After a layoff, professionals often work harder and talk less. Silence feels safe, but it quietly distorts capacity signals and increases risk. The real fix is structured communication.
Why Working Harder Won’t Protect You After a Layoff
This is not smarter
Work Smarter, Not Harder
After a layoff, most professionals don’t slow down.
They accelerate.
- They respond to emails after hours.
- They reply instantly, even when it isn’t urgent.
- They volunteer for extra projects.
- They stop pushing back on timelines.
- They try to be visibly indispensable.
It feels responsible.
>It feels professional.
>It feels like protection.
Employee Entitlement: Career-Ending Mistake Managers Don’t Talk About
The epitome of entitled. Would you want this guy working for you?
Most Employees Don’t Realize They’re Making a Career-Ending Mistake
- The biggest mistake employees make is assuming their manager works for them.
- The second biggest is the belief that the company exists for their benefit.
That sounds ridiculous, but it’s true — and it’s the foundation of employee entitlement at work.
Some of this mindset is generational,
Promotable or Expendable
Promotable or expendable? Don’t put your fate in someone else’s hands.
Are you Promotable or Expendable at work?
Do you know where you stand with your manager? Most employee opinions about their performance differ from those of their managers. In most cases, the difference is career. This week, I share observations on how managers view their employees and how employees view themselves. These opinions are based on 20 years of experience, including:
- 100’s of conversations with managers who have teams
- Leading HR teams for the past 20 years,
Stay in your lane, don’t work on extra projects!
Why you should stay in your lane
Stay in your lane!
Since this blog started, I have preached that we must do more than the assigned job description to get ahead at work. I have stated:
- “Sweep the parking lot if you have nothing to do.”
- “Make your manager’s job easier by doing the work they don’t want to.”
- “Work on efficiencies within your department and your company.”
Most likely,
Job Resignation For The Wrong Reasons
Reassess before you turn in your resignation
13 reasons why accountants turn in their resignation letter
One of the smartest guys I know, a VP of Accounting, recently shared a post about employee resignations. We had an interesting discussion on the topic, so I decided to share it. Thank you, TB.
The list below left me frustrated and, frankly, sad. I realized the list applies to more than accounting positions.
What is a salary band and why companies share yours
Salary bands are required to be public in a few states, with more states to follow. What is a salary band? Why is there a salary range and why you may not be paid at the top of the salary band.
Stalled career. Why you aren’t getting a promotion at work
Has your career stalled? HR executive explains why some careers take off and why some fall flat. Signs you have a stalled career, why your career stalled, and how to jump-start your career with three simple steps.