The 7 R’s To Keeping Hope Alive During Employment Recovery

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 By Koleen Singerline

It goes without saying that the road to economic recovery has kept us on the edge of our cubicle. We’ve all been waiting patiently for things to turn around.  From the beginning of the downturn, our economy has been unpredictable. If you have been reading the news since the start of the recession, you know the constant “see-saw” of emotions - one minute we’re getting optimistic data telling us that things are getting better; the next we’re told of unexpected new setbacks.

Flashback to January of 2009, Med Yones, the President of the International Institute of Management, predicted that the economy would begin to recover in 2010.  He was one of the few people who saw the US economic crisis coming.  By the end of 2009, a reporter from the Kiplinger Letter, Jerome Idaszak, wrote an article, “Economic Outlook 2010: Expect Decent, Not Vigorous, Growth in 2010” that offered a conflicting view of the ups and downs that 2010 would bring.

In recent months, we still see the teeter-totter of good and bad news. Christina Romer, President Obama's former top economic adviser, characterized the recovery as “listless” in her briefing before recently leaving the White House… obviously not what we all wanted to hear.  On the flip side, the American Staffing Association (ASA) reported that staffing employment was 27% higher in August than the same month last year and the Staffing Index was up four points from July to August.  The Staffing Index is said to be a real-time measure of employment trends and a leading economic indicator for employment growth.  This is more uplifting news.

Even looking at today’s stories, there’s an article from CNN.com called “Jobless claims decline, but not enough.”  This is another example of a bittersweet report that keeps us guessing what’s going to happen next.  In President Obama’s own words, "We also know from studying the lessons of past recessions that climbing out of any recession, much less a hole as deep as this one, takes some time.  The road to recovery doesn't follow a straight line.“

The point is there are hundreds of credible economic experts constantly giving conflicting reports of our economy.  Trying to manage our businesses along the “crooked line” of recovery we’ve been forced to follow might leave even the most optimistic people frustrated, and sometimes even discouraged.  Many hiring managers we speak with are still being called upon to make difficult decisions as they strive to keep their company on the right path.  

While it’s difficult to remain patient, it’s important to keep hope that there are better days ahead.  Instead of “buying-in” into the hysteria, it is better to focus our energy on addressing our challenges head-on.  With the summer coming to an end and school kids returning to their 3 “R’s”, we put together Snelling’s 7 “R’s” for facing challenges and staying on top:

Relax and Return to Basics – Don’t panic.  Center yourself and invest some time into the activities that hold meaning for you.  For me, it’s family, faith and music.  Taking some time to enjoy these activities can help you put aside your concerns for a moment and just enjoy life.

Remember – This is probably not the first time you’ve faced a problem.  Take some time to remind yourself of difficult situations you’ve overcome in the past and remind yourself of positive outcomes.  Many things work out in time.

Resources – You’re not the first one to experience a rough road.  Research solutions that others have tried.  Read and learn – it’s a good time to grow.

Relationships – “It takes a village…”  Rely on the people around you and share your concerns.  We’re all in this together, so let’s encourage each other.

Reorganize – Try different approaches to solving the problem.  Hey, even BP tried multiple approaches to stopping the oil leak before finding one that finally worked.

Recognize – Look at your progress so far.  It’s been a tough year, but we are far and way better off than we were in 2009.

Resolve – Promise yourself to keep going.  

Hope is best thing you can invest it – make sure you do it.

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” - Thomas Edison

"Music and the media often take a negative spin on things," says songwrite Dan Reynods, "but we're trying to lift people up in difficult times through music. Sure, many of our parents have been laid off and it's hard for us to find jobs of our own, but those of us who were born and raised in America still have a lot to be grateful for -- and we wanted to express our appreciation for it and present it in a way that people could identify with."