PINK Slips

By Amy Dorn Kopelan

Amy Dorn Kopelan, co-creator of The Guru Nation, has over 20 years’ experience as an ABC television executive and independent conference producer. She is also co-author of I Didn't See It Coming, the book that teaches business professionals how to avoid being blindsided in business. She has been featured on FOX and Friends, BusinessWeek on-line, On the Money, in CEO Magazine, Business Week, Chief Learning Officer Magazine, and CNN.com. As an author and industry expert, Ms. Kopelan interviews leading business innovators, moderates discussion at industry conferences, speaks at national business symposiums, and consults to institutions.

Pink slips. When we were young girls, we used to twirl around in front of the mirror admiring ourselves in them. Sometimes we would wear them on a sunny day so no one would see through our sheer cotton dresses. In any case, they gave us a quiet sense power and often enhanced our feeling of femininity. But as we grew up and started working, pink slips suddenly took on a very different and not so benign or happy connotation. Pink slips at work make us feel vulnerable, marginalized, or even worthless. That kind of pink slip is certainly not welcome in our wardrobe.

At the most recent conference I spoke at in Omaha, one of the women managers admitted to me that she was mortified when she was handed a pink slip and went to hide in the Ladies Room so no one would see her cry. She left the company at the end of the day, but before exiting, quickly signed the severance agreement given to her by an HR manager. She asked the HR department to mail her personal belongings to her and she didn’t say goodbye to her team. She was just so embarrassed by the situation.

Perhaps it’s time to dramatically change our view of pink slips! I think we can see pink slips at work as we used to see them when we were children, and realize that they are actually an opportunity to reclaim that quiet power we felt from our childhood. It can happen if you consider that the day you are “let go” from your job you really hold a great deal of power and there’s no need to quietly slip out the back door. For men and women in the all organizations, here’s what to consider….

Management would like you to go because your presence on site causes whispers, reduced productivity, supposition, and low morale. The company is relying on your smooth and swift departure, so this suddenly gives you the perfect opportunity to negotiate the terms you want for your exit. Whether a first-line manager or a C-suite executive, you hold the power to negotiate. Don’t give up the power and don’t cave! The caveat is to stay calm, clear, and un-emotional as you make your requests.

Here are 5 suggestions to leverage your power:

• Don’t give up your chair! Insist that you come into the office every day until the terms of your deal are in place.

• Don’t be bullied. No matter what anyone in HR says, nothing needs to be signed by the end of the day.

• Never accept the first severance offer. The company can always do better. Be vocal about your requests and always come back with a counter offer.

• Always address your team or colleagues before senior management does. This is your opportunity to control perceptions.
• Never assign blame and always avoid gossip! When asked, say the timing was right for you to leave.

Remember—you can turn pink slips into power chits!