7 Steps to Deal with Your Fear of Being Fired
There are many benefits of holding a job rather than running your own enterprise. Job brings a fixed income, no cash worries, and there are no pressures of running the organization. However, a job has its own insecurity and you could be unexpectedly fired even though your performance may not have gone down. According to psychologists, the fear of losing your job is the most crippling one drowning you into worry and not allowing you to focus on your work.
However, organizations use the fear factor to keep employees in line and establish control over them. Some managers also use this strategy without the knowledge of the management.
Here are 7 ways to deal with your fear of being fired.
1. Analyse the Situation
The first step when confronted with a threat to your job is to sit back and analyze recent incidents or events that make you fearful. Are you being sidelined for new projects? Has someone junior to you been placed a step ahead of you? Is your boss avoiding eye contact and trying to avoid you? If your HR manager is friendly enough, you could discuss it or else you could talk to your boss about your concerns and get it cleared.
2. Talk to Your Peers
You may be overly anxious or building up irrational fears in your mind. You could talk to your peers and find out what they think about it. Most likely, they will also be having the same fears for themselves. Perhaps, the sales is down or there is a loss is mounting, or recessionary conditions have set in which could lead to retrenchment. If there is a possibility of job loss due to such conditions, start looking for better opportunities silently than be worried.
3. Know Your Responsibilities, Keep Boss Updated About Your Work
Each job or functional role comes with a set of responsibilities and targets to be met. This makes it easier to keep a checklist and periodically review whether you are meeting those requirements. Keep your boss informed about the accomplishments in your work so that he will be able to help you incase someone tries to stab behind your back by sending adverse comments or reports.
4. Look for Severance Package and Unemployment Benefits
More than the fear of failure, most people dread the outcomes of being fired- jobless, loss of income status and so on. In case of such an eventuality, have a look at your contract and how much you are eligible for severance – three months or six months or whether you are eligible to get unemployment benefits from State. Confidence about economic security for a few months can help in overcoming your fears and start looking for a better opportunity.
5. There is No Shame in being Fired
Many leading personalities such as JK Rowling, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Michael Bloomberg were fired from their jobs but that did not deter their enthusiasm to think bigger things and succeed in life. Being fired from your job may be a blessing and may open new opportunities for you.
6. Update Your Skills and Experience
Losing your job may seem certain and not just an irrational worry due to many factors such as denial of increment, boss turning rude, not being invited to meetings or discussions, or a new boss has joined and you are worried a new team may be formed. In such situations, if worry takes the upper hand, take measures to upgrade your skills and prepare points about your experience in your resume, be prepared for a better opportunity.
7. Build Network and Good Relationships
Even if the management or boss is not friendly enough, try to build good relationships with peers so that you get a feel of what is being talked about in various departments. It also helps in using a few of such people as a reference when trying for a new job.
