALL OF US to just show up.          

ACTION# 1: REPOST OR FORWARD THESE ARTICLES: After posting the first article in this series, a friend shared the quote above from Adam Grant and said "This is what your posts are doing for people-- you are letting them be seen." That floored me a bit, but when I thought about it, letting people know that they are not alone was a key principle of why I wrote these posts. Below are links to the full series.

If any of these articles speak to you, please forward or repost them for others to see (and be seen).

ACTION # 2: REMEMBER THAT MOST OF LIFE IS LIVED IN THE "B-ROLL"

The cover to this final article is what I call my "Instagram" view of the world. The cute hugging boys broadcast an image that my kids are best of friends- always loving, kind and supportive of one another. In my family we call this social media phenomenon showing your "A-Roll" for the world to see. The reality of life (and my kids) look more like this picture. We get annoyed, frustrated and angry with each other. We are often not our best selves, especially when we are tired, scared, angry and (especially) hungry.

In the next few weeks and months I imagine that you may feel that you are the only one struggling. In those moments I want you to remember this:

Real life is lived in the "B-Roll" where we struggle, and sometimes even fail, but then we get up again, and again, and again. It's not often found on Instagram, but these are the real stories that matter.

ACTION # 3: DON'T BE AFRAID TO SHOW HUMANITY, ESPECIALLY @ WORK In most of my professional life in Corporate America I felt like I had to hide my humanity. "Be Smart, Work Hard, Get Things Done" were the values that mattered.

Showing kindness and compassion was delegated to the "HR role", but it wasn't going to get you promoted and it certainly wasn't a value at the table when hard decisions were made.

For years I showed up to work as a Sheep in Wolves clothes- I tried to hide my softer side. I feared judgment and believed that caring and showing empathy was a liability rather than a strength. In the last couple years, after living through the pandemic and navigating the loss of people I love, I have decided that I need to change. Being kind, caring about one another and designing for humanity are vital. Caring about how we treat other human beings is not a weakness- it is a strength that is needed more than ever.

Please show up with humanity, especially now at WORK.

Be well and take care of yourself and each other.

Karrie

Here We Go Again: a 5-Part Series Written for People and Families Navigating a Layoff or Termination

• Part 1: You Will Get Through This (For People impacted by layoffs or terminations)
• Part 2: How to Help your Kids Navigate Your Career Lows (For Parents)
• Part 3: Partner Support (For Partners, Spouses, Close friends of People Impacted)
• Part 4: Wait for the Epilogue (Share your Epilogue Stories)
• Part 5: Showing Up (Call to Action for anyone who cares, whether you know someone impacted or not.)

Karrie Sullivan?is the Founder/Principal of?WORKWORKS-?A Design Service dedicated to changing the Culture of WORK.?Using tools and techniques from Human Centered Design, we help organizations to innovate, create healthy and sustainable work environments, and enable organizational change.?