“Sorry, your services are no longer needed,” or a similar sentiment can turn the average day into a nightmare. Unanticipated or unwanted job loss is traumatic. It may be right up there with loss of a loved one or a divorce for having deep repercussions in a person’s life – depending on how invested the individual is in a job. One doesn’t have to go far to find research on the psychological, physical and relationship damage such an announcement can bring. Unemployment is no picnic.
In today’s economy, anybody who doesn’t work for her or himself may be subject to termination. Job security walks hand-in-hand with the ebbing and flowing of the world’s economy. However, even in the best of times, lay-offs happen. Sometimes people get sacked because of something they did, but often enough it’s because of something out of their control. Both are devastating, but the second can leave one feeling especially vulnerable.
Recently, an Explorer friend of mine lost a job because of lay-offs. It was fascinating to watch how he handled it in his own way – nothing like how I would have handled it at all. And I saw some distinct Explorer features in his attitude. The difference worked for him and the way he approached the world. But it reflected the unique perspective of his personality type.
So what might the differences in handling unexpected job loss be among personality types? No two people will respond exactly the same to anything even if they share common traits. But based on our theory and the research around it, it’s safe to speculate some of the ways the different personality groups might respond to losing a job. There are also some common traps, unique to the Roles, that some may need to avoid to transition successfully to a new job.
So, while you may never have lost a job (or perhaps you have), you probably know someone important to you who has. But even if you have been lucky enough to avoid both, this article might open some conversation on how different personality groups handle adversity. Join the discussion and leave your ideas in the comments section below.
The Laid-Off Sentinel
While someone has surely fired a Sentinel or two in history, it’s easier to imagine them being laid-off because of something like downsizing. These personality types are usually too conscientious to do something careless enough or foolish enough to get them canned.
- The Shock: Sentinels typically invest themselves in their jobs and are usually very loyal to an employer or organization. It’s easy to imagine that they project the same loyalty on others including those who have the power to fire and hire. The first shock for them might be the disappointment at not having their loyalty returned. It may feel to them something like a break up from a romance with someone who can no longer return their love. Sentinels may wonder what they could have done differently so their employer would have felt as loyal to them as they felt toward the employer.
- The Aftershock: While Sentinels will probably get down to the business of finding another job rather quickly, they might hold back if they feel “burned” by the last employer. But Sentinel personalities will do what needs to be done. They are probably the group most willing to pick up even a temporary part-time job should they need the money. To their credit, they are likely to see flipping burgers as an alternative to doing nothing and the responsible road to take until they find something better. When jobless, their full-time “job” will involve keeping things afloat financially while finding work. They will pound the pavement looking for work as conscientiously as they do anything in life.
- Moving on: For Sentinels, moving on is the natural thing to do. However, to make it go faster, they may need to “divorce” their prior job in both their minds and hearts. Carrying the baggage of disappointment can slow them down if they are not careful. Those Sentinels who approach decisions through the Feeling trait may need to work through a sense of betrayal more than most. Hanging on to these thoughts can lead them to view future opportunities with suspicion and reluctance.
The Axed Diplomat
Diplomats may not always be on the same wavelength as the people for whom they work. Their sometimes dreamy idealism is not necessarily palatable to everyone. This may include an organization’s more efficiency-driven decision-makers. Whatever the reason for the job loss, some Diplomat personalities will always wonder why those at the top didn’t understand them and what they were trying to accomplish.
- The Shock: Like the Sentinels, Diplomats will feel they invested in the jobs to which they have to say goodbye. However, unlike the Sentinels, it would be less about loyalty to the company or its leaders. It would be more about being separated from an endeavor they instilled with a sense of purpose. They may be surprised that their superiors did not see the value of their work and its contribution to the organization. Or at least they didn’t see it as valuable enough to hang onto the Diplomat. Diplomats give a meaningful spin to everything – even the most mundane job. A job is not just about a paycheck. “Why didn’t they see the good things I was trying to bring to the table?” a Diplomat might wonder.
- The Aftershock: Diplomats are likely to spend a great deal of time debriefing and trying to decide what they have to learn from their job loss. If their job was their primary way of expressing their mission in life, they may spend time deciding which path to take without it and still keep a sense of purpose. They may take time to update a personal mission statement. They may even take courses, go to workshops and support groups or do something to understand life better and to improve themselves. They may see this introspection as a vital part of moving on.
- Moving on: After taking time to get through the mourning and to achieve a perspective on their old job, Diplomats should be ready for a more practical approach. Job hunting will be easier for them if they can take the time to process their loss and find meaning there. However, in a world with economic realities, taking too long to gaze at one’s navel may be counter-productive. Time off to regroup after a termination may be helpful unless it becomes the permanent state of things. Diplomats may need to set a cut-off point for “rediscovery” and become more aggressive about embracing practical solutions.
