You’re Amazing!

By Sue Lebrato

Have you considered re-joining the workforce but don’t know where to start? Do you have a soon-to-be college graduate who you would like to get prepared for a job search or an internship? Do you know a recent college graduate with “Failure to launch”? Perhaps the Covid experience caused you to reassess your circumstances and you now wish to make a change but are unsure how to get started. Were you part of the Great Resignation, or were you impacted by Covid layoffs?

With the realization that a large part of one’s identity is often tied to one’s chosen profession, if that security is uncertain or fractures, one’s self-worth can easily become impacted. This uncertainty can be felt whether it is a job loss, whether it is a college senior preparing to embark on life’s journey, or whether it is the parent who has had raising their children as their primary responsibility and now is not as depended upon. The question, “What is next?” can feel daunting if faced alone, and facing that unknown can cause anxiety.

Making the adjustment from the known and comfortable to the unknown can involve feelings of loss and grief. The college student who fears leaving the security of home, the displaced employee not knowing where or how to start over, the primary parent who may have had many years of her or his identity and pride tied to that role, can all be dealing with similar feelings of change, loss, or purpose. There are a variety of emotions and feelings tied to this fork in the road. It is not surprising that Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ Model on grief, provides the same framework for the impact of organizational change upon employees. Both deal with change, loss and the psychology of adjustment.

Having a model like Kubler-Ross’ offers a contextual overview to understand where you may be in that process. Coping skills become very important, and assistance with that can be sought through therapists, but often it is a different type of expertise that is needed. People need more than coping skills to make the adjustments to the next evolution of their “Purpose”. Frequently they are seeking specific support on how to; navigate through, create concrete actions and a plan, and guidance on how to execute the plan. In these cases, expertise can be sought from someone who understands the workplace and the skills needed to get there, and who offers guidance in that specific process, whether entering the workplace is brand new, or whether one is a re-entrant.

Reducing the grief, loss, or change timeline minimizes the associated timeline of stress. With this awareness, it is ideal to quickly engage with an expert to navigate the pathway to achieve one’s goals. Reducing that cycle-time of uncertainty benefits many aspects of one’s life.

You’re Amazing! enables clients; individuals and corporations, to successfully navigate uncertainty through consultative expertise. Sue can be reached at www.linkedin.com/ in/suelebrato.

The name of her company was inspired by a group of former colleagues who sought her support after a reductionin-force. She discovered the fragility of confidence in wellexperienced colleagues and found herself reinforcing their self-efficacy, reminding them of their value, and letting them know, “You’re Amazing!”