probability models indicate<\/u><\/a> another economic downturn is quickly approaching. What can you do to prepare without becoming overwhelmed?<\/span><\/p>\nWhile there are a number of best practices for steering your career through a downturn, we believe one critical task is to engage with your boss. Here are five questions you can use to create space for you and your supervisor to prepare for what\u2019s coming.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
1. What Did You Learn During the 2008-09 Recession?<\/span><\/h3>\nMany folks who are leading today went through the last recession. Create space for your supervisor to reflect on last time and mine that experience for best practices. This question shows respect for them and their expertise (and may even help draw it out!).<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
2. How is Our Company Poised for What Lies Ahead?<\/span><\/h3>\nThis question demonstrates interest in the larger picture facing the place where you work. This is an opportunity to show you are not just thinking about yourself but curious about the big picture. <\/span><\/p>\nIt also gives you a read on your boss\u2019s level of macro-perspective and business acumen. You may find they have a great answer, or you may find you need to find some other sources of wisdom at your company. This question also may reveal upcoming challenges or changes at the company.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
3. What Do You Think our Biggest Recession-Related Challenges Will Be?<\/span><\/h3>\nThis question is a more narrow version of question two. It is specific to your firm, your market, your working team. Knowing the challenges that are coming positions you to be a solution source. <\/span><\/p>\nFor a Biblical example of this, look at Daniel in Daniel chapter 4, who helped the King discern what was coming. The King didn\u2019t listen and Daniel held the kingdom together as the king paid the price for his pride. The point is, the answers to this question can position you to serve the company and your colleagues by being ready for what\u2019s coming.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
4. What Best Practices Have You Employed Personally, or Seen in Others That Seem to Carry Them Through Economic Downturns?<\/span><\/h3>\nThis question takes us beyond the realm of work to personal advice. Even if your boss isn\u2019t older, they still may possess wisdom for you on this point. \u201cHow do you survive an economic winter?\u201d It speaks to personal finances, emotional health, and mindset. You are communicating that you value their input and you will likely learn something helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
5. How Can I be a Resource to You in the Days Ahead?<\/span><\/h3>\nThis is the million dollar question. It communicates, \u201cWe are facing challenges, and I want to make that easier.\u201d Every boss is looking for team members who are part of the solution set, not part of the problem. <\/span><\/p>\nBut this is not about posturing. It\u2019s about preparation. As you hear where you may be needed, you can get ready to make life better for yourself and your boss. Peter Drucker often points out that any wise team member will make it a priority to help his or her leader succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Controlling What You Can Control<\/span><\/h3>\nThere are a number of reasons to talk about the looming recession with your supervisor. It\u2019s a way to deepen your connection with your boss as difficult times lay ahead. This conversation gives you a feel for how your upline is feeling about business prospects in the days ahead. You may get a sense of how secure your job is as the predicted recession unfolds. Even if you don\u2019t get a read on your future prospects, you\u2019ve opened a line of communication which will serve you well.<\/span><\/p>\nUltimately, you can\u2019t control an economic downturn, but you can control how you prepare for (and respond to) one. Our advice at VOCA is surprisingly simple: be thoughtful about preparing for what lies ahead, have intentional conversations, aim for impact, and seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Everywhere you turn \u2013 news headlines, updates from the Federal Reserve, roundtables of CEOs \u2013 you hear about the coming recession. The last time we had a real recession (Covid 2020 was a temporary shock) was 2008 \u2013 2009. Millions of jobs were lost. Real estate values tanked, and it took years for economic opportunity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2285,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
5 Questions to Ask Your Boss About the Looming Recession<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The questions you ask now may determine your future later.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/2022\/10\/5-questions-to-ask-your-boss-about-the-looming-recession\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Questions to Ask Your Boss About the Looming Recession\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The questions you ask now may determine your future later.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/2022\/10\/5-questions-to-ask-your-boss-about-the-looming-recession\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Marketplace Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-10-11T18:58:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-02T19:10:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/556\/2023\/02\/paul-alain-hunt-_QhDyjKpQQI-unsplash_2_20-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dr. Chip Roper\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/556\/2023\/02\/paul-alain-hunt-_QhDyjKpQQI-unsplash_2_20-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dr. Chip Roper\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/2022\/10\/5-questions-to-ask-your-boss-about-the-looming-recession\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/2022\/10\/5-questions-to-ask-your-boss-about-the-looming-recession\/\",\"name\":\"5 Questions to Ask Your Boss About the Looming Recession\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-10-11T18:58:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-02T19:10:39+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/#\/schema\/person\/c1c7d6e3aae88b5776261c64908d77bc\"},\"description\":\"The questions you ask now may determine your future later.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/2022\/10\/5-questions-to-ask-your-boss-about-the-looming-recession\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/2022\/10\/5-questions-to-ask-your-boss-about-the-looming-recession\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/2022\/10\/5-questions-to-ask-your-boss-about-the-looming-recession\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"5 Questions to Ask Your Boss About the Looming Recession\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/\",\"name\":\"Marketplace Faith\",\"description\":\"Following Jesus into the World of Work\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/#\/schema\/person\/c1c7d6e3aae88b5776261c64908d77bc\",\"name\":\"Dr. Chip Roper\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1d283cb8f50d1621e29c3774796709f7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1d283cb8f50d1621e29c3774796709f7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Dr. Chip Roper\"},\"description\":\"Dr. Chip Roper is the President and Founder of The VOCA Center. 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<\/a><\/p>\n