3 Ways Co-workers Can Band Together After Layoffs - The Muse

3 Ways Co-workers Can Band Together After Layoffs - The Muse3 Ways Co-workers Can Band Together After LayoffsSometimes the worst happens and you lose yur job. Maybe its out of the blue or maybe you saw the writing on the wall. Either way, its nerve wracking and painful and every other synonym out there for stressful.Theres bedrngnis a quick fix. But leaning on those who are going through the same experience- and letting them lean on you- can help make the process less overwhelming and certainly less lonely. Thats why I was so inspired when I learned about all the examples of co-workers who banded together after mass layoffs or a company shutdown. Its a reminder that losing your job isnt the end of the world, even when it feels that way. Below are three ways you and your colleagues can support each other if youre in a similar situation (or are nervous you might be soon), all based on real stories of people whove been there.1. Create a Website That Profiles Everyones ExpertiseWhen Kim Reedy was reading through the description for the role shed eventually land at Rosetta Stone, the whole way through I was just ecstatic, she says. She had an eclectic hintergrund that included a lot of travel, languages, and writing, and it just fit me. At the time, the company was growing so fast that you could pretty much dabble in any department, recalls Reedy. But the growth didnt last. Within a few years the company was laying people off. Reedy and several others were cut in March 2013. She and many of her colleagues had moved from all over the country and world to take jobs in a town that didnt have a whole lot of other industry, so mass layoffs meant not only losing their jobs, but also potentially leaving their homes. One fellow Rosetta Stone alum, Laura Dent, worked with a city council member to put together a networking meeting with local business leaders, where Reedy met her future boss. And Reedy worked with another alum, Rosalind OBrien, to create a website. Your Town, ur Town featured profiles of former Rosetta Stone employees detailing their expertise, experience, and what type of work theyre interested in to help business find them. And it did. The site led to interviews and freelance projects. We had a sense of ability and capability, says Reedy, whos now the director of communications at JMU X-Labs. Weve all moved out here, they thought as they banded together to figure out Whats the next step?2. Launch an Online Group to Share OpportunitiesWhen Katharine Richardson returned to full-time work after having kids, she became the director of marketing at an instrument company in Nashville. But it didnt take long for her to realize what a terrible environment shed entered. It was just an absolutely insane distribution policy to work, she explains. The CEO would just fire people all the time. You never knew when it was comingWe joked that he had one of those spinning wheels in his office and if it landed on you that was your day. And then one day i n 2007- having watched several other colleagues depart- it was her turn. She had to stay on for a couple more months to work on a few projects, but she was already reaching out to everyone whod already left. And once she was out for good, she started an email list for what they called their alumni association.Each time somebody else was let go wed reach out to them and welcome them to group and congratulate them on graduating. And we started networking and helping each other network and find other jobs, she says. It really helps you when youre coming out of an abusive environment, she says. Having other people whove been through it, whove survived and thrived on the other side, it makes you feel so much better.They posted job openings, connections, and good news whenever they had it. Richardson started her own marketing agency and got one of her first clients through a former CMO. She remembers at least four or five other jobs coming out of the alumni group. And while the email list serv has since been retired, theres still a Facebook group where the alums keep in touch.3. Jump Right Back in and Build Something New TogetherThe staff of DNAinfo and the Gothamist network didnt have any advance notice of their companys shutdown. We were finding out at the same time as our readers and the rest of the world, says Stephanie Lulay, who was a senior editor at DNAinfo Chicago. To say that it was devastating is an understatement, she adds, not just to the staff, but also to the readers, who were reaching out with calls to bring back the local news coverage in some way. There was plenty of anger and sadness to go around. But within hours, they were talking about starting something new, and by the following Monday, Lulay, along with Jen Sabella, whod been deputy editor and director of social media, and Shamus Toomey, whod been the managing editor and known to many reporters as newsdad, were meeting seriously about what would become Block Club Chicago. They formed a team co mprised primarily of DNAinfo Chicago alums, met nearly every day in coffee shops all over the city, raised $183,720 from 3,143 backers with a tretanlasser campaign, got startup money and support from Civil, and launched the new site in June 2018. We love being around each other and talking about the nerdiest shit ever, Sabella says. We just have each others backs, she adds. That, and their shared devotion to the mission of covering Chicagos neighborhoods, had them talking about building something new when the shock of losing the old one was still fresh.In each of these stories, disaster brought co-workers closer together. But what stood out to me most is that theyd established strong relationships and communities or been part of supportive cultures long before they lost their jobs. And those ties helped them get through difficult times. During our conversations, they not only mentioned the job search help, but they also emphasized the emotional support they provided each other. Take the Rosetta Stone team as an example. Because so many of them had resettled far from home, they became each others friends and family, spending time together at work and outside of it. The latter continued after the layoffs. They had dinners, learned swing dancing, and got together at parks. Or you can look at the Nashville group. They didnt just share openings with each other. They also met for lunch once a week, got together for coffees and birthdays and happy hours, and met at trade shows. We were such a tight knit group because we feel like we were in battle together. We feel like we were comrades in war, Richardson says. Coming from such a stressful environment, you started to question your ability, and your self-confidence was really shaken. We did a lot to build each others self-confidence back up, she adds. The emotional support was probably as valuable as the career support.That last line is key- because its not just about sharing resume tips or job leads. Its about being there for each other to get through an experience that really only you and your colleagues can understand- both before and after the moment of major crisis. So while you might be rattled by your situation, remember that youre not alone. A support network might be just an email away.

