The 3T Career Blog

Am I getting fired or Written up?

soft skills May 11, 2021
 

You received the worse meeting invite in the world, your nerves kick in, and you might feel like throwing up. The subject line says something vague, like "let's catch up," or "status," or "important discussion."  

If you get an invite like this, here is what you should do: 

1. Take all of your personal files on your laptop and email them to yourself. 

2. Remain calm and take deep breaths. What is the worse that can happen?

3. Walk into the meeting with a smile and listen to what your manager has to say, and allow them to let you know what the meeting is about. If they proceed to tell you about getting fired or being written up, try not to defend yourself. It won't get you far. 

4. Ask some targeted questions. One I recommend is, "What could I have done to avoid being written up or getting fired. You may not hear nice things about yourself, but listen and take mental notes. This is a lessons learned opportunity, as painful as it may seem. 

5. When you get back to your desk, update your resume and start looking for a new job. Now, if you have been fired or let go, your laptop will stop working, and Human Resources will escort you out of the building. (You may not be allowed to go back to your desk)

Listen, getting written-up at work isn't always a bad thing. Take the lessons and move on. Many other organizations need your talent. Network and find a new job as soon as you can. You got this! 

Let me know if you found this blog post helpful. 

Mahjooba