Recently, I spoke with a colleague about a project he was working on. He mentioned that a division of a large company he knew was getting ready to outsource to another company that focused on just that one specific function. Ironically, several years ago I did an outplacement project (where I get hired to come in and fire people for you) for that very same company when they built that division in another state. If you were an employee who made the move to preserve your job several years ago, you might actually be on the chopping block again.
This type of corporate behavior is fairly common. If you see it from the business side, it makes sense for after all, a business is in the business of making money. Nothing wrong with that. If you’re an employee however, you’d be wise to become very situationally-aware so you could prepare for whatever outcome might be in store for you.
If you’re looking for a good example of how to do this, why not consider the meerkat? You all know the loveable Timon from The Lion King – he’s a meerkat. Most of the photos you see of meerkats show them in the sentry position. meerkats forage in a group with one “sentry” on guard watching for predators while the others search for food. Sentry duty is usually about an hour long. When the sentry senses danger, they bark to the other meerkats and all burrow to safety. Meerkats have a keen sense of danger and this protects them. They know when to flee when they sense the warning signs.
Sometimes though, the answer isn’t to flee, it’s to fight. Maybe not literally but through proactive strategies or plain old assertiveness. Let’s take a look at how it might work:
You start to hear rumors that your company is about to be acquired. This is solidified when you see groups of strangers in suits meeting behind closed doors. Your experience tells you that when acquisitions happen, most duplicate positions are eliminated in favor of the acquiring company.
Choice #1: Fight. You do your own research and find out what the acquiring company does. You look at your own track record and document what you’ve accomplished to make your case to keep your position over the acquiring candidate.
- Pro: You show that you’re motivated and want to add value.
- Con: You may not have a chance – the acquiring company is in the driver’s seat.
Choice #2: Flight. Based you your experience, you know not to wait for the ax to fall. You get your resume together and start networking furiously. Better to get out while the “gettin’s good!”
- Pro: You choose to take control of your own destiny rather than wait to be a victim.
- Con: You might be bailing out based on a rumor. Worse, the acquiring company might want to keep your particular function. Maybe you’re the reason they want to acquire your company!
Either way, it’s a choice. You won’t know when or how to make it though if your sentry skills are weak. That’s where situational awareness comes in. If you’ve never experienced an acquisition, bankruptcy, owner-retirement, or similar corporate change, you need to find mentors who have been so they can teach you how to sense it and navigate it.
Anxiety (like we said last week) is the fear of a possible outcome. Rather than be paralyzed by it, be proactive and create your own destiny.