Stay in touch!
I follow the Business Basics on Forbes.com. They recently published a very good piece called What Do You Do When Your Friend Gets Laid Off? It includes excellent do’s and don’ts that make sense — this is advice we should all remember and use.
The advice doesn’t only apply when someone is laid off. I believe it’s relevant whenever something bad happens to someone. Whether they’ve lost a friend or family member, gotten a divorce, been diagnosed with a serious illness, had an accident or lost his or her job, use the Forbes.com advice as well as a few bullets I’ve added (from my own experience):
- Don’t run away from your friend because you’re afraid.
- Do acknowledge the event.
- Don’t use trite sayings such as “things happen for a reason,” even if you firmly believe they do.
- Do offer help.
- Don’t say “everything will be all right” because you can’t guarantee that.
- Do say, “things may be tough, but I have confidence you can handle it.”
- Don’t patronize your friend.
- Do listen.
- And most of all, DO stay in touch.
Bad things happen to people — we can’t avoid it. But one great way to handle these ‘bumps in the road’ is to have friends you can count on.
Be one of those friends!
