by Craig Colby
“Love Nature is going in a new direction. And you won’t be part of it.”
Vanessa Case, the head of our department at Blue Ant Media, was calm, but kind, as she told me I’m out of a job. The words washed over me as Vanessa told me that my job, Executive Producer of a nature channel, was being moved out of the country. She said she appreciated the efforts I’d made for the company, it had nothing to do with my performance.
As the television industry shrunk, I’d expected a moment like this. I’d even hoped for it. The week before I’d made a list of businesses I’d like to start. But, there is no preparing for the moment when someone tells you you’re not wanted anymore.
I’d been on her side of the table plenty of times. People have cried, or been angry, or just quiet. I’d always wondered how I’d feel. Surprisingly, I felt peaceful.
“I’ve asked that this meeting be just us so that if you have anything you want to say, or get off your chest, you can.” Vanessa told me. It was a generous act.
“I appreciate the gesture, but that’s not going to be necessary.” I explained that I understood the decision and I was ready to go.
My next stop was HR. I left with a fair termination and severance package.
I called my wife Nancy to give her the news. Then I went home to wait for my kids to tell them their dad didn’t have a job anymore.
The Beautiful Goodbye
Thanks to the graciousness of Blue Ant Management, I went into the office the next day for the announcement. The large boardroom filled up with the production team that reported to me, and colleagues from other departments. Vanessa announced that cuts were coming. They would be announced throughout the day, but what they could announce immediately was that I was leaving. The room was silent. I’d been with Blue Ant since it bought High Fidelity HDTV 5 years before, and I’d been with High Fidelity HDTV since it started 6 years prior. Some employees had reported to me for more than a decade.
The silence was heavy. It was my turn to speak. “I knew I was vulnerable. I have a better parking spot than Rob Chase.” People laughed. Rob Chase was the head of finance. Now that the ice had been broken, I told people what a pleasure it had been to work with them. I’d appreciated their efforts. Seeing them grow had been a privilege. Then I said what I’d really come to say. “I won’t be here anymore, but I’m still here for you. If you need me, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
I headed for the door. My plan had been to drop my final thought and leave. Before I could get out of the room, Raja Khana, the company president stopped me and shook my hand. My boss, Marcia Martin, pulled me aside to talk. The meeting ended before that conversation.
Former protégés, colleagues and rivals filed out. They shook my hand or hugged me, some barely stifling tears. It was like having a receiving line at your funeral.
The experience was sad, but also beautiful. It’s hard to imagine a layoff better than this one. I was treated with kindness and respect.
The Less Beautiful Aftermath
However, no matter how kindly it’s handled, or what words are used – released, laid off, packaged out – it feels like fired. For the next few weeks, my head was spinning. Good salary. Gone. Corner office. Gone. Leadership role. Gone. My wife went to work. My kids went to school. I was at home with the last person I wanted to spend time with – me.
I launched myself at every project I had imagined. Total shotgun approach. I’m pretty sure I drove my family nuts. I drove myself nuts. There were a lot of questions I should have asked. I blew past them like a Ferrari past a minivan. As a result, I made mistakes. But I didn’t know what questions to ask, let alone where to direct them. I got through it though, working steadily until the pandemic hit.
In the last month, friends and colleagues have lost their jobs in television. None of the stories were like mine. On twitter I heard about the bad news being delivered in group teleconferences through recorded messages. That provides no chance for connection and closure. I wanted to help somehow. But how?
Fortunately, I’ve met a lot of people in different industries since I launched my own storytelling business, colbyvision, back in 2017. In the 4 years since I lost my job, I’ve learned the questions to ask and found out who can answer them. I knew I could do one thing to help.
Career ReCourse
I created Career ReCourse, a free resource of interviews with experts in HR, finance, wellness and career guidance. It also includes links to the experts if anyone wants to follow up.
The answers to those small questions are a bread crumb trail to the answer to the big question, the one only you can answer – what do I do now?
I hope it gives people who are out of work a head start, or at least a few things to think about. During the last two weeks of conducting interviews, I learned a lot. There’s one piece of my own advice I’d like to add. Losing your job is a gut punch. Your sense of self takes a shot. You can doubt your abilities. Don’t.
You know who you are.
You’re just on a new journey.
I hope Career ReCourse helps you take the first steps.
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Contact the author at craig@colbyvision.net for consulting, training, writing or production.
Craig Colby is a television executive producer, producer, director, writer and story editor. He runs a storytelling consulting and production service for businesses.