Focus Magazine - Summer 2015 - 11

GUEST EDITOR
Sue Iannone

Surviving and Thriving
in a Volatile Industry
It's a liberating
experience when
you realize you
can still be in control
of your career.

ver the past few months, I've received
more than a handful of emails from
former colleagues who were about to
face job loss. I cringe when I see these emails
because of my own personal experience. I've
survived four downsizes, two mergers, and lost
my job once.
While instability may be the new norm in
life sciences, it doesn't get any easier to
experience it. If you haven't yet been aﬀected
by these types of events, you more than likely
know someone who has lost their job, lost their
responsibilities, or just 'lost their mind' due to
living in fear of the unexpected.
How can one thrive when uncertainty is the
norm? It's a liberating experience when you
realize you can still be in control of your career
instead of being controlled by uncertainty.
While there's no such thing as job security, I've
found myself giving this advice:
* Get in the gutter, then get out. It's human
nature- when news hits about impending
negative change, people flock together to
talk about it. Many folks in leadership
positions will say 'don't commiserate', but we
all need to vent. As a leader, it's important to
give your people the opportunity to share
their feelings. ere's nothing wrong with a
little speculation and commiseration; the
trick is to avoid the extreme and not spread
poison around the oﬃce. Certainly don't
share anything confidential if you are privy.
Be choosy about who you vent to, then "let it
go." Moving on is paramount - nobody likes
listening to poison all the time, and
eventually it will kill your attitude.
* Focus on what you can control. You've
probably heard this before; take it to heart.

While it may not feel like you have any
control, it's a choice to positively impact
your attitude, behavior and performance.
Even when performance has nothing to do
to with job loss, consistently focusing on
delivering results helps secure your next job.
* Grow and nurture your LTEN network.
Building contacts outside of my current
company has been one of the most
important investments I have made over the
years. When times are great, your network is
a valuable sounding board for problem
solving, idea exchange, and finding a great
supplier for a specific need. When times
aren't so great, your network can surface
opportunities you might have never known
about. Ongoing engagement is key; if you
only tap in to your contacts when times are
bad, it can appear one-sided. Make it a winwin for everyone - give as well as take from
the relationships, and don't forget to pay it
forward when you have the opportunity.
* Continue to learn. Just as your network
needs nurturing, so does your expertise.
Attend conferences, take on stretch
assignments, acquire a certification and keep
up on industry happenings. It doesn't matter
if you have 20 years of experience if you're
using yesterday's techniques. Today's fastpaced environment demands out-of-the-box
thinking, and making the investment in
yourself gives you the ability to identify the
right solution for the right need. It also
keeps you more marketable than other
candidates should you need to compete for a
position.
While uncertain times can be unsettling,
many have used these tips with success.
riving is possible! I

Sue Iannone, CPLP, is director, commercial inﬂammation & immunology training, for Celgene. Email Sue at
siannone@celgene.com.

FOCUS | SUMMER 2015 | www.L-TEN.org

http://www.L-TEN.org

Focus Magazine - Summer 2015

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