How to deal with a dismissal
May 22, 2011
THERE are those meetings that management would call without notice and announce the sacking of a worker or two, or demotions. That is how it happened with Patrick, a former marketing manager at a beverage company in town.
By Stella Nassuna
THERE are those meetings that management would call without notice and announce the sacking of a worker or two, or demotions. That is how it happened with Patrick, a former marketing manager at a beverage company in town.
The day started off as any other day for him. He woke up at 6.00am and was at woke by 8:00am. Minutes later, a board meeting was held to discuss the progress and future of the company.
As they reviewed the firm’s performance, most of the criticism was shot at Patrick.
The board noted that since the company started expanding, Patrick had not bothered to up his managerial skills despite a series of warnings.
They said this led to failure to get business deals worth billion-shilling in the previous few months.
“It was hard for us to come to this decision to ask you to try your talents elsewhere.
We would have loved to continue our working relationship with you, but unfortunately we cannot,†the head of human resources announced.
Patrick worked with the company for close to 15 years.
“It would have been great for us to celebrate the success and achievements of the company, but we have to part ways. You have failed this company and its vision,†he concluded.
If it were you on the firing line, what would you do? Would you fall on your knees and beg for forgiveness, promising to ‘pull up your socks’? Or would you hit whoever delivered the sad news, kicked and shoved all the tables and chairs around?
What to do after getting fired
Whatever goes through your mind at such a dreadful moment, ensure you behave calmly and profesionally, experts advise.
They argue that acting violently or abusively will only taint your professional image, diming your chances of a review of your case at the company or getting a good recommendation.
“Restrain yourself (hard as it may be) and your emotions, especially if it is a summary dismisal,†experts say.
One should accept reality and move on “because a dismissal is not the end of the world and life has to continue,†Joseph Musaalo, a counsellor, says.
He explains that accepting the problem is the first step to finding a solution.
He adds that after accepting your predicament, re-examine yourself by analysing how and why you lost the job.
“If you cannot do it on your own, seek expert help, probably a professional counsellor or anyone else you trust,†he says.
This will help you start on the journey of rebuilding and planning your career and looking for another job.
One can, for example, go for professional training or mentoring to sharpen their skills if lack of the requisite skills was the cause of the dismissal.
Paula Kyabaggu, an HR consultant at E-Resources, advises one in such a predicament to be strong despite the fact that they would have lost their source of income.
“Understand that being dismissed is a normal thing that can happen to anyone, any day. Your life may look like it has come to the end, but there is a better world out there,†she notes.
She says after receiving the bad news, go home and reflect so that you come up with ways to repackage and rebrand yourself as you prepare to look for a new job.
Kyabaggu, however, observes that most of the time people get overwhelmed by the sacking because of having one-job mentality where people wholly depend on a job without another source of income.
Interestingly, she notes that getting fired could be the best thing to happen to someone “because there might have been a job mismatch, leading to your lack of enthusiasm, low productivity and, eventually, the sack,†she explains.
“When you are sacked, you realise that you were in a wrong place and rediscover yourself, doing those things you like, which will help you get a better job in a field of your interest,†she adds.
She advises those that have been sacked or retired when they were not ready, to talk to people it has happened to before and associate with those that look at life positively.
“That way, you will be able to know how to redirect your life and find a new job because of the ideas and encouragement from them,†Kyabaggu states.
She advises against one isolating themselves ‘grieving’ over the sack.
Go out and test the other world. Drop your CV at a recruitment bureau, talk to a counsellor and try out new things as life is about discovery, she counsels.
But she says one can also ask for a review of the case with the company management, especially where one is working under a malicious supervisor.
Veron Nakityo, a lawyer, says if one is sure they tried their best, but was let down by the lack working tools, they have the right to contest, according to the Employment Act.
One can file a complaint with the labour office in their district within six months.
You can avoid the axe
According to experts, continous self-evaluation helps you gauge your performance and, hence, enables you to improve.
“Shifting an employee to another department, especially one that he is passionate about, will boost their morale and productivity,†Wilber Katubakere, a human resource expert, says.
He explains that this will help a worker identify with the job quickly. He will add a lot of his time to it rather when he feels the job is a burden.
“Management should always assess employees because this will give them a chance to know his faults and find solutions ahead of time,†he adds.