8 great tricks for reading peoples body language

8 great tricks for reading peoples body language8 great tricks for reading peoples body languageBody language provides an amazing amount of information on what other people are thinkingifyou know what to look for. And who hasnt wanted to read peoples minds at some point?You already pick up on mora body language cues than youre consciously aware of. UCLA research has shown that only 7% of communication is based on the actual words we say. As for the rest, 38% comes from tone of voice and the remaining 55% comes from body language. Learning how to become aware of and to interpret that 55% can give you a leg up with other people.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraWhen youre working hard and doing all you can to achieve your goals, anything that can give you an edge is powerful and will streamline your path to success.TalentSmarthas tested more than a million people and found that the upper echelons of top performance are filled with people who are high in emotional intelligence (90% of top performers, to be exact). These people know the power that unspoken signals have in communication, and they monitor body language accordingly.Next time youre in a meeting (or even on a date or playing with your kids), watch for these cuesCrossed arms and legs signal resistance to your ideas. Crossed arms and legs are physical barriers that suggest the other person is not open to what youre saying. Even if theyre smiling and engaged in a pleasant conversation, their body language tells the story. Gerard I. Nierenberg and Henry H. Calero videotaped more than 2,000 negotiations for a book they wrote on reading body language, and not a single one ended in an agreement when one of the parties had their legs crossed while negotiating. Psychologically, crossed legs or arms signal that a person is mentally, emotionally, and physically blocked off from whats in front of them. Its not i ntentional, which is why its so revealing.Real smiles crinkle the eyes.When it comes to smiling, the mouth can lie but the eyes cant. Genuine smiles reach the eyes, crinkling the skin to create crows feet around them. People often smile to hide what theyre really thinking and feeling, so the next time you want to know if someones smile is genuine, look for crinkles at the corners of their eyes. If they arent there, that smile is hiding something.Copying your body language is a good thing.Have you ever been in a meeting with someone and noticed that every time you cross or uncross your legs, they do the saatkorn? Or perhaps they lean their head the same way as yours when youre talking? Thats actually a good sign. Mirroring body language is something we do unconsciously when we feel a bond with the other person. Its a sign that the conversation is going well and that the other party is receptive to your message. This knowledge can be especially useful when youre negotiating, because i t shows you what the other person is really thinking about the deal.Posture tells the story.Have you ever seen a person walk into a room, and immediately, you have known that they were the one in charge? That effect is largely about body language, and often includes an erect posture, gestures made with the palms facing down, and open and expansive gestures in general. The brain is hardwired to equate power with the amount of space people take up. Standing up straight with your shoulders back is a power position it appears to maximize the amount of space you fill. Slouching, on the other hand, is the result of collapsing your form it appears to take up less space and projects less power. Maintaining good posture commands respect and promotes engagement, whether youre a leader or not.Eyes that lie.fruchtwein of us probably grew up hearing, Look me in the eye when you talk to me Our parents were operating under the assumption that its tough to hold someones gaze when youre lying to the m, and they were right to an extent. But thats such common knowledge that people will often deliberately hold eye contact in an attempt to cover up the fact that theyre lying. The problem is that most of them overcompensate and hold eye contact to the point that it feels uncomfortable. On average, Americans hold eye contact for seven to ten seconds, longer when were listening than when were talking. If youre talking with someone whose stare is making you squirm- especially if theyre very still and unblinking- something is up and they might be lying you.Raised eyebrows signal discomfort.There are three main emotions that make your eyebrows go up surprise, worry, and fear. Try raising your eyebrows when youre having a relaxed casual conversation with a friend. Its hard to do, isnt it? If somebody who is talking to you raises their eyebrows and the topic isnt one that would logically cause surprise, worry, or fear, there is something else going on.Exaggerated noddingsignals anxiety abo ut approval.When youre telling someone something and they nod excessively, this means that they are worried about what you think of them or that you doubt their ability to follow your