Employee engagement consultant Sarah Aviram looks at why you may feel grief over retiring or the loss of a job, and explores ways to reframe your experience with a healing, step-by-step process.
WORDS: SARAH AVIRAM. IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK.
As the season comes to a close, there may also be the closing of another major season for you: your career. Whether it’s the conclusion of your cherished professional chapter or the unexpected loss of employment, there are difficult challenges and emotional nuances tied to late-career job loss and retirement for women.
Losing a job later in your career or choosing to retire can trigger a cascade of emotions akin to grief. The routine, the identity, and the sense of purpose that a career provides become integral parts of one’s life. Whether this transition is a chosen step towards retirement or an unexpected detour, the emotional journey that ensues can include strong feelings of loss.
It’s okay to mourn the end of an era. Your career is not just a source of income but a vital component of your identity. Give yourself the permission to grieve. Whether through journaling, talking to a friend, or seeking professional support, it’s important to express your emotions in a healthy way to navigate the initial impact of this change. If the job loss is unexpected, taking time to process the events can help in moving forward with a clearer perspective.
Change of any kind causes a lot of anxiety when we’re not quite sure how to manage it. In the corporate world, there are multimillion-dollar consulting firms that specialise in “change management.” These firms help other companies manage the implementation of new systems, processes, structures, and cultural norms. I’ve been part of change management teams and initiatives in different organisations, and I’ve seen how having a robust plan is critical for the changes to happen successfully.
Yet we, as individuals, try to do challenging change management work on ourselves (and by ourselves) without any plan or support system in place.
Drawing inspiration from John Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change – a framework traditionally used for organisational change management – I’ll delve into a personalised approach to help you navigate this transition with the structure and support that you deserve.
As you answer the questions below and think of actions you can take to move through this transition, reflect on the connections between your new behaviours and the success you’ve achiev
