LjjSpeaks BlogPost: Exiting Gracefully - Helping Someone Who Has Been Terminated.

I would take bets that there isn't anyone reading this who does not know someone or has not themselves been let go from a position they loved.

The community of Grand Rapids is abuzz. Suzanne Geha•, a television news anchor who has been in the market for 30 years as the main anchor of the nightly local news was let go. No fanfare, no party, just a short announcement presented to the local paper. In your home one night, gone the next. For many loyal viewers her absence will be as shocking as a death.

The most common thread of conversation centers around how could someone so public, some say iconic, be let go without what seems to be any care? What does that say of the company's loyalty?

To discuss how the company could have announced this most recent public parting of ways is not the point of this blog. It's estimated 7.9 million jobs were lost in the recent recession**. Jobs = People. Let's face it, there will be more people we know abruptly fired. There are behind the scenes factors we will never know surrounding the reasons for a job termination.

While we can't change what has happened to our colleague or friend, we can support them and help them exit gracefully. If a termination happens to us we can do the same - exit gracefully. Bitterness brings people down. Short term it is easy to complain about what has happened; long term who doesn't get tired of complainers.

Today there is a person who was, by nature of her job, in our homes in Grand Rapids 5 days a week (more if there was breaking news). She told us about local people and places. I had the opportunity to work with Suzanne Geha when I was a news producer. Great memories of great times - and she is one classy individual. Today, let's help Suzi as she exits gracefully. At some point today post on your status "Thank You Suzi." Use your tools of Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and more. Why so public? Suzi's job is public. She deserves to be told she was valued by the viewers who let her into their homes.

You know others who are not in the public eye who have lost their job. Today send a private message letting them know you support them.
Today is the day to say thank you - you matter.

After all, the more graceful an exit the more grand a re-entry!

*http://www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/04/ruth_butler_wood-t...
**http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/02/news/economy/jobs_gone_forever/index.htm

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