It’s no secret that times are tough right now in the oil industry. I know this first-hand. 

With such a huge drop in revenue because of low commodity prices, publicly held companies are doing nearly everything they can to cut costs, make ends meet, and return value to shareholders.

Unfortunately, sometimes being frugal, pacing out projects, and renegotiating contracts is not enough. The next thing that happens is employees start getting laid off.

Over the last few months, I faced a very real possibility that I would be laid off. 

I know that the reason for layoffs is simply to right-size the workforce during periods of reduced or little activity. The reason is not personal; it’s not to be mean. It literally is “just business.” 

But if you’re on the receiving end, it can definitely feel personal. It hurts our self-esteem, our sense of worth. 

Why is that?