Change is indeed good. But when it happens to you, rather than being instigated by, you and you have no say whatsoever, it can feel pretty grim.
Many people in the world of UK public services are sharing that pain now - waiting for the axe to fall, feeling undervalued and becoming the new pariahs of society (estate agents and bankers - have the year off!).
So how best to deal with it? No doubt there is, or will be, helpful HR-type guidance coming out of your ears. Maybe you have already had a presentation on managing stress....and anger... and change? Or a step by step guide to building resilience, along with helpful website links to job vacancy sites.
First off it may feel very overwhelming. There may be lots of helpful information directed in you while your head isn't in the right place to process it.
So in true knowledge sharing style to make life easier, I have decided to condense all the helpful information that has come my way and share my practical top tips for dealing with the madness that is around us.
- Develop a thick skin. If you haven't already got one, find one and quickly.
- Improve your vocabulary. You need to write your CV lots of times for lots of different audiences. Seek our alternative words for ‘implement' ‘enable' and ‘ensure' - answers on a postcard please.
- Attend events. Accept invitations to every workshop/support event offered to you at work. They are free after all and you will be astonished at how much you might have to pay when you are out there on your own.
- Offer to deliver a workshop yourself. Colleagues are crying out for help on identifying useful online resources, search techniques or personal information management skills. They will miss you when you've gone.
- Read and respond to the blogs of others who are going through similar experiences as you. This will help you maintain sanity and will gain you some virtual friends (and contacts!) into the bargain. I recommend the following, which provide well-written relevant insights: http://redundantpublicservant.wordpress.com/ ; http://welovelocalgovernment.wordpress.com/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog
- Think about your own skills gaps. How many useful e-training courses are lurking on your intranet or learning system? Those that you always meant to do but never got round to it? Well that time has arrived....
- Think about your online presence. Yes that means Google yourself to see what you find! You won't be the only one doing this.....
I hope these tips help ease that pain just a little, or give you some food for thought, or just be a welcome distraction from figuring out which picture to use on your Linked-in profile!
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Has Anonymous thought of everything? InfoToday Europe would love to hear your tips for coping with uncertainty.
Picture courtesy of Roberto Bouza via Flickr.