Whichever seat you're in, I want to reassure you that the fear you're feeling, or seeing, is normal. What matters is what you do with it.
Playing not to lose versus playing to win
Earlier this year I listened to Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton talk about her journey to the top of her sport. What struck me was not her medals or the records she smashed. It was the mindset shift she had to make, from focusing on not losing to focusing on winning.
Those two things sound similar, but they are completely different. One is driven by fear. The other is driven by purpose.
I've been thinking about it ever since, and have read her book The Fear Opportunity with great interest. I hear the same pattern, in different words, from the professionals I coach through career transitions. They're not asking "what do I want to do next?" They are asking "how do I make sure this does not go wrong?"
And I see it in organisations too. When a restructure is handled defensively, focused purely on avoiding risk, people pick up on it. Have you ever noticed what happens when you stop planning ahead and start protecting yourself instead? That's often the point where things get stuck, for teams just as much as careers.
Fear is not a sign something is wrong with you
For most professionals, a job is far more than a salary. It brings status, routine, community and a sense of purpose. When any of that is threatened, of course it's frightening. The problem is not the fear. The problem is letting fear make the decisions. And if you're not careful, it holds you back in one of two ways:
- It freezes you. Any wrong move feels catastrophic, so you make none.
- It rushes you. You grab the nearest option just to make the uncertainty stop.
Neither serves you well. Fear can also send your inner voice into overdrive, telling you that you are too old, too expensive or too specialised. It takes a difficult market and makes it feel personal, as though it says something about your worth.
HR leaders are not immune either. Fear of legal challenge, of getting the message wrong, or of upsetting colleagues you like can make even experienced managers retreat behind the script, just when people need them to be human. People remember how they were told far longer than what they were told.
If you are facing career change: five things to do now
1. Follow the fear downward. Take the worry at the surface and ask what it really means. Then ask again. "My sector is shrinking" becomes "there will not be roles for people like me", which becomes "I am not as valuable as I thought." Once you can see the real fear, you can question it. Is it actually true? What would you say to a friend who said it about themselves?
2. Get it out of your head and onto paper. Name each worry precisely. Some will be real risks that need a practical plan. Others will feel far less daunting once they're down in black and white.
3. Decide what you are moving towards, not just away from. Fear keeps your attention on what you might lose, whereas a career strategy points you towards where you want to go next. "I need something before the money runs out" and "I want to build my next chapter around what I do best" are both valid starting points, but only one gives you momentum and direction.
4. Search by strengths, not job titles. Your transferable skills, values and motivations open far more doors than the title of your last role. Use AI tools and smarter search techniques to widen the field and find roles you would never have typed into a job board.
5. Be honest about the gap. Is it practical (a narrow network, a CV pitched at the wrong level or sector)? Is it confidence (you know what you want, but your belief has taken a knock)? Or both? Each needs a different response, and you can't close a gap until you know what it is.
If you are leading a redundancy: five ways to reduce the fear
Redundancy is never easy, but it can be done with dignity. The organisations that handle it well treat it as a transition to support, not simply a process to complete.
1. Prepare your managers for the conversation, not just the script. Getting the legal process right matters, but so does the human moment. Help your managers recognise what fear can look like: silence, anger, bargaining or simply shutting down. Once they can spot it, they can respond with empathy and clarity rather than going into self-protection mode.
2. Choose your words with care. The words you use shape how people hear difficult news. Listen to how each person talks: are they focused on what they want to move towards, or what they want to get away from? Frame the next steps in their language and you'll find the message lands more gently and the temperature drops.
3. Offer outplacement support early, not as an afterthought. The sooner your people have someone to help them make sense of their fears and plan their next move, the less time they'll spend stuck. Early support speeds up transitions, supports wellbeing and reflects the kind of employer you want to be.
4. Do not forget the people who stay. Those who remain often carry their own mix of guilt and insecurity, and that can quietly turn into disengagement. Be honest with them about what has changed and why. Then help them see what the future looks like, and where they fit in it.
5. Remember that today's leaver is tomorrow's ambassador. Treat people well on the way out and they'll often become your advocates, referrers, clients and sometimes even returners. Get it wrong and you may find them among your loudest critics on LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
Doing nothing is still a decision
Whether you're the one moving on or the one leading the change, it's tempting to wait until things feel clearer. But waiting rarely makes it easier. If you're facing career change, every month you wait, your network goes a little colder, your confidence dips and your options start to narrow. If you're leading a restructure, a long stretch of uncertainty can slowly wear away trust and goodwill.
Over the years I've noticed something about the people who come through transitions well. They're rarely the ones who felt no fear. Many of them were genuinely anxious, but they took one small step, then another. The HR teams I most enjoy working with do something similar. They pick up the phone early, before anything is announced, and we work out together how to make the change as kind and painless as possible for everyone.
I'd love to hear from you
Career transitions are complex. They're about who you are, not just what you do next. At times like these it's hard to see your own situation clearly from the inside.
If you are a professional facing redundancy or an uncertain next chapter, I'd love to help you find clarity and move forward with confidence.
If you are an HR leader or manager planning a restructure, I can help your people leave on good terms and find their next role, with coaching that's personal to each of them.
Get in touch for a confidential chat on careerambitions.co.uk.
