Silver Lining – Find the Hope in every Cloud

Every Cloud has a Silver Lining

A couple of weeks ago, I heard from a young mum of three.  In a downsizing by her husband’s company he lost his job after one interview.  He had been in the job for 14 years, and loved it.  Now I don’t know the detail, so I don’t judge.  And I know such hard decisions have to be made if the money simply isn’t there.  I would also say though that I had used services provided by the organisation and he was dedicated, enthusiastic and went the extra mile.  As you can imagine there was shock, indignation and anger from his friends and relatives.

We all know the business reasoning about Remploy, and why the government decided to untangle what seemed to be viewed as an “outdated segregated remedy” by the disability bodies.  It was also making a colossal loss.  But seeing those people talking about their fears not knowing what is going to happen in the future was heart-breaking.     The theory is that employers will be given financial incentives to help these people and more to secure employment.  Will this happen in reality?  I’m not sure.

I am all for facing up to the reality of any unpalatable truth we may have to accept.  I know that it’s important that we all know why hard decisions like the above are made.  I think as a nation, we did actually get the message.   We need now however to refocus, and we need to refocus on the silver lining.

In the two situations above, those decisions appear harsh and inhuman without making sure that the people affected had some hope about what their options might be in the future.  We are not reporting well enough, that vital step.  Any change strategy, including downsizing in any shape or form is poorly executed unless before the decision is made to cut jobs or change course, the fears and possibilities for the people involved have been explored and articulated.  There has to be a plan B for everyone.

And so instead of the process, we need to focus on the vision for the future.  We need to focus on the silver lining, but what might that be?  Well it might not be apparent yet, but here are a few ideas.

• As a nation, we are learning to be more financially responsible
• We are becoming more efficient
• We are driving up the quality of services
• We are learning resilience in the face of adversity
• We can show that we are strong and are able to reinvent ourselves

Ok, not a long list yet, but I’m sure there are more to be identified, as we learn from the situation we find ourselves in.  The main message for everyone needs to be one of hope.  If this doesn’t start coming soon and stridently we will simply be a nation sapped of our energy, enthusiasm and commitment.

Let us shift the balance and focus on and celebrate successes, and find and articulate that silver lining.    For people who are facing hardship and a loss of way of life, let’s make sure we can create meaningful options where everyone wins in the end.  Let’s tell the story of how great our workers are and how dedicated and efficient they can be.  These factors are all there, we are just not looking at them.

There is no doubt about it, if we focus on and celebrate hope and success, the results will surely follow.

What do you think?  Do you think we need to be more positive about the change we are going through?   Do you think a shift in focus is needed at this time?  Let us know we would love to hear from you.