We all know change is inevitable, but layoffs can be devastating when you find your once secure job has vanished. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn says don’t panic, just be prepared.
Rob Artigo: Here with me again is Ray Zinn, the longest serving CEO in Silicon Valley history. Hi Ray.
Ray Zinn: Hello Rob.
Rob Artigo: You are always thinking and reflecting on the world around you, and that’s really great for your writing. You recently wrote this and it goes, “Our current economy is in a state of flux. Layoffs are inevitable. Layoffs, they’re terrible and they’re disruptive. Lives are impacted. What’s the resolution,” you say, “to minimize the impact of layoffs? First, don’t panic. You’ll recover. It is just a matter of time before you will have this behind you. Second and most important is to always have yourself prepared for layoffs. You’re basically living within your means. Avoid unnecessary debt. Always looking for other opportunities as a backup plan, and keep your name out there. Bottom line, always assume things are never permanent. Change is always out there and being prepared for change is the best approach.” Very good writing there, Ray.
Rob Artigo Cont:It’s important now, because let’s face it, there are people who are losing their federal government jobs as a matter of course. There are people in other areas where there are adjustments going on. Even in California, fast food restaurants with the minimum wage going to $20 an hour, a lot of places have moved to a kiosk instead of a person working a register at the counter to save money on that, so those people end up losing their jobs as well. Across the spectrum and for a variety of reasons, not just what we’re experiencing here in America right now, but there are people who are going to lose their jobs. You’re saying, look, just don’t panic.
Ray Zinn: Yeah. Again, these times, well, these are not just new because they’ve been happening for centuries, where changes been taking place. I can remember, not I can even remember, I recall I should say, in Adam Smith’s book Wealth of Nations, when the locomotive came on board and started taking over the wagon trains and Pony Express and other things, they were panicking then because, oh, this is going to ruin my occupation. Stage coach builder, stage coach, driver, horse breeder and trainer and so forth, and the Pony Express. I’m going to lose my job now because the mail is going to be delivered by the trains and then the wagon trains are going to cease to exist because the railroad is going to bring people from east coast to west coast. This is not new. This is just a technology-advancing development.
When we think of change, it’s always with us and has been with us for thousands of years, and we’d have to adapt. I know people are worried about AI and the impact that AI will have with robots and other automation, people are going to get displaced. As I wrote in my musing that you just read, you have to be prepared for change. Change is with us and it’s not going to stop unless you stop advancing capability and technology. With the government, DOGE as they call it, shrinking the size of government, there are going to be a lot of people losing their jobs and unemployment is with us. I mean, this is just the nature of an economy is unemployment.
Always live within in your means. Absolutely, don’t take on any more debt than you have to. Always assume that a recession is right around the corner. Always assume that you could lose your job at any time. I know I have a lot of friends that work for the government, I mean a lot of friends, and they’re panicked because they’re thinking, “Well, I thought I had a cushy job,” and that’s a problem. Whenever you think you have a cushy job, you don’t. Just bear that in mind. Cushy jobs are just a figment of your imagination.
You may have a job that, for example, working from home. I know a lot of people are worried about having to have to go back to work. I predict by the way, that by the end of 2026, all A-L-L, all companies will require the employees to come back to work. That cushy bubble bath Zoom thing you’ve been doing is going to go away and you’re going to have to drive back to work. Are there some negatives associated with driving to work? Yeah, you get more traffic on the freeways and you are going to lose half an hour to two hours traveling to and from work. Yes, you can’t go out and water your garden and be on the Zoom calls at the same time. Yeah, things are going to change. You’re going to have to go back to work. Better get used to it because it will happen, I predict by the end of 2026, which is just a little over a year away, maybe year and a half away.
Rob Artigo: Yeah, yeah.
Ray Zinn: Just bear in mind change is with us. Live within your means. Always be out there looking for a new job. Stay up to date on what’s happening with technology. Could technology influence your job? Sure. I mean, these cars now that are self-driving, that’s going to impact people who are currently driving like Uber and Lyft and companies like that, that have people driving their clients and customers to and from where they need to go. That’s going to change because these self-driving vehicles don’t require a driver. There’s going to be a point I predict within the next five years where, if you’re an Uber driver or a Lyft driver, you could be out of a job.
Same thing with trucking. Trucking will be done self-driving as you would. If you’re a trucker, bear in mind that, that could impact you also. Anyway, the bottom line is be prepared for change because it is there. It’s always going to be with you. You’re going to have to deal with it. Like it or not, change is here. Technology advances that. Remember I talked about the invention of the locomotive, the trains. That impacted a lot of people. A lot of jobs were impacted by the development of locomotion, and that happened back in the late-1700s. You’re going to be influenced by change the rest of your life.
Rob Artigo: I spent years in radio and I remember once applying for a job at one point and they had asked me if I’d ever been fired. The answer is, yeah, a couple times in radio. Well at least, if memory serves one time for sure. But I explained to this person, they were very concerned, “Why did you get fired?” I said, “When you get fired in radio, it’s not the same thing as getting fired in other jobs, nine times out of 10.” I suppose some people get fired for being incompetent or doing something, breaking down on the job in some way, shape, or form. But, because shows change and things change and they might want to have a different personality, a different person in that role, then they’ve got to move you out. You just lose your job. I always lived my life in radio with the mindset that I could lose my job at any time. I never felt comfortable in the job, so I take to heart what you’re saying because it makes perfect sense to me just about being prepared and keeping your name out there. I want to underscore that.
Well, for the listeners, they can join the conversation at toughthingsfirst.com. Ray invites you to ask him questions. You can go to toughthingsfirst.com and leave a message there. He answers questions so you’d be surprised how often he gets back to people. Your questions and comments are certainly always welcome. Follow Ray on X and also Facebook and LinkedIn, and of course Ray’s books are out there, Tough Things First, The Zen of Zinn series as well, one, two, and three. On sale now, The Essential Leader: 10 Skills, Attributes, and Fundamentals that Make Up the Essential Leader. Thanks Ray.
Ray Zinn: Thank you, Rob.
