Leadership Lessons from the Slopes of Park City #techlayoffs

Every year my family and I go on an annual ski trip. This year we went to Park City, Utah at the start of the year. Each year I take group ski lessons to continue learning and improving in the sport. I skied for the first time on a business school trip when I was 26 and it has taken me years to first, not be terrified of the sheer presence and size of the mountain (we didn't have anything similar to that growing up in Mississippi), and second, become a semi-decent skier. I continue to take lessons now so my kids do not pass me in level and skill “too quickly.” They will FOR SURE pass me.  I just don’t want it to be “too fast.” :) 

In a group ski class, there can be up to 10 other skiers learning which means you spend a lot of time waiting….waiting for classmates to complete exercises, get on chair lifts, or complete a difficult run. But this year, I got lucky and was paired with an excellent ski instructor, Kevin, and a 16 year old named Bianca (don’t laugh).

Skiing conditions on the first couple of days were intense. Park City saw its biggest snowfall in the last 10 years. It snowed heavily all day every day for the first four days we were there. On top of the mountain, there was up to 17 inches of snow.  That meant that a/ visibility was low; b/ most of the runs were not groomed and were full of snow moguls (a bump or mound of hard snow on a ski slope naturally created by skiers making sharp turns), and c/ you could not always see your skis at times as they were underneath the snow. 

Nevertheless, Bianca wanted to go to some of the most challenging blue runs (intermediate level in the US).  Being a team player and wanting to challenge myself, I agreed. We took the lift up the mountain to ski down what was now, given the conditions, a very difficult run named King Con Run. Staring down at it from the top, it seemed more like a cliff as the fog was so thick you could not see the bottom. My heart started beating quickly as my motivation to be a “team player” soon converted into regret. But as the only way down a mountain is to ski, I started slowly down King Con. I fell in the first snow mogul I hit. Then again, in the second. On the third one, I hit the top of the mogul, flew into the air, and landed right in time to hit another one. And then fell again. As I worked hard to stand up and replace my skis, I sighed deeply, feeling frustrated. In a deep exhale, I remembered the day before my ski instructor told me the best way to face the moguls was not to try to avoid them. Instead, to focus on constantly turning whenever I felt uncomfortable no matter if I was on top of, next to, or coming out of one. He advised me to focus on pivoting my direction and I would get to the bottom safely. I changed my attitude and perspective, and arrived safely to the bottom. 

As I reflected on this experience, it was not only turning that got me down the mountain. There were three other lessons I was leaning into that, as I reflected, parallel what I have learned as I have gone through a season of self discovery after being impacted by hashtag#metalayoffs and generally hashtag#techlayoffs at the end of last year. 

Lesson #1 Stand up. 

In skiing, the best way to control your speed is to make turns. So as I skied down King Con, I was turning a lot to avoid going out of control. Kevin could tell I was terrified. He yelled to me, “stand up after you turn; it will help reconnect your leg with your boot which is what gives you control over your skis.” Coming out of a turn does not feel like a natural moment to stand up. It felt hard, like I should wait for a better moment. But as I slowly stood up at the end of my next turn, I realized that it actually gave me more control and command of my skis. 

When you lose a job, it feels like being in a turn. The moment feels scary, uneasy, like you are out of control and not sure what to do next. But if you just stand up and reconnect with what stabilizes you, you will figure out the best next step and how to navigate your next turn. Take time to reconnect with your passions or what gets you excited outside of work. Try to figure out how to incorporate that in your life to bring you joy while going through the job search process or determining which path you will pursue. 

Lesson #2 Be confident. 

By the time we got to King Con, Kevin had watched me ski for two hours. He knew my level and felt that I could conquer this challenging slope. As I looked down into the cloud of fog that made the mountain look like it abruptly ended and we were throwing ourselves down a cliff, I did not share his opinion. He saw the fear in my eyes and told me to think of a very good, bad word and say “my chosen bad word, I can ski!” He told me every time I felt afraid, he wanted me to say this aloud. He could see I was a great skier, but I needed to believe it and remind myself of that to have the confidence necessary to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. 

Being impacted by a layoff can rattle your confidence. It can make you have thoughts like: Was I good enough at what I was doing?  Am I the expert in my field that I thought I was? Am I as smart as I thought? What did I do wrong? But let me tell you that you are more than just your last job. You are still an engineer, a recruiter, a product manager, a leader, a (fill in your blank). You own your name, experience, and skill set. And with or without a company name and title given to you, it is still just as powerful as it was before. Nothing can take that away from you.  The next time you find yourself thinking this way, remind yourself of how awesome you are and say aloud “(your chosen bad word), I am a great (insert the thing you are)!” Let me tell you from experience, it works! 

Lesson #3  Trust Yourself. 

When I was only half way down King Con, Bianca and Kevin had already made it to the bottom. I continued coming down slowly, looking only right in front of me to avoid seeing the incline of the mountain. When I finally made it down, Kevin said to me “don’t look down, look ahead.” He reiterated the fact that my body knows what to do. It had seen this type of challenge before albeit the run was new to me. I needed to look up and out in order to not only face the adventure head on, but also actually enjoy the experience. 

Some of us have lived through a layoff or recessionary period before. And some have not. But either way, we should trust that our bodies and minds know what to do. How do I know? Because in hashtag#techcareers we are faced with really big problems all of the time that we have never faced (or sometimes no one has faced in the past as we deal with lots of net, new concepts and ideas) that require quick decision making, execution, measurement, and iteration. Take a moment to collect yourself and then approach your situation as if it were a problem at work. Trust yourself and your skill set. Lean into the personal “growth spurt” that you will likely have as a result of this process. You do not know what you have inside of you until a giant is in front of you. You will know the next best step when it's time to take it. 

As you go into this adventure, remember to Stand up. Be confident. Trust yourself. There are many different paths to get you to your next destination. Yes, sometimes the route will be bumpy. Stay flexible so you are ready to absorb all of the turns you will need to take in order to get down your mountain. If you find the route extremely bumpy and your confidence begins to waver, stand up, look out, and say “(your bad word), I am a good skier!!” And keep going. 

If you are looking for inspiration, check out the project I launched in December, Zumba Fitness ATX. Using everything we learned working in tech (e.g. being agile, constant iteration, fast decision making, staying curious, measuring everything, resilience, and tenacity), I have found a way to use my passion for fitness to help individual and corporate clients reach their fitness goals while spreading joy and happiness through dance. To follow my adventures, follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook. 

You’ve got this! 

Jess