Learning to Cope With Bad News
We’re never taught how to deliver bad news, so when someone has to deliver it, there’s a tendency for them to become distant, curt, and cold. It’s a self-defense mechanism used to get through the conversation. If you’re being terminated, you want your boss to be empathetic and compassionate—and to remember the loyalty you’ve demonstrated and the contributions you’ve made. Instead, he or she is devoid of emotion and seemingly just wants to get the conversation over with. Even those you’ve trusted and admired can fail you miserably, and the pain from what was said can rattle around in your brain—so much more painfully than the job loss ever was, in the first place.
Sometimes bad news comes in the form of silence. You’ve sent your résumé to 50 companies but have not gotten a single reply. Maybe you’ve nailed the on-site interview and were told you’d hear back in two days, but that was two weeks ago. The silence can be soul crushing. It might feel like you’re living in the U-bend of a toilet, but there is a job out there for you and you are not alone. Just stick to your daily routine and don’t give up.
Stories from the trenches…
A header on LinkedIn: “Don’t Be Afraid to Fail. Be Afraid Not to Try.” - Michael Jordan.