instructions.A clenched jaw signals stress.A clenched jaw, a tightened neck, or a furrowed brow are all signs of stress. Regardless of what the person is saying, these are signs of considerable discomfort. The conversation might be delving into something theyre anxious about, or their mind might be elsewhere and theyre focusing on the thing thats stressing them out. The key is to watch for that mismatch between what the person says and what their tense body language is telling you.Bringing It All TogetherThe bottom line is that even if you cant read a persons exact thoughts, you can learn a lot from their body language, and thats especially true when words and body language dont match.Travis Bradberry is the coauthor ofEmotional Intelligence 2.0and the cofounder ofTalentSmart.This article originally ap peared onLinkedIn.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How to Stay Positive During a Long Job Search

How to Stay Positive During a Long Job SearchHow to Stay Positive During a Long Job SearchLosing your job is devastating both financially and emotionally. You feel rejected and worried about the future. You embark on a job search as quickly as you can with the hope that youll find a job quickly. When the weeks without an offer turn into months, you begin to despair. Your severance package, if you were lucky enough to have one, and unemployment insurance has kept you from dipping into your savings, but those resources wont last forever. In a tough job market, even those who are extremely talented can be out of work for months at a time. While it is hard to be optimistic that things will turn around soon, it is imperative that you keep a positive attitude. Your own emotional well-being, as well as the impression you make on potential employers, depend on it. Here are some things you can do to keep your chin up when it feels like your job search is in dire straits. Treat Your Job Sea rch Like a Job That means you should spend about eight hours on it each day. Get up in the morning at the time you did when you were employed and stop working no later than when you left your job for the day. Being proactive may contribute to your positive outlook. Dont Forget to Take Breaks While you should spend a respectable number of hours on your job search, you should take time away from it too. You must take a lunch break every day, for example, and spend a few hours in the evening doing something you enjoy. Read, work out or spend time on a hobby. During this downtime, dont pore over job announcements, rework your resume or practice job interviewing techniques. There is one exception. You can network during your downtime. Make plans to meet friends or acquaintances for lunch, dinner or coffee. Take the Time to Do Things You Dont Have Time to Do While Youre Working The one good thing about unemployment is having a somewhat flexible schedule. It gives you the ability to occasionally take time off during the day to do things you couldnt do when you had (and wont be able to do when you once again have) a job with regular hours. So if you want to go on your childs school field trip during the week, go for it. Have lunch with an old friend who can cheer you up. You can make up for lost job search time that evening. Take on Household Chores You Dont Have Time for When You Are Employed When you were employed, theres a good chance you came home from work exhausted each day. The last thing you may have wanted to do was tackle a chore like cleaning out the closets or painting the den. Since you will probably tend to your job search from home, you wont have a daily commute to verstndigung im strafverfahren with. Therefore, your day will end a bit earlier, and you may not be quite as tired as you were when you had to contend with traffic or crowded buses and trains. Youll also have some excess energy to get rid of before you retire for the evening. Th ose chores you put off can be just the thing you need to help you feel like youve accomplished something concrete. Volunteer Look for a cause that you feel strongly about- one that can also use your skills and talents- and donate your time and energy to it. If you can work on this project during weekends when you wont be working on your job search anyway, that would be best. If you cant, it may be worth taking a few hours off from job hunting. Volunteering may provide a great opportunity to make connections, and it will allow you to do something really good. It can make you feel better when you are helping others. Just be sure not to abandon this gig entirely when you find a paying job. Learn a New Skill Learning something new can make you feel better about yourself in addition to making you more marketable. Since this is a time when you may not have a lot of extra money to spare, look for free online courses and low-cost courses available through continuing education in you r community. Join a Job Hunting Support Group You can find a list of these on resources such as the Riley Guide. Also, check local libraries, houses of worship and community centers. Share your experiences with others who are in the saatkorn situation.