The Explorer Ex-Employee
While not immune to the pain of losing a job, Explorer personality types are perhaps the best-equipped to handle it. They are fiercely independent, not big on commitment, and flexible. It’s easy enough to see them shrugging their shoulders as they leave their employers’ offices for the last time and saying, “Who needs this? What’s next?” And sometimes they play fast and loose with the rules. For select Explorers, was this really that unexpected?
- The Shock: However, despite Explorer independence and flexibility, they may carry a little baggage that might make rejection at work painful. It may feel like high school all over again for some of them. Their way of thinking and doing don’t always line up with the organizations and systems in which they find themselves involved – even past high school. While they may enjoy playing the outsider on some level, an outsider is, nonetheless, on the outside. One is still rejected whether one instigates it or doesn’t. Being terminated or laid-off can echo other rejections Explorers have experienced and may be a blow to their self-esteems.
- The Aftershock: Once Explorers have licked their wounds, they are probably the readiest to get through any recovery period and move on. They are comfortable adapting to new things and might even develop a level of excitement when thinking about a different job or career. Like the Sentinel, they will be practical about doing what needs to be done to get by until they find something permanent. Unlike the Diplomat, these personalities probably won’t spend a lot of time ruminating about their lots in life and their ongoing purposes. However, since so much of their interest is in skill-based work, they may find that being in-between jobs is a good time to further hone their skills.
- Moving on: If they don’t let a termination trounce their self-esteem too badly, the average Explorer will be ready to move along quickly. After all, they are famous for thinking on their feet. For them, moving on is a matter of getting past any insecurities and letting the pathfinder inside them shine brightly enough to get a potential employer’s attention.
The Cast Adrift Analyst
Not all reasons for termination make sense. Perfectly good employees are laid-off all the time. For the rational Analyst, the lack of a clear reason could be a tough thing for them. These personality types rely so heavily on rationality that a termination without a good explanation might be bewildering. Even with a good reason, it may difficult for the average Analyst to reconcile what is happening with what they think should be happening.
- The Shock: Analysts see their rational approach as the only one that makes sense. Because of this, they may see themselves as the smartest people in the room – and many times they are. It may disturb them to be rejected by an employer for any reason. However, it will be easier for them if that reason has a strong rational basis. For example, they may handle being laid-off during downsizing fairly well if they are the most recent person hired. However, if a termination has something to do with personality conflicts or just feels like an arbitrary decision, Analysts might find the whole thing jolting.
- The Aftershock: Unwanted terminations take control out of the hands of those being terminated, at least temporarily. The Analysts’ natural need to solve problems or fix situations may be frustrated. They may need to determine what they still have control over and let go of the things they don’t. While “what if” is a powerful part of the Analyst psyche, it is better if it is pointed at the future rather than toward the past. They may overthink losing their job. While processing what happened and learning any possible lessons can be valuable, to obsess on it can prevent moving on. Not everything in life is a riddle to be solved or a dilemma to resolve. Sometimes letting go is the real solution.
- Moving on: The successful transition for Analysts will happen when they accept that they can’t change the termination, at least without the help of a time machine. When their rationality switches gears and moves from dissecting the past to doing what it does best – anticipating a more reasonable future.
A Word About Strategy
One of the biggest problems many find when they lose a job is missing the company of colleagues. Sometimes, friendships or even something akin to extended families develop at work. Termination can mean sudden and unexpected isolation during the day and limit the availability of old friends from the job.
While Introverts might even welcome the time alone on some level, this would be harder for Extraverts. Since social connection is one source of energy for Extraverts, being disconnected from the workplace can be quite a challenge. They may be left with a yearning for comradery.
Someone with an Extraverted personality type might especially benefit from getting together with other job-hunters at workshops or group meetings often held in community centers or churches. Even if they are on solid financial footing and can take their time finding a new position, a part-time job or a volunteering opportunity might help them cope better between jobs.
Those with the Turbulent trait are also more vulnerable after a termination. The Assertive personality types are more naturally resilient. They are likely to attribute their dismissal to things other than their own characteristics or efforts. Turbulent people, however, may take their dismissal to heart and are likely to personalize the experience more than even perhaps is warranted.
While a little critical self-assessment can help us grow, too much can undermine our self-confidence and create a paralysis. Perhaps finding an objective ear to listen to some of their concerns and to give feedback may be of help to the those who lean more Turbulent. A therapist, counselor (job or otherwise) or spiritual advisor might come in handy during such times.