Don't walk into a job blind

About 25 years ago, I was at a party and met a retired man who was still bitter.

He’d been laid off from a company he gave 35 years to.

The kicker? It had happened a decade earlier — and he was still seething.

Here’s the lesson:

It’s natural to want fairness. And yeah, layoffs suck. Especially when they’re dumb decisions that hurt good people and, often, the company itself.

Because here’s the truth: Firing great performers is expensive. So is firing average ones. Hiring, training, ramping — it all costs.

(Scott Leese just posted about a senseless layoff. Same takeaway. A hit to the individual, but likely a bigger hit to the business long-term.)

So what do you do?

Treat every day like it could be your last on the job.

Work hard. For you. Not for them.

Control what you can. Assume nothing is guaranteed. If you get cut, be angry for a day — then move on.

You did your best. You can look in the mirror. And other doors will open.

But if you cling to the bitterness?

You risk becoming a cautionary tale at someone else’s party.

But — I’m grateful to that man. Because after that night, I never walked into a job blind again.