| A redundancy support group is for
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| | keep the agenda as loose as possible.
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| colleagues who have been made redundant
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| | The more "business" there is the less
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| from an organisation at roughly the same
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| | opportunity will there be for personal
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| time, although there is some fluidity in
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| | support.There is no model for how your
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| that some people may join and others
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| | group might be shaped in terms of the
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| leave over the lifespan of the group.Many
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| | topics it
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| of the difficulties people face having
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| | covers. In broad terms, there are three
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| been made redundant are practical and
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| | main categories:Job or career help,
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| emotional. Peer support helps
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| | including
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| individuals to overcome both. The
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| | Contacts for networking
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| practical, in terms
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| | Suggestions and advice about CV or
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| of supporting each other through the
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| | letters
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| change with advice or ideas, the
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| | Looking out for possible opportunities
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| emotional by
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| | for each other
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| helping people through the loneliness,
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| | Helping each other to identify strengths
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| loss of confidence or motivation and, in
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| | and weaknesses
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| some cases, anger. Emotional departure
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| | Suggesting creative ideas for career
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| does not always happen at the same time
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| | change
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| as physical departure and the time lag
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| | Brainstorming specific agreed topics
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| can be difficult to cope with, causing a
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| | such as "How can we get experience of new
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| sense
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| |
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| of isolation and possibly strong
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| | work"Practical support, including
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| feelings of need for affiliation as well
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| | Tax and financial planning issues
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| as rejection.
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| | Researching the best suppliers of
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| Being able to maintain the connection
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| | equipment or supplies
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| with the company through other leavers
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| | Negotiating with the employer as a
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| can
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| | groupSocial and emotional support,
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| ease the transition.Peer pressure helps
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| | including
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| individuals to move forward - it is quite
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| | Doing fun things together
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| common for people to
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| | Helping with travel / holiday
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| lose their desire to get things done
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| | arrangements
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| when there is nobody around to encourage
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| | Being a comfort when under stress
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| them, or who rely on the outcome. At
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| | Instilling confidence or motivation when
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| work we are often motivated by our desire
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| | either are waningAgain, there are no
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|
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| | recommendations for best practice in
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| not to let down colleagues or to appear
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| | terms of the location of
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| unreliable. Peer support provides for
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| | meetings. It comes down to what is most
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| this
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| | practical for the majority of members.
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| function.The group can be made up of
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| | This might mean a regular fixed venue or
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| people in a range of ways. It may be
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| | moving around. It could be members'
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| open to any
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| | homes, a restaurant or bar, or some
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| employees of an organisation that have
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| | other public space like a hotel or
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| been made redundant or are facing
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| | serviced
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| redundancy, people from a particular
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| | office.Case Study: the New Futures
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| functional area within the company, or
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| | GroupThe New Futures Group was originally
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| based
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| | formed in early 2005 by seven senior
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| on level of seniority. While some of
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| | managers at InterContinental Hotels in
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| the advantages of mutual understanding
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| | London. All took voluntary redundancy or
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| are
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| |
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| lost if a group comprises people from
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| | were made redundant as part of a large
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| different organisations, this situation
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| | re-organisation programme.The group was
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| still has
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| | essentially social in nature, typically
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| the potential to foster a valuable
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| | meeting over coffee or lunch.
