Seven Signs Your Time Is Up

Why is it easy to see when someone around us is about to be fired, yet we don't recognize those signs when it happens to us? Perhaps you were too busy looking in front of you to notice the waves of layoffs, one of which eventually took you out. Or maybe you were hoping to turn around a situation that had gone bad. Years of experience have taught me there are almost always warning signs that indicate a shift is about to happen. Here are seven of the most common signs your time is quickly coming to an end.

SIGN NUMBER 1: YOU ARE NO LONGER IN THE LOOP

This scene may play out in different ways, but the ending is always the same. You used to be invited to participate in closed-door meetings where highly confidential matters were discussed. Lately, you notice the blinds are closed in the conference room, yet you are noting this from the outside of the room.

I remember this happening to me when I experienced my first layoff. Working in human resources, I was privy to all the comings and goings of the organization. Then one day I no longer had access to this information. Meetings that I normally attended went on without me. In retrospect, I should have realized that something was going on, but instead I chose to go about my business as if nothing had changed. Two weeks later, the bottom of my world fell out when I received my pink slip.

When Tracy O'Connell, associate professor of marketing communications at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, worked in the corporate world, she went from a prized performer (based on bosses' comments and personnel reviews, promotions, and such) to someone who was apparently on the way out. She began to realize she was no longer in the loop when meetings with the boss were cancelled, phone calls or e-mails were not returned, and the boss was generally unavailable to her. "I sat outside the door, hoping for a chance to ask maybe just one question, to move ahead on one thing. It was like paparazzi stalking a celebrity," states O'Connell.

If your gut tells you something has changed and your mind tries to convince you it's all in your head, then it's worth further exploration. In my experience, when it comes to matters like this, your gut is usually right. That explains why we often hear people say, "I knew it! I felt like this was coming," as they are doing the perp walk out the door, escorted by security.

SIGN NUMBER 2: YOUR BOSS ASKS YOU TO TRAIN A "BACKUP"

At work, we often hear, "We need someone trained in case you get hit by a bus," even though we rarely hear about people actually getting taken out by a bus gone wild. This is frequently code for, "You're on your way out, pal. I need to make sure someone else can do your job before I fire you." If you are in this situation, you have several choices. You can do as requested without asking any questions, or you can put together a strategy for approaching the boss and learning more about why he is making this request. In most situations, people will go with option one, as this avoids conflict, even though option two is clearly the better choice.

Here's why you should talk honestly with your boss. Suppose you approached your boss in a nonconfrontational way and shared your concerns with him. This might open up a dialogue in which you learn more about areas you can quickly turn around to prevent receiving an early checkout notice. Or you may be able to negotiate a win-win deal. I've done this and it works really well, when executed properly.

Most bosses will do anything to avoid firing people. It's unpleasant and it doesn't exactly present your boss in the best light to his peers, staff, or, in some cases, the board. So if you look at this situation from your boss's point of view, you are actually doing him a favor by presenting him with a win-win situation.

It's much more difficult to fill a job when the person in the job has not been informed that her time is up. You might suggest to your boss that over the next three months (or whatever time you anticipate you will need) you will continue to perform your job while assembling a detailed procedures manual or training guide for your replacement. Offer to stay and help train your replacement. (Never mind that he may prefer you don't.) In return, ask for permission to tender your resignation, time off to interview, and whatever other terms you can negotiate, such as the bonus that is due to be paid out next month. Now, doesn't this feel more empowering than pretending there may indeed be a surge in the number of buses wiping out mid-level managers over the next six months?

SIGN NUMBER 3: YOUR COMPANY IS TANKING

Has the owner of the company recently placed a guard on the office thermostat to save money on heating and cooling bills? Do you now have to steal office supplies from home in order to fill the supply cupboards at work? Or even worse, is the manufacturing plant standing idle while everyone waits for a miracle? Is your company losing contracts that used to be a slam dunk? These are all signs that the glory days of the company may well be behind you.

It's unlikely that a company that has fallen on hard financial times will turn around quickly. You may be forced to take action sooner rather than later, especially if you are the primary breadwinner. That's not exactly a bad thing. Often, being the first to go can be a good strategic move. You get into the employment market before it is flooded with other candidates from your industry or specialty. However, you do not have to quit in order to explore your options. You can start putting feelers out to see if you get any nibbles. Or you can turn the heat up and do a full-blown job search while continuing to earn a paycheck.