The RASDA Cycle

What is the RASDA cycle, you ask?

The letters stand for:  Rage, Anger, Sadness, Desperation, Acceptance

After reading the heart-breaking post by Kim Williams, about being fired from Intel after 28 years of dedication and hard work, it occurred to me that these feelings --Rage, Anger, Sadness, Desperation, Acceptance-- may capture the essence of what many go through when they are involuntarily terminated from their employment.

Rage may be the first. "How dare you take this from me!" Job loss is a drastic thing. You lose a lot:  your identity, your status, your office, your team, your customers.

You lose your income.  As a client of mine said to me the other day, "I went from six figures to zero in an instant."

I have often said that anyone who is thinking of firing somebody ought to go through the experience themselves in order to know first-hand what they are about to inflict on another human being.

Anger may come next as the fire of Rage subsides somewhat.  Anger at the Company, at the Boss, at the way the termination was handled. This is often a phase of blaming, of hurt...and for some, anger at one's self.

When I read how Kim Williams was escorted off the site like a criminal, my heart broke for him. That is no way to treat someone who moments before was a solid employee of the company.

Sadness and Desperation may come next as the days turn to weeks, and the weeks turn to months, during a period of transition where nothing seems to go right. No interviews, no call backs, no offers.

If you are lucky, the feeling of Acceptance may arrive at last. Acceptance can mean many things. It may mean that you have decided to "let go." Holding on to the past will not bring back what was lost.

Acceptance may mean that you have decided to face the facts without blinders on. Ask yourself, "Here I am. Now what?"

Acceptance may mean that you have shifted your gaze to a focus on the future. Ask yourself, "What next?"

Acceptance may mean that you have opened up to new and different possibilities. Ask yourself, "What else can I do with the skills I have, with what I am good at?"

Acceptance may be the doorway to your next chapter.

Terrence Seamon has been through the RASDA cycle several times. Follow him on twitter @tseamon