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| experience for the members.The pros and
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| | The initial value to the members was to
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| cons of each model are:All Employees
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| | retain a social network, gain and share
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| Advantages
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| | practical support and maintain their
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| - Few people leaving
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| | connection with the company. The group
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| - Small, tight knit
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| | worked successfully because they shared
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| organisationDisadvantages
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| | values and felt trusted and understood by
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| - People with different needs and issues
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| |
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| may not be able to help each other
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| | each other. This fostered individual
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| wellFunctional group
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| | motivation and pressure to complete the
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| Advantages
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| | tasks
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| - People know each other well
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| | that members set for themselves. It
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| - People understand each others' needs
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| | also provided opportunities to do fun
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| in terms of employment
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| | things
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| aspirationsDisadvantages
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| | together such as a rather unsuccessful
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| - May be competition for jobs therefore
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| | car boot sale!The most obvious benefit
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| some tension
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| | was that rather than each person looking
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| - May lack the creativity that cross
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| | after their own
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| functional interaction brings
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| | issues in isolation, there were six
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| - May be a narrow skill set so some
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| | other people thinking about them. This
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| external help may be needed for some
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| | also
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| activities
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| | meant that people could use
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| - Different levels of employee may have
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| | complementary skills for their mutual
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| little in common and senior people may
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| | benefit.The upshot was that each person
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| be uncomfortable being as open with
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| | had easy access to each other's networks
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| junior peopleSeniority Groups
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| | and
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| Advantages
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| | networking activity grew very quickly
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| - Common understanding of situation
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| | for each member as a result. They also
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| - Cross pollination of expertise
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| | advised each other on CV design,
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| - Openness and not too likely that there
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| | application letters and interview
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| will be competition for jobsDisadvantages
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| | technique. Those
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| - Groups of junior people would benefit
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| | with IT skills trained the others where
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| from the greater experience and
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| | necessary.Other examples of ways by which
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| contacts that may be derived from mixing
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| | members of the New Futures Group
|
| with senior people (maybe in larger set
| |
| | supported
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| up there is a possibility for matrix
| |
| | each other were:- Advice on purchasing
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| peer groups or just better to extend to
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| | business tools and supplies that had
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| outside
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| | previously been
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| the group if required)There is no limit
| |
| | provided by the company such as
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| to group size, although 6 - 10 appears to
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| | computers and broadband, mobile
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| be optimal. Any fewer
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| | phones,cars
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| and the benefits of shared tasks are
| |
| | and business cards.- Financial matters:
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| reduced, any more and it's harder for
| |
| | recommendations for IFA's, insurance,
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| everyone
| |
| | medical cover, and
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| to meet at the same time.Part of the
| |
| | sorting out pensions, tax and national
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| purpose of peer support is for the
| |
| | insurance details as well as state
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| individuals to feel free to talk openly
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| | benefits.- Dealing with the company: The
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| about their feelings, and this may mean
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| | group members had common issues such as
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| expressing anger about what has
| |
| | what to do about their share options and
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| happened. I call this "bite-back".
| |
| | obtaining various papers and documents.
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| Bite-back cannot happen easily if the
| |
| | Rather than each person dealing with the
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| initiative is
| |
| | company on an individual basis, one
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| seen as being started or supported by
| |
| | person would take on the responsibility
|
| the organisation itself. It is therefore
| |
| | to handle the matters for
|
|
| |
| | everyone.- Recommending recruiters and
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| important that support groups are formed
| |
| | head-hunters.ConclusionsPeer group
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| independently and employees join a
| |
| | support is widely recognised as a
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| group only if they want to. The only
| |
| | valuable channel for personal and
|
| intervention the company might provide is
| |
| | professional development. As well as
|
|
| |
| | the benefits of resource sharing, a
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| some information about such groups as
| |
| | trusting
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| part of the overall support programme so
| |
| | group that has no obvious leader
|
| that people can take them up if they
| |
| | provides an environment that can be
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| want to.There is no optimum time for
| |
| | empowering
|
| groups to start - it may be best to wait
| |
| | for the individual.Members of the New
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| until people
| |
| | Futures Group have been able to move
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| have finished work or as soon as they
| |
| | through the career
|
| have been given notice. For some people,
| |
| | transition process with greater
|
| a
| |
| | efficiency and vigour than many
|
| break before beginning the process is
| |
| | individuals would
|
| required and these people may not want to
| |
| | have managed alone.While the ideal
|
|
| |
| | situation is for former colleagues to
|
| do anything about their career
| |
| | work together, it is possible to
|
| transition for some time. For others,
| |
| | form a successful peer support group
|
| emotional
| |
| | with people leaving different
|
| support may be required regardless of
| |
| | organisations.
|
| whether or not they are ready to start
| |
| | Much of the benefit is still available
|
| the job
| |
| | and in the absence of former colleagues
|
| search.Meetings will benefit from
| |
| | to work
|
| regularity in order to foster and
| |
| | with, it is recommended above working
|
| maintain momentum.
| |
| | alone.© Nick Gendler 2005Nick Gendler is
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| Once a fortnight appears to work well -
| |
| | the founder of Workjoy, a career and
|
| enough time for individuals to make
| |
| | outplacement consultancy. Moyse
|
| progress between meetings, yet not so
| |
| | (co-author) is currently growing a
|
| far apart that the impetus is lost.The
| |
| | consultancy
|
| meetings are a social occasion as well as
| |
| | business specialising in internal brand
|
| for business. Make them relaxed and
| |
| | development and employee engagement.
|
