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How to Stay Off the Layoff List

July 22, 2009 RSS Feed Print

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Karen Burns

If you have a job--and, statistically, it's likely you do--chances are you want to hold on to it. The obvious way is to be excellent at your work, to really know what you’re doing. But guess what? That’s not enough.

You also need to:

Be über-reliable. The trick to über-reliability is the ability to accurately predict how long it will take you to complete a task. That way when you say you’ll deliver on Tuesday, you’ll actually be capable of delivering on Tuesday.

Be outer-directed. Communicate in ways others can understand. Consider the needs of your coworkers and boss, and take the time and trouble to meet these needs. Oh, and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Be commonsensical. Very often, getting a task done on time--even if it means it’s done less than perfectly--is preferable to missing a deadline. Part of being a stellar worker is knowing when this is the case.

Be bottom-line-oriented. Even (especially!) if your role is not directly related to the company’s sales, strive to have an impact on “the numbers.” No matter your position, you can always suggest ways to save money, resources, or time.

All of the above is really just another way of saying, “Act like you own the place.” Not in the sense that you throw your weight around or bark out orders, but that you are always thinking of the larger picture, the common good.

Do this and you will be invaluable.

Karen Burns, Working Girl, is the author of The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use. She blogs at karenburnsworkinggirl.com.

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Become your own boss. There are ways to work for yourself without being scammed and the rewards are great!
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Sherrie of TX 8:54AM October 10, 2009

To continue on the thread of making and keeping deadlines, I would suggest becoming well versed in managing your time. As soon as you get a new assignment/request, take notes, clearly understand the requirements of the assignment to reduce rework, negotiate deadlines, and schedule all tasks in your MS outlook (calendar or tasks) or a personal planner. This will also help your reputation in being responsive and customer focused. Too many employees feel because they do not interact directly with an external customer that they are not customer service reps. This assumption is incorrect. How you respond to anyone in your organization is a reflection of your work ethic, reliability, and demeanor.
Also, another way to stay off the list is to get the scoop on what upper management is focused on. You could find a mentor in your department (in addition to your boss). A higher up mentor can give you insight on what initiatives are important to your VP or President. Those are the areas you want to focus on to get visibility and stand out from the rest.
Finally, be the person that comes up with solutions to people's problems (most of all your boss' problems). Be flexible, be a part of the solution, and if you have concerns in regards to new projects/initiatives, express yourself. Express your concerns (if the opportunity arises) but also have possible solutions to those issues. Managers have enough problems, and they want people who are proactive about mitigating/eliminating problems.
Also, be creative and have your own suggestions. Managers want someone who can take a project/assignment, take their best shot at it, and come back with answers. They don't want to give an assignment to someone and have a million questions coming back to them. In that case, they may as well do it themselves. Try your best, get input when necessary, and come back with a few possible alternatives/solutions.
Daphne B. Robinson
www.careercougar.com

Daphne Robinson of CT 8:45AM July 25, 2009

Good advice for how to be a good employee. It's not always enough, though. Even if you have all of those skills, you can still find yourself out of a job. I know many people in that situation (excellent skills/laid off).

Rodney Cooley of WI 4:44PM July 23, 2009