If you haven’t heard, the Apple / Google wars heat up.  Both of these companies are poised to become huge players in the emerging “super phone” market.  Which means that billions, if not trillions, of dollars are at stake.  This is why Apple’s lobbing of legal grenades is so important.  With filings targeted at Google’s phones (specifically the HTC models), Apple is saying they won’t take iPhone encroachment lightly.

This isn’t new.

Apple and Microsoft used to be at war.  Google and Microsoft used to be at war.  Microsoft and Sony are still at war.  Every major company seems to go to war with its competitors.

Of course the people who get hurt in these wars are you and I, the consumers.

So why do it?

Because companies are afraid.  They are afraid of the economy.  Of losing market share.  Of not making money.  And when we are afraid, we demand more control. This is especially true when we are the “big player” in the conversation.

Apple is no longer the underdog.  They are what Microsoft was in the 1990’s: the dominant market player.

But this isn’t a knock on Steve Jobs (Apple CEO).  We all fight the temptation to power up out of fear.  When something is uncertain we try and grab a hold of as much as we can.  We figure the more we can control, the better we will be.  When your kids start acting out what do you do?  You put them in time out or ground them from TV.  When new technology is introduced into the workplace, how do companies respond?  By banning employees from using Facebook or locking down the internet.

But what if that’s the wrong strategy?  What if the way to unleash your real potential – the way to get out of trouble – is to let people have the freedom to do what they do best?  What if instead of micromanaging we allowed our employees to innovate?  What if instead of trying to manipulate the market we just own up to a bad product and redouble our efforts to build a better product?

Of course that takes work.  And there isn’t an immediate satisfaction of “getting even.”

The best and brightest don’t want to live in a climate of fear and control.  Microsoft discovered that in the 90’s as a lot of the best and brightest left and went to work for Google and Apple.  You know who stays behind in a climate of fear and control?  The people who can’t find jobs elsewhere.

So the next time you find yourself wanting to power up, ask yourself, am I seeking control or my own destruction?

photo provided by flickr

But for the people directly impacted by the economy this has been a painful time.  Downsizing often brings health problems (headaches, physical illness, sleeping issues) and emotional problems (depression, anger, stress).

Many people turn to alcohol and drugs to escape these feelings.

As I was thinking about this, it occurred to me that much of what we experience comes from the fact that we’ve been told our jobs give us meaning.  That unless you have a certain job, you aren’t worth anything.  Is it any wonder that people react so strongly when they are laid off?  Their identities are literally being ripped away from them.

For many people, once they lose their job they have nothing to hold onto.  They have nothing bigger than themselves to believe in.  And so the loss of a job becomes more than just losing a pay check, it becomes the destruction of a world view.

When meaning comes from our work it defines us.  When meaning comes from who we are, we define work.

That is a huge difference.

Fortunately if you find yourself downsized, there are a few things you can do to minimize all those negative feelings and reactions.  These may not solve the root problem (getting your meaning from work vs. taking your meaning to work) but it will help you cope with the hardship of losing your job.  Here are six things you can do to deal with downsizing:

1. Immediately tell your family
2. Evaluate the reasons for losing the job
3. Deal with the emotions that come with the layoff
4. Prepare for your layoff (if you can) by negotiating for a severance package, using outsourcing programs and getting references
5. Take some time off to rest before looking for new work
6. Make a plan and go forward with confidence

(Beyer, C., Pike, D., & McGovern, L. (1993).  Surviving unemployment.  New York: Henry Holt.)

Now I know not everyone can do these steps.  But if you can, take the opportunity and do them.

photo provided by flickr