Which way to go? 
All the problems with G4S just before the Olympics made me consider a variety of points. How,even what appears to be potentially a great ‘go to’ employer can fail to deliver; we know of course that the expression ‘too big to fail’ is a misnomer. But actually, it appears their size, talked about by many as a successful long term solution to so many things actually seems to have imploded. Time will tell no doubt, but the whole adventure should colour your ambitions as you consider what might be next for you.
Is further employment for you?
And If so what kind of company? Do bear in mind that should it be in the style of G4S you will forever compare them with your former employer.
And of course, as it will no doubt be a company that must be profit driven (this is business after all) rather than predominantly results driven they will probably be easy to criticise.
If you choose to work in a company with no real connection to your previous or current employer you may feel a bit like a fish out of water for the first couple of months. But have faith and confidence you will learn quickly if you want to and will no doubt be delighted to have the heavy burden of responsibility lifted to some degree.
I would urge you to think boldly and go beyond what you have been doing for the last few decades.
No doubt you have done everything in that field that you ever wanted to so why not take a chance and think of something that interests you perhaps, or you would like to know more about. You will be amazed how you will bring you talents to a new field and be re-energised by new learning.
Whatever company you go for treat it like the personal relationship it is and be confident that this company will hold your respect. Is there anything worse than losing respect for either a person or an organisation? You can get angry, have rows but if there is no respect it is miserable.
Alternatively you can go it alone and set up a business.
Not nearly as scary as you might think but make it a proper one please, not a free webpage and some terrible writing with no research. That way lies certain failure and a chance for you to beat yourself up for not having succeeded.
It is very likely to fail when it is clear to anyone who has been in business coming to the site (and getting people there will be a challenge in itself) and realising that it is just you and a blog page. Unless of course you are providing a really niche service (I know someone who ties fishing flies so that might work) but for us mere mortals you can and must do better.
That great film Field of Dreams has a lot to answer for; if you build it they will come. Well, yes, but they need some help to know where you are and what you are doing.
Get your idea together, plan who you will sell it to and then take a chance – what have you to lose?
And as you ponder this ‘what next’ question I will pose two thought to mull over;
To remind you that your employer now, and no doubt a future employer, is not a person. Obvious I know but the conversations I heard pre Olympics of stories of how G4S had not responded to offers of help. No they did not respond because there was no one there, the admin was at fault no doubt. People were not rejected because there was no one there to actually reject them. The same as when you leave the job and feel forgotten by the organisation, sad to say it but this is true because ‘they’ are not an emotional thinking being. Obvious I know but worth reminding people who are hurt and disillusioned by how quickly life moves on.
And my other point would be to say that if you are still feeling angry about past treatment and outcomes it is a sure sign that you are holding on to the past.
Let it go now, and embrace a stunning and exciting new future that, should you be brave enough to jump in with both feet, might just bring you to the life you always wanted; on so many levels.
This is an ending but is also a wonderful opportunity for a great beginning, go to it!
You know where we are
Warmest
Angela
Angela Hackett on behalf of the PiPS team
