Week of February 9, 2009

You just got laid off. Now what? Well, here are a few things to consider now that you have the time. 1. Get healthy; now you have time to exercise. 2. Spend time with your kids; they grow up fast. 3. Re-train. There is nothing better than learning the new technology. 4. Keep in contact with people who can help, not just the gripers. 5. Enjoy the time off. Use it to refresh, learn and improve.

If you were just laid off, perhaps it's time to assess your career. Note; age has a lot to do with your future path. If you are in your 30s or 40s, your decision may be very different that a 50 or even a 60-year-old. Obviously there are financial decisions to consider, but there are also questions such as: "Would I take a lower position?" Would I be willing to move? Can I change careers in the middle of a recession?" There is a very good chance your self-esteem will take a hit. Stay positive; you didn't get stupid overnight. Tomorrow: 5 things you can do to keep you from going crazy with all of your new spare time.

So you just got "laid off, downsized, cut back, riffed, fired, let go, or whatever. The bottom line is you are now part of the growing ranks of highly paid management looking for work. You will be hurt, mad, shocked and in some cases, depressed over the career speed bump you are now faced with. Assume the worst; there are NO jobs for you in the market. Everybody is laying off and rare is the occasion where there will be an opening across the street for the same (or more) money. Try to curb your anger at the former company and the leaders. It won't help and all you end up with is being bitter. Move on, and don't bad rap your ex-company. It will only stress you out further. You can only get so angry.

Are you a recently laid-off general manager or department head? You are about to embark on feelings you probably never had before. For the rest of this week, I will provide a few thoughts on how to cope with the "soft side" of unemployment. Understand that for many of the people laid off in radio, there are a few realities you may have to face over the next few weeks or months. For example, if you were let go last Friday, you will get calls from everyone you know telling you how awful it was that you were let go. "That sucks!"... "They are making a huge mistake" ... and "I'm shocked" will be repeated over and over. Former staffers will lament the downfall, then go back and work for the new person. Next week only your friends will call, "If there is anything I can do" and by the third week ...nobody will call. Tomorrow: You're out, now what?

It's a pretty safe bet that Washington will pass some sort of stimulus bill this week. What does it mean for your cluster? Construction? Schools? Banks lending money again? Maybe it's a good idea to review the list of spending and create opportunities to take advantage of it. Gather your sales managers and review here. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123202946622485595.html.