Don't
Be in Such a Rush to Restart, or Rehire
As the economy returns to something near normal, companies and
workers who have been sidelined might feel an urgent need to back into action.
Just take some time to think this through before you do.
One of the first things we tell our salespeople is that you
never know when the buyer will eventually agree to make a purchase. So,
notwithstanding the fact that it's painful to be pushy and that you're always
afraid that you'll be wearing out your welcome, you need to keep asking for the order because,
one minute after you let down your guard and take a break, will be the time
when someone else jumps in and makes the sale.
Life isn't fair, but it's very fast. And if you're not quick,
consistent and careful, life can easily pass you by. Being in a hurry in sales
is healthy - in fact, it's a must. Elsewhere, maybe not so much. In matters of
employment, being in a hurry is a mixed blessing. Which brings us to some of
the complexities around the many companies soon to be in hiring mode, and in a
hurry to do so, and the millions of people looking for those jobs who are in a
similar rush.
In fact, just about everyone I know (on one side of the process
or the other) can't wait to get back to work or to find work even though -
whether they know it or not - they may not actually be ready. Now's the moment
when it makes a lot of sense for both searchers and seekers to take just a
little time to get their bearings. You need to identify what you're really
looking for and avoid signing up or signing on just for the sake of getting
something to do or finding someone to fill a slot.
As demand for goods and services explodes across the reviving
economy, employers who have been shell-shocked, who are still somewhat fearful
of moving forward, and who are rightly concerned about getting back into the game
prematurely will soon wake up in a frenzy and decide that it's as easy as
flipping a switch and running an ad to find the right people for prior
positions. The fact is that the job requirements, the necessary skills, and
even the overall nature of their businesses are likely to have changed in
material, but not necessarily clear and settled ways. This will present new
challenges, uncertain risks, and other difficulties -- like workforce
right-sizing and retraining around security, safety and health issues.
And, in the same way, most job seekers (whatever they may
subjectively feel, say, or admit to themselves) are also overly anxious and
unlikely to appreciate just how different and risky re-entry can be when you've
spent a year on the bench. If you ask yourself, apart from nerves, how you
really feel at the moment about trains and planes and automobiles or how
excited you are to be dealing with buttons, belts and zippers once again, you
might just conclude that - while our brains are busy thinking about doing the
right thing - our minds and our bodies are more than a little slow and sluggish
about the prospect of getting back into battle. Adam Grant recently wrote a
great explanation about our ubiquitous apathy - which he described as "languishing" -
a mid-state condition between classical depression and flourishing. But I think
when we look back on these times, if we do things right, it will emerge that
this wasn't a condition, but rather a chance to make new choices.
Anxiety isn't the same as adrenaline and it's more likely to sap
your energy than to provide the extra push you need to come roaring back. We're
all suffering from variations of the Pandemic Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS)
and everyone needs to ease on down the road back rather than trying to jump
from zero to hero in a matter of minutes. You can walk down any path as long as
it isn't a plank.
This moment is especially risky if you're a new player in a new
position because there won't be a lot of second chances or do-overs if you blow
it the first time. Those old muscles aren't as limber as they used to be and,
even more importantly, after a year with family and a chance for many of us to
reevaluate what's really first and foremost in our lives, maybe we all don't
have exactly the same old drive and desire to work like maniacs and set the
world on fire. Depending on your political persuasion, to a certain extent, the
world's been a dumpster fire for at least a year and honestly for the last four
years and we all need a break.
It's clearly important that we all get back to taking care of
business eventually, but at the moment, there's a bigger and more substantial
barrier to getting back. We've learned a lot about living (and dying) in the
last year and - as I've said many times, there's always more work, but you've only got one family. The trick is a new
approach, which we now see is possible: you can organize your day around
your life rather than around your work. Taking care of your family and your own
mental health and wellbeing is critical right now; so is making thoughtful and
careful choices and plans about the way forward for you and yours. It's never
too soon to be smart and a little selfish.
No company is ever going to love you like your family does; no
job will ever make up for losing huge chunks of the early years of your kids
growing up. Covid-19 sucked (and still sucks plenty), but it did give us each
an opportunity to pause, reflect and reevaluate where we've been and where we
should be heading. Don't miss the chance to catch up with, and try to make up
for, the sometimes-ugly past. This isn't something that comes around often --
plus there's a good chance that you can also change the future.
APR 27, 2021
