Thomas Venable Jr. loved his job as a senior graphic Web designer. The e-mail marketing company where he had worked since 2003 offered him flexibility to work from home and freedom to pursue his creative ideas with a “great team.†But with an injection of venture capital two years later came a plan for restructuring; then new management and layoffs. The staff of 50 was winnowed down to fewer than 10. Eventually the company closed its doors and Venable found himself unemployed.
“OK, I got this covered,†thought Venable, who left with a severance package and the confidence that his job hunt would be quick. “I can find another job within the next two weeks,†he recalls. “I’ve got 14+ years experience.†However, that was not the case. Though he applied for many positions, Venable says job interviews were sparse, especially since he lacked a college degree. Three months into his search, as his severance and unemployment benefits dwindled, Venable started to question his ability to bounce back and feared what appeared to be an uncertain future.
Such emotional responses to unexpected change are normal, says Pamela Mitchell, founder and CEO of the Reinvention Institute (www.reinvention-institute.com), an organization in Miami that provides professionals the tools, knowledge, and support they need to successfully transform their careers. “You’re going to be scared,†she says of reinvention. “But just because you’re feeling that way doesn’t mean your fear needs to dictate your actions. Remember, they’re separate. So take an action that still moves you forward.â€
The first questions Mitchell recommends you ask yourself when you’re starting your reinvention efforts include: What kind of life do I want to have? Am I happy? How do I want to live day to day? What kind of people do I want to be surrounded by? And what would I be doing if money were no object? The responses you generate will help you reshape your next step, just as they did for Venable.
Venable, 40, regrouped personally and along the way reacquainted himself with his other talents. Considering himself an amateur chef, Venable became an entrepreneur in January 2009 when he launched TommyV Foods L.L.C., which produces and distributes fresh, homemade salsa. Today Venable serves clients in and around northern Virginia including local restaurants, shops, and farmers markets near the company’s Falls Church location. He projects revenues of $30,000 by year-end.
“Reinvention represents the opportunity to reshape stuff,†says Mitchell. For Venable it was a
major overhaul, but for someone else it can mean just small tweaks. Handling unexpected change successfully allows you to reclaim your value, says Mitchell, “because it’s been challenged. So taking it back and beginning to operate from that space (of belief in yourself) rather than a space of desperation is crucial.â€(Continued on next page)
Follow these steps when faced with unexpected change:
1 Take time: “The danger is, if you start taking action while you’re still in shock from being downsized or laid off, you may be simultaneously going through a whole series of feelings: anger, sadness, confusion, fear. And when you try to recreate something from that space, it falls apart. You get desperate. You take something that maybe isn’t right for you,†Mitchell says. Give yourself time, which she adds can be as long as a month.
2 Talk about it: Deal with your emotions by talking to trusted colleagues and friends about what you’ve been through. But, Mitchell urges, “It’s really not about complaining. Give yourself a day or two to complain but after that, stop. It’s about asking for emotional support from the people around you.â€
3 Be kind to yourself: Unexpected changes still provide an opportunity, so take the opportunity
they present. Instead of rushing into your reinvention, do what you never had time to do when you were busy working. Later, you’ll come back ready to dive in.4 Be kind to others: Volunteer. Many times we get self-absorbed, caught up in all the feelings and thoughts inside our head. Lending a hand puts the focus on someone else, gives you a break from your thoughts, and reminds you that your gifts are still useful.
–Tennille M. Robinson, with additional reporting by Brittany Hutson
Below is an excerpt from Mitchell’s book The 10 Laws of Career Reinvention: Essential Survival Skills for Any Economy (Dutton; $25.95) about combating fear, which Mitchell says isn’t easy; however, the secret is “Learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. There are few guarantees in your reinvention journey, but this I promise you: You will come face-to-face on a regular basis with fear. In fact, of all the emotions you’ll likely experience throughout reinvention–excitement, sadness, annoyance–fear will be your steady companion.
Fear is a healthy sign that you are venturing beyond your comfort zone, which you must do repeatedly if you want to move closer to your goal. You might think that a necessary requirement of reinvention is that you “get over†your
fears. This is not possible. Fear is a biochemical reaction that is necessary for ensuring the survival of the species… .…However, it is prone to setting off false alarms, where you freeze up in the face of the good stuff or for no reason at all. These false alarms create and contribute to unnecessary panic during reinvention. That’s why you have to learn to manage your fears, not master them… .
Most reinvention fears break down to a number of anxious what-ifs. What if everything fails? What if I’m making the worst decision of my life? Go ahead and imagine the worst that could happen. If “everything fails,†will you be able to deal with it? Reinvention is a process of change, but it won’t kill you… .
Reinvention does not require you to get over your fears, only that you be willing to take action in spite of them… If you’re waiting to get started on your reinvention until you’re finished slaying all your dragons, forget it. You won’t make progress on your career reinvention unless you are willing to give up the excuses and take action in spite of fear.
As the Chinese proverb says: Talk doesn’t cook rice.