Management should organise capacity building exercises like training seminars that will help the employee to improve his work performance, he adds.
THERE are those meetings that management would call without notice and announce the sacking of a worker or two, or demotions. That is how it happened with Patrick, a former marketing manager at a beverage company in town.
The day started off as any other day for him. He woke up at 6.00am and was at woke by 8:00am. Minutes later, a board meeting was held to discuss the progress and future of the company.
As they reviewed the firm’s performance, most of the criticism was shot at Patrick.
The board noted that since the company started expanding, Patrick had not bothered to up his managerial skills despite a series of warnings.
They said this led to failure to get business deals worth billion-shilling in the previous few months.
“It was hard for us to come to this decision to ask you to try your talents elsewhere.
We would have loved to continue our working relationship with you, but unfortunately we cannot,†the head of human resources announced.
Patrick worked with the company for close to 15 years.
“It would have been great for us to celebrate the success and achievements of the company, but we have to part ways. You have failed this company and its vision,†he concluded.
If it were you on the firing line, what would you do? Would you fall on your knees and beg for forgiveness, promising to ‘pull up your socks’? Or would you hit whoever delivered the sad news, kicked and shoved all the tables and chairs around?
What to do after getting fired
Whatever goes through your mind at such a dreadful moment, ensure you behave calmly and profesionally, experts advise.
They argue that acting violently or abusively will only taint your professional image, diming your chances of a review of your case at the company or getting a good recommendation.
“Restrain yourself (hard as it may be) and your emotions, especially if it is a summary dismisal,†experts say.
One should accept reality and move on “because a dismissal is not the end of the world and life has to continue,†Joseph Musaalo, a counsellor, says.
He explains that accepting the problem is the first step to finding a solution.
He adds that after accepting your predicament, re-examine yourself by analysing how and why you lost the job.
“If you cannot do it on your own, seek expert help, probably a professional counsellor or anyone else you trust,†he says.
This will help you start on the journey of rebuilding and planning your career and looking for another job.
One can, for example, go for professional training or mentoring to sharpen their skills if lack of the requisite skills was the cause of the dismissal.
Paula Kyabaggu, an HR consultant at E-Resources, advises one in such a predicament to be strong despite the fact that they would have lost their source of income.
“Understand that being dismissed is a normal thing that can happen to anyone, any day. Your life may look like it has come to the end, but there is a better world out there,†she notes.
She says after receiving the bad news, go home and reflect so that you come up with ways to repackage and rebrand yourself as you prepare to look for a new job.
Kyabaggu, however, observes that most of the time people get overwhelmed by the sacking because of having one-job mentality where people wholly depend on a job without another source of income.
Interestingly, she notes that getting fired could be the best thing to happen to someone “because there might have been a job mismatch, leading to your lack of enthusiasm, low productivity and, eventually, the sack,†she explains.
“When you are sacked, you realise that you were in a wrong place and rediscover yourself, doing those things you like, which will help you get a better job in a field of your interest,†she adds.
She advises those that have been sacked or retired when they were not ready, to talk to people it has happened to before and associate with those that look at life positively.
“That way, you will be able to know how to redirect your life and find a new job because of the ideas and encouragement from them,†Kyabaggu states.
She advises against one isolating themselves ‘grieving’ over the sack.
Go out and test the other world. Drop your CV at a recruitment bureau, talk to a counsellor and try out new things as life is about discovery, she counsels.
But she says one can also ask for a review of the case with the company management, especially where one is working under a malicious supervisor.
Veron Nakityo, a lawyer, says if one is sure they tried their best, but was let down by the lack working tools, they have the right to contest, according to the Employment Act.
One can file a complaint with the labour office in their district within six months.
You can avoid the axe
According to experts, continous self-evaluation helps you gauge your performance and, hence, enables you to improve.
“Shifting an employee to another department, especially one that he is passionate about, will boost their morale and productivity,†Wilber Katubakere, a human resource expert, says.
He explains that this will help a worker identify with the job quickly. He will add a lot of his time to it rather when he feels the job is a burden.
“Management should always assess employees because this will give them a chance to know his faults and find solutions ahead of time,†he adds.
Management should organise capacity building exercises like training seminars that will help the employee to improve his work performance, he adds.