When A Career Breaks Your Heart | Laverne McKinnon | TEDxForbesParkSalon

Quick Overview

Laverne McKinnon concludes that career grief, stemming from job loss or failure, is not solvable but must be ritualized through an intentional act, like writing an eulogy for the lost job, to allow for integration and forward movement, as she learned after being fired from CBS.

Key Points: Laverne McKinnon was fired from her executive role at CBS, which included being responsible for the Big Bang Theory, Survivor, and CSI, and she immediately felt a profound sense of loss and failure. She notes that 40% of Americans will experience some form of career setback (being fired, downsized, or laid off) at least once, and this loss is deeply tied to identity and sense of self. McKinnon shares that after being fired, she took a three-month maternity leave, during which she created a ritual: writing an eulogy for her lost job, which she describes as a 'cold case' that she had to 'solve' by acknowledging the hidden losses. She emphasizes that career grief is not solvable but requires an intentional ritual, like writing an eulogy or creating a talisman, to honor the loss and allow for integration and moving forward. The speaker's personal ritual involved writing an eulogy for the job she was fired from, which she had held for 10 years and where she was promoted multiple times to executive, VP, and Senior VP. She points out that the television industry is accustomed to stories having a clear beginning, middle, and end, contrasting with the abrupt, cliffhanger nature of sudden job loss. McKinnon advocates for acknowledging the hidden losses—identity, connection, belonging—that accompany job loss, rather than just the external factors like title or paycheck.

Context: Laverne McKinnon, a former executive at CBS who worked on major shows like 'Survivor' and 'CSI', recounts the profound emotional and identity crisis she experienced after being suddenly fired, an event she refers to as a career setback. She frames this experience within the broader context of career loss, noting that many people experience this, and discusses the necessity of creating personal rituals, like writing an eulogy for the lost position, to process the grief and move forward.