Crisis Cannot Be Your Teacher

My college philosophy professor always said, “People on a mission cannot allow crisis to be their teacher.” He spoke passionately about ‘Crystallizing Your Vision’ and game planning for the future. I understand his purpose was to inspire and motivate, but I always struggled with the practicality of it all. Sure. It is easy to say, “Do not allow crisis to be your teacher,” but the reality is that life happens, and it is impossible to anticipate the unexpected. The most consistent thing in life is change. Unexpected events can derail plans, impact finances and generally wreak havoc on a person’s life goals. Still, the words always echoed in my brain. Crisis cannot be your teacher…crisis cannot be your teacher. So, I began to seek out practicality. Through reading, research and study, I found and adopted a few practical strategies for success the any individual can embrace and apply to any situation. Take job loss for example. While no one among us can necessarily anticipate a job loss, we all can form a blueprint for dealing with job loss if and when it occurs. Here are a few practical ideas for dealing with this type of transition.

Planning Life Roles

Psychologist Donald E. Super developed a Life-Span Theory that is considered to be one of the guiding principles in the field of Career Development. This article is not about theory or philosophy, so instead let us pick out some of the sound, useful tools within the theory that can help prepare an individual for life events such as job loss. The theory itself is about learning and planning. Super defines 8 Life Roles as typical for adult workers. These are: Child, Student, Worker, Citizen, Homemaker, Spouse/Partner, Parent, and Leisurite. Other than Child, people typically choose which roles to play and how much time or energy will be spent playing each role. The practical point is this: We all juggle different activities in between various life roles, but few among us will ever spell out in black ‘n’ white our own definitions of each role. This is a critical strategy for success because an event that impacts one life role will most likely have an effect on each of the other roles. Without clear definition of who we are and what we do in relation to each, it is impossible to plan for change. Thus, crisis becomes our teacher in every aspect of our lives.

Consider this example: Individual loses a job. The worker role obviously feels the direct impact. But, what happens to the other life roles? The Homemaker struggles to make ends meet. A Spouse/Partner relationship is strained by financial pressures and idle time. Leisure activity goes away. In many cases, the Parent has to tell a child that they can no longer do or have certain things. One event impacts several Life Roles. There is a natural ripple effect. We know it is happening, yet it is difficult to pin point unless Life Roles have been specifically defined, planned and prioritized.

Here is what I suggest: Get a sheet of paper and list all 8 of the Life Roles (as listed above.) Begin with a simple definition – Who are you in relation to each Life Role? You will immediately find that some Life Roles do not apply because you have chosen not to play that particular role. For example, perhaps you are not a current student or maybe you are not in a serious personal relationship in which case these can be eliminated from your list. Next, put together a Time & Energy schedule for each Life Role that remains on your list. Be very detailed. For instance, if you are a student, put together a schedule of the amount of time you spend in that Role. This would include class times, commute times, study hours, etc. Sketch out the schedule hour by hour. Repeat the process for each Life Role. Finally, look at each Role and prioritize your list. This will help you to identify areas to which you are applying too much time and energy. Borrow the extra time and apply it to your Worker Role, which should be the sole focus when getting back to work. This is going to seem like simple thinking because it is! Sometimes we need basic strategies to help us focus on the KISS Rule – Keep It Simple, Stupid.

The 4-S Model

Nancy Schlossberg is another leading theorist in the field of Career Development. Like Super, her theories and studies are among the guiding principles for the industry. Schlossberg, who specifically focused on transitions and career change, created a simple, useful blueprint designed to help people plan for life’s unforeseen events. It is called the 4-S Model.

The 4 S’s are Situation, Self, Supports, Strategy. This is a game-planning model that can be developed on a case-by-case basis or used as an ongoing blueprint for success. Let us begin by explaining each of the S’s. Then, we will examine application.

Take Stock of the Situation

This section should examine the entire climate and/or environment related to the event. If the event is job loss, answer these questions related to this particular Situation:

• Situation expected or unexpected?
• Situation good or bad (point of view)?
• Coming at a good time or bad time?
• Represent a move up or down?
• Where am I in the process?
• What goals do I want to reach?
• What are the alternatives?

Evaluate Self

This section of the 4-S model should focus on where you are at in the process, how you handle change and how you are feeling. You should address these questions about yourSelf:

• What is my outlook on life?
• What is my sense of personal well-being?
• Am I generally challenged or overwhelmed by change?
• Do I generally feel a sense of control as I face change?

List Supports

In this section, create an inventory of the people and resources that are at your disposal. List your Supports so that you have quick access to fall-back plans, assistance, etc. Questions to help develop a Support list include:

• Can I get help from others?
• Do I have a variety of supports (friends, family, counselors, etc.)?
• Has my support system been interrupted or altered by this change?
• With whom can I network for support?
• Do I have the time, money, etc. needed?

Develop a Strategy

After taking inventory of all of the information related to Situation, Self and Supports, use this information to develop a Strategy. Begin to find resources for self-evaluation. Identify alternatives (as they relate to job options.) Finally, prioritize your info and make some choices. Some topics and questions for guidance in this area include:

• Become aware of the need for a strategy
• Learn about self/reevaluate self
• Identify alternatives
• Gather information about alternatives
• Prioritize alternatives
• Make choices
• Complete the change

The 4-S Model is a useful guide when dealing with any of life’s transitions, but can be extremely useful to the worker who has recently suffered a job loss. The 4-S’s provide an opportunity for self-reflection, but the framework also directs people back to useful resources such as network contacts, online databases and career guidance tools. If used regularly and often, the 4-S Model will eventually become a mode of thinking and problem solving.

In Conclusion

Sometimes events are going to happen when we least expect it – like a job loss. Sometimes we are going to expect an event to happen but it never does – like an anticipated job promotion. The bottom line is that each of us needs to be prepared for events and non-events as they occur. While we cannot necessarily anticipate what the event may be, we can prepare ourselves for inevitable change. Teachers, trainers and counselors often say, “Write down your goals,” but rarely provide a framework through which we can keep track of and constantly reevaluate those goals. Defining Life Roles helps keep track of the Time & Energy we put into all aspects of our lives. This will help any job seeker, student or worker stay on task. The 4-S Model provides a blueprint for handling change. Used in conjunction, these tools will serve as a mini business plan for your life.