4 things Kelly Ripa taught us about being blindsided at work – Photo credit: online.com
Picture yourself in the “Live! with Kelly and Michael” star Kelly Ripa’s shoes, whose co-host Michael Strahan abruptly announced he’s leaving the show to join the cast of Good Morning America” full-time. Just imagine it’d be you…
Here you are, doing your best work, successfully collaborating with and counting on your team members to bring their A-game too. And you walk into work one day, open your email, only to read the bombshell announcement that one of your best collaborators of over four years is leaving you high and dry for another team…Talk about a serious case of being blindsided…We’re gonna need another cup of coffee, please…
As happened to Kelly Ripa, being blindsided at work can happen to the best of us. It may not end up on all national tabloids like the “Live!” star, but it certainly does happen…While this week, we had the opportunity to watch it on live TV, it can also hit close to home in our own careers.
In which case, here are a few lessons to learn from Kelly Ripa:
- It’s NOT your fault! One of the first things we tend to do, especially as women at work, is to take the blame for unfortunate things or events happening. Did I do something? Is it my fault? Could I have done something differently? While it’s always good to assess the situation, taking the blame, especially when it’s not yours, only serves to create further damage. Understand some decisions come from higher-ups, and you cannot control the politics or dynamics that very often go into decisions made company-wide. So breathe and repeat to yourself: “It’s Not My Fault!”
- You have a right to be angry, but you must step back first! Ripa was widely criticized for taking a week-long break after the incident. Her stepping back was called everything from a “diva act” to “childlike behavior“by the media. But seriously, when was the last time you were blindsided like that, at work, and went about your business like nothing ever happened? And even if you mustered all the self-control you ever learnt in yoga class, tell me you didn’t have to hide somewhere in the bathroom and catch your breath for a hot second? If you have a pulse, you’ll experience anger when things of this nature happen. Even the experts agree the solution is not to repress your anger (and have it flare at the next team meeting over something insignificant), but to manage it in a professional and effective way. And that’s where I praise Kelly Ripa for giving us a wonderful example…Take a step back, give yourself a break and some time to reassess the situation. Whether it’s calling in sick for a much-needed mental day, or going for a drive, or just walking across the parking lot, take a break! That’ll allow you to return calm, composed, and address any lingering drama with professionalism and class just like Ms. Ripa did, when she said this: “The love, the show of support through this bizarre time has been really overwhelming. I really, I needed a couple of days to gather my thoughts — after 26 years with this company, I earned the right. And let’s be honest, I know half of you called in sick to be here, so we get each other. In that time I gained some perspective. I always speak from the heart. I didn’t want to come out here and just say something I might regret. So what transpired over the course of a few days has been extraordinary in the sense that it started a much greater conversation about communication and consideration, and most importantly, respect in the workplace.”
- Express how you feel…but keep it professional! Managing your anger is not hiding how you truly feel. Depending on the environment you work in, consider talking to your team and bosses about what happened. Be diplomatic and professional in your approach, but explain to them in no uncertain terms that you weren’t prepared for what transpired, and how it affected your work as well as your own personal balance. Be sure to present the situation in professional terms, and to discuss the consequences in terms of work and productivity first. You don’t want to seem like you’re coming off from an entirely personal angle. Yet you do want to put the cards on the table as honestly as you can.
- Set expectations…and follow up on them! This is part of asking for what you need. Once you explain that incidents of this nature are highly disruptive to yours and the balance of the team and department, set clear expectations as much as you possibly can. While it’s understandable that some last-minute decisions may be taken from the top, ask to be included in critical talks that would affect you and your team. Go even further by taking the initiative to schedule regular check-ins with management to be kept informed of any upcoming changes.
Now your turn! How would you react if you were blindsided at work like Kelly Ripa?
To your success,
The Corporate Sis.
