Larry D. Lauer

What should I do when my boss takes another job?  I often hear this question, and I heard it once again this week. 

Should I immediately update my resume?  Will a  new executive bring in a new person?  Should I just go ahead and start looking?   This is a very disturbing time for everyone, and we have all been through it. But I have found that the best and most secure approach is to use it as a time to consider “reinventing” myself! 

What I mean by this is that each transition point will likely require a slightly new you to get through it. Your best approach to this “new day” is to retool your brain: Tell your new boss that you are excited about change,  your organization will benefit from it, and that you want to be a part of it.

This means you will need to shift your focus, exhibit a rebirth of new energy, accept the inevitability of change, and be more than ready to “walk a new talk.”  You cannot sell your soul, of course. But each new boss will bring new ideas, new priorities, and a desire to make his or her mark on the organization. The most secure place you can be at a time like this is to get excited about helping to make new things happen.

What you don’t want to do is act and look defensive. You don’t want to look like you are trying to protect your turf and the way you have been doing things. You should never say, “We don’t do it that way.”  Never respond to a suggestion with, “We tried that last year and it doesn’t work.” You must resist the inevitable strong feeling that the past is not being properly honored. You must be prepared to try it all again, and to do it with the attitude that you just might learn something new this time around. It’s difficult, but just do it!

Leading change, or helping to lead change, is always more secure than resisting it. Resisting change, however, is a sure ticket to losing your job. Make no mistake!

But, sometimes all this still just doesn’t work out.  You take the initiative but the new boss still wants a new person. Or, you tried, but find you are not compatible with this “new day.”  However, you are now a self-confident, reinvented you. Armed with an updated resume and a reactivated contacts network, you now really look like an energized professional ready for a new adventure, and that attitude always attracts the best opportunities.