It’s not you… it’s them

Omnicom just made over 4000 people redundant. Added to the endless news of other lay-offs in the marketing, advertising and creative industries, this will make for an uncertain and unhappy Christmas for many thousands of people.

Platitudes don’t put presents under the tree. But as someone with personal experience of being laid off, I hope that sharing some thoughts might be helpful.

Managing

It’s not about you. Round about now, you will be cycling through many of the emotions usually associated with the death of a loved one. But try to remember that losing your job is not terminal. And, crucially, is not a judgment on you or your ability. When you are employed by a big agency or network, you are simply a line in a spreadsheet. And if the numbers don’t add up, you’re out. It’s not personal. It’s just the brutal maths of modern business.

It’s inevitable. In the creative industries, being laid off is an occupational hazard. I’ve worked at many of the world’s biggest and most prestigious branding agencies over the years, and every one of them experienced booms and slumps and instituted multiple rounds of layoffs. I survived most of them, but one will get you in the end. It’s a statistical certainty.

You are not useless. Being in a boardroom one day and feeling bored rigid the next can be discombobulating. I came from a very traditional blue-collar family in the north of England, and my sense of my worth as a human being used to be tied to my ability to provide for my family. Not earning made me feel less than useless, like a dead weight around my family’s neck. So you’ll have to reset how you measure your worth by being as valuable as possible in other ways. Domestic jobs matter too.

You are not alone. There are literally thousands of you, so find some friends in a similar position who will support, encourage and at the very minimum, listen to your moaning. These are the people who really do ‘get it’. And they’re cheaper than a shrink.

Moving on

Structure, structure, structure. After spending the appropriate number of days licking your wounds (5 - 10 worked for me), it’s time to get back on the horse. Start by treating every day as a working day. Get up, shower and dress as you used to, and work out a structure to your day. A structure will give you goals, small victories and purpose. There is a lot of research to suggest that we need structure in our lives, and without it, we can quickly become lost.

Get outside. Cycle, walk, run - it doesn’t matter. But getting out of the house and into the outdoors is good for mood, endorphins and lots of other things. And if it’s winter, spend some of your pay off on a decent coat.

Go where people are. Visit coffee shops, shared workspaces, etc. These are hugely important for a change of scenery and for seeing - and maybe even talking to - other humans.

Think about what you’re going to do next. This might be the time for a change of career, but it’s not a good time for an existential crisis. Remember that there are still probably bills to pay. Think about what you want to do and what you can do, and go after your next thing with single-minded determination.

And finally

Last thoughts. Over a decade ago, I was suddenly laid off by a firm that claims to be the world’s largest independent agency. Not because of anything I’d done, but because of a spiteful power struggle between two leaders above me. One boss waited for the other to go on holiday before making me redundant! I was devastated. But when I told my wife, she said she was relieved. “Thank God”, she said, “You’ve done 60 hours every week for the past 12 months, and we haven’t seen you for over a year”.

We were lucky. My amazing wife returned to work and earned a salary that covered our bills, whilst I built Chromatic.

So, lick your wounds, find someone supportive, create structure and purpose. You are not redundant. It was never about you.

It was always about them.

Please share if you think this might help someone.

Written by Simon Case

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