Mo Money's Building Wealth Blog

I’ve been hearing from several friends and former colleagues that it’s an interesting job market out there.  Companies are calling people back to the office, there are less online job postings, and there are fears of a pending economic downturn.  As the near future begins to look less rosy our thoughts often wander toward our own job security. Some might think that being on the wrong side of a reduction in force (i.e. the latest euphemism for a layoff) is something beyond their control, but there are ways to help mitigate this from happening.

Here are some tips for shoring up your own job security and things you should do from day one in any role:

• Start every workday by setting a goal of how you will add value that day.  At the end of the day hold yourself accountable.
• Become indispensable by being an expert at critical aspect(s) of your business.  Be the “go-to” resource.  Strive to learn something new every day.
• Make your boss’s job easier.
• Build strong relationships and learn to effectively manage Up (bosses), Down (your team), and Sideways (your peers and business partners).  NEVER treat your business partners as the enemy.
• ABS – Always Be Serving.  Treat EVERYONE as a customer, including and especially those inside your organization.
• Try not to silo yourself.  Make a concerted effort to understand all aspects of the business you are in by taking a 360-degree view.
• Manage your personal integrity from day one.  Do what you say you will.  Be honest and fair even if the culture pulls you in another direction.  Resist the Force. 
• If you are offered additional responsibilities find a way to add them to your pile even if they don’t come with a raise or promotion.  You can renegotiate both of those after you demonstrate success.
• Companies value profit, especially in a down economy.  Look for opportunities to help your company to make more money or to reduce costs.  Don’t be shy about bringing your well thought out ideas to the attention of upper management.
• Be positive.  Always come from a place of “Yes”.  That doesn’t mean that you need to agree to everything.  The 80:20 rule applies.  Eighty percent of the time you should be positive.  The other 20 percent of the time you should act it, even if you don’t feel that way.  Package your negative feelings and present them in a positive way.  For example, you can choose to say something to the effect of “That’s an idiotic approach that just won’t work”.  Or you could say, “That’s an interesting approach, but have you considered the possibility of X, Y, and Z as options and here’s why…”.
• Bonus tip – Maintain a great relationship with the Human Resources department.  You never know when you may need a friend to go to bat for you.

Essentially, do your best, every day.  That’s really all that is in your control.  Ultimately though it’s just business, and to no fault of your own you might find yourself on the wrong size of a company downsizing.  It happens to the best of us.  Your best move is to not take it personally, learn from the experience, and move on emotionally and physically as soon as possible.

I’m sure I missed some recommendations.  Feel free to add some in the comments.