Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s curve describes the emotional rollercoaster associated with going through grief. She lists five stages, relating to our ability to understand and function through a feeling of significant loss. Starting with Shock and ending with Solutions, we all travel this curve of Denial, Doubt and Acceptance in order to make sense of an imposed change.  

As many people have been made redundant in the past months, some with no clear prospects of finding a similar job in the same industry hard-hit by the pandemic and ensuing economic crisis, it seems very appropriate to revisit Kubler-Ross and how the stages of the curve apply to this particular context.

If you’ve lost your job in this crisis: 

Disbelief may have been your first reaction when you found out your job would disappear. Maybe you criticised the company management, maybe you couldn’t imagine your project being cut, maybe you felt other employees should have been let go instead of you.
As announcements of government aid came in and as confinement was lifted, maybe you felt this would all blow over and your job would be safe. Maybe you felt the company would not go through with the job cuts, that they would find a way to avoid it.
Helping someone in these stages: simply listen. It may feel uncomfortable, and you’ll need some patience, but don’t try to fix things, don’t offer solutions, just listen and let them get the emotions out.

The redundancy plan was put in place and it was clear you would not escape it. Maybe you wondered what you had done wrong, how you could have worked harder or done more to avoid this situation. Did you oscillate between criticising the company and criticising yourself?
Helping someone in this stage: Focus on the positives. Share any guidance you may have, get them talking about the way things could look in future. Focus on the opportunities the change brings. The effect may not be obvious immediately but persevere in keeping the energy positive.

As it became reality and your last day at work approached, maybe you started to let go, accepting that this was inevitable. When asked what you were going to do, maybe you already had some ideas to share, a plan forming in your mind. You probably still felt sad and had some tough moments emotionally, maybe you still felt frustrated about the brutality of the process, but you didn’t blame anymore.
Helping someone in this stage: Brainstorm together. Things may seem easier these days. Emotions may not be running so high, the person may be ready to look at more concrete options and ideas. There is a risk they may slip back into a negative space if things don’t move forward as they hoped so let them know you are still there to help, they still have your support. 

Solutions begin to emerge, ideas on how to rebound, what to do next. Maybe you took some time to retrain yourself, get involved in some local communities, take up a new hobby. You see things more positively and start to rebuild your professional role, whatever that may turn out to be. You’ve come back up the curve. 
Helping someone in this stage: Look back at what they have achieved. Encourage a little celebration of what has been done, how the person has worked through the stages of change and where they have gotten to. 

We don’t all navigate the emotions of the change curve in the same way. Some experience a deeper curve, a slower curve, while others rebound without feeling too many effects. It might have something to do with our tolerance for change or our tendency towards proactivity or just our personality, but no matter what, we all navigate this curve. We just do it in our own way.

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