A Letter to My Former Salesforce Colleagues: I left Salesforce a Year Ago. It’s Going to be OK.

A year ago I chose to leave my position at Salesforce after a decade of advancing my career there as a mid-level leader and executive coach. No layoff package in hand, I threw myself into the unknown.

I'm writing this specifically to those who were / are in the midst of layoff actions. I know it wasn’t your choice to leave, but I’m here from the other side telling you: It’s going to be OK. Here’s how to handle everything you’re feeling right now and come out stronger.

The Scariest Thing to Happen

I know it’s scary. At least 4,000 of you lost your job this month, representing about 5 percent of Salesforce’s total workforce. That’s a lot of people, families, and communities affected. What do you tell your kids? Prices are going up right now. You may be thinking, Should I stop buying extras? It might feel shocking, especially for those who’d spent their prime professional years building stellar careers and relationships. Late at night, when you’re trying to relax your mind for sleep, you might have lingering questions swirling around, inviting a little shame, too, into the mix. Some of you were just approaching your retirement years, and others still have kids at home or in college. The financial fears are real, disruptive, and intrusive.

It’s Not Your Fault, but Shame is a Real Feeling

With so much of our professional validation is based on achievement, growth, and the accumulation of status, the feelings layoffs evoke can include a feeling of shame. No matter how much you know your performance had nothing to do with the layoff action, it’s natural to wonder if there was something you could | should have done, or done differently. You may have moments of revisiting conversations you had with your leadership team, presentations you made with mixed results, or sales opportunities left on the table. When those feelings arise, it’s helpful to extend kindness to yourself. Remind yourself that this is a normal response, and validate the feelings. Then let it go, as best you can. Having trouble letting go? Reach out to a friend, a professional, and find a way to help someone else. Volunteer.

You Need to Rest - and Grieve

Layoffs are sudden, shocking, and many people simply did not see the end of their job coming so quickly. Not only have you lost your job, but you’ve lost a professional network of colleagues that filled your weeks and your professional identity. Let yourself grieve.

Grief doesn’t just show up emotionally, but it affects you energetically and physically. Grief affects your sleep, digestive systems, mood, and manifests as pain, and can even affect your heart health.

I met with a former teammate of mine who was cut on Monday from Salesforce’s Content Experience organization after an 18 year career. She talked about how she’s feeling the anger stage of grief, and felt like her sense of purpose was unclear, unknown. She asked me what would come next, and how I was able to find a strong purpose after leaving the organization.

I’ll tell you the same thing I told her. Give yourself permission to rest. Experience what it’s like in your body to simply be. Be present, and allow yourself to take the time you need to heal. Your sense of purpose will return, but not until after you rest and get back into being fully present in your body.

The Path Forward

Taking the time to rest, grieve, and then paying attention to what lights you up pays dividends. You’ll find your way again, but it’s important not to rush too quickly into solving for what comes next, as tempting as that might be. You didn’t ask for this opportunity to change, but it’s yours to answer now. The path forward might look unfamiliar. Where you land may look different. But in spite of the newness of this chapter, I promise that you’ll be okay.