It’s happened.
Or at least it’s about to happen. Maybe. You’re certainly feel horribly insecure and anxious about what’s on the horizon.
Your mission-driven organisation has put dozens of jobs at risk of redundancy. The one you’ve worked at, sweated over, loved even, for five years.
And your role is on the list. It’s there in black and white – ‘at risk of redundancy’.
And you’re reeling.
You knew it was coming, of course
As a senior leader you knew it was on the cards.
You know all about the problems the organisation face. Oh, yes. You’ve been working hard to keep things going for the last few years.
The loss of that big government grant. The dropping income from your retail shops. The massive surge in demand since the pandemic. The increased costs of everything you do.
It’s been putting pressure on the budget for a long time.
You knew there were going to be big change coming. And here it is.
But it’s hitting you hard.
You notice how uncertain you’re feeling. How worried.
It’s impossible to concentrate on your work. And at the end of each tough day, you’re taking your anxieties home where tensions are rising.
To add to it all, you want to support your team through the uncertainties and change. It’s your job after all.
But my goodness, is that challenging. How much should you share about how worried you are? About what you know? About your own plans?
It’s so hard, I know.
We truly have a jobs crisis
I hear this scenario more and more in my coaching with senior leaders. The charity world is in crisis, there is no doubt.
Thousands of jobs are at risk or have been lost already. Instability and anxiety is coursing throughout the sector and it’s affecting everyone, not just those potentially losing their jobs.
It’s truly heartbreaking to see the impact on fabulous, committed, hard-working people, like you, who want to use their skills to make a difference.
Is this a critical moment for you?
People who invite me to be their career coach on my Work You Love programme, tell me that the current climate was also an opportunity for them.
They saw a chance to explore some of the bigger questions they’ve needed to address for a while but just hadn’t got round too. (I truly know how difficult that is!)
Might this be true for you too?
The threat of redundancy is scary. And tough. Yes.
And – it’s an opportunity.
This is a good moment to explore your own personal career options.
It’s an opportunity to move on from a role that, if you’re really honest, hasn’t been working out so well. Or isn’t working any more.
This is a chance to make sure that next move is ‘the right one’. Not just the first you happen to get because you need a new job.
‘Work You Love’ Coaching
Work You Love coaching isn’t classic career coaching with its practical support on applications, CVs and Interviews. (I’m creating a new support programme, if that is what you or your colleagues need. Watch this space).
Work You Love is something deeper. It offers a warm, non-judgemental, but deeply challenging, space which is taken over six months to:
– Go through my proven Pathway of exploration about who you truly are – that totally special offer only you can make – from unearthing your Core Values (mind-blowing, by the way) to getting total clarity on your unique set of Signature Strengths
– Find exactly the right next step for you so that you make the biggest contribution possible
– Process all the difficult feelings and emotions whizzing around.
– Rebuild your confidence and self-belief, if that’s taken a knock
– Gain new skills, tools and techniques for supporting your team through this time of change, if that’s helpful
My clients tell me this work is truly transformational.
What’s next?
If your role is at risk – or you’re supporting others through redundancy – please know you’re not alone. This could be the right moment to step back, reflect, and consider what you truly want next in your work and life. If that resonates, I’d love to support you through it.
You can:
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Email me at katie@katieduckworth.com to explore whether Work You Love coaching is a good fit for you.
- Sign up to my mailing list where I share insights, tools and encouragement for leaders like you.
