My journey from redundancy to personal growth
After several years working in leadership, learning, and talent, I found myself facing my third restructure with Barclays Bank in London. The first two had great outcomes—different and interesting roles in other parts of the bank. But this time, the role on offer wasn’t appealing to me. It was in the investment bank, and from a ‘cultural fit’ perspective it just didn’t align with my values. But the alternative—taking redundancy—meant losing my job, visa, and right to live and work in the UK. After several years, I had built a full life and great friendships in London. Packing up and returning home to New Zealand hadn’t been part of my plans.
A tough decision
After a week or so of deliberation (and a few tears and wines with friends!), I was getting no further with my pros and cons lists. Both options seemed to have their upsides and downsides. At the eleventh hour, before I needed to submit my decision, I came across an exercise that helped me to shift my perspective—I mentally time-travelled several years into the future and thought about what I wanted from my life at that time. This thought process helped me reframe out of the ‘now and immediate’ and helped me think about my problem from a new vantage point. Thinking about ‘future me’ in another few years, I anticipated I might be keen to settle down a bit and be closer to family back home in New Zealand. I would never know for sure (that’s what makes these decisions so tough!), but this process helped me to get clarity, listen to my gut and move forward with my decision.
Embracing change
With my future self in mind, I took redundancy and travelled the long way home—with a year of solo travel, adventures with friends, family, and volunteer work. The end of my experiences landed me a role that connected me to some of my passions – art and music - as Head of People and Capability at the Te Manatū Taonga | Ministry for Culture and Heritage here in Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington.
Lessons Learned
As it turned out, this was a huge life lesson, teaching me that a setback, like redundancy, can be a catalyst for personal growth. It also gave me a deep and personal understanding of how redundancy feels, so I can better support my clients.
Navigating Your Journey
How might looking at a difficult decision from a new vantage point help you?
Redundancy can feel hard and mentally exhausting. If you are experiencing something similar and would like practical activities and coaching to give you clarity and get you moving forward, I’m here to help.
Photo - Listening and Viewing Device in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. Sculpture by Andrew Drummond.
