Reebok’s Post

I have been trying to process the recent layoffs at Nike for a few days now. It has been an emotional rollercoaster, and I am sure my colleagues who were also affected can attest to that. My journey to work at Nike was long and challenging, and I had to work hard to get there. I started with a contract position on a team for three months, covering for someone on maternity leave during the COVID crisis. Learning a new role and system in such a short period was stressful, but I was more than ready for the challenge. I knew that it was a temporary position, so I worked hard to learn as much as I could and make a positive impact. My goal was to secure a position on another team, which I eventually did - the Global Innovation Finance Team. However, that was also a contract position, so I kept working hard and learning as much as possible to prove my worth and secure a full-time position. I worked hard to secure a full-time position at Nike while also pursuing a project management degree to improve my skills and support my family. After a year of dedicated efforts, I succeeded in landing a role as a Financial Analyst with the same finance team. Along the way, I formed meaningful relationships and made friends that I hope to keep for years to come. Working at Nike has always been a dream and goal of mine, and I was fortunate enough to achieve it for a while. Although I wish I could continue to grow and advance, that is unfortunately not possible at this time. On Monday, I received an email from the VP, and I felt it wasn't good news. I had been a full-time employee for just under a year, and unfortunately, I was affected by the layoffs. Although I knew this was a possibility, I didn't expect to receive the email. It has been difficult to accept that this doesn't reflect my abilities or worth, but I'm only human, and it's natural to feel this way. I have questioned myself and wondered if I could have done something differently to avoid this situation. Maybe if I were better I wouldn't have been let go. I have felt like I failed my family; however, I know this is just how it is, and it's not personal. I’ve fought back the tears after receiving the news. Going through the exit packet is painful because it means involuntarily closing the book on this part of the story. I won't give up as doors will open, and I will land on my feet as I always do. I work hard and will continue striving to improve and sharpen my skills. My friends and family have been incredibly supportive this week, and I greatly appreciate it. My two little girls bring me so much joy, and they remind me why I work so hard. They are just the cutest. My wife has been solid for me, and I am thankful to have them all in my life. I am thankful for the opportunity to work at Nike. I look forward to what happens next. I hope everyone impacted has support and can enjoy the weekend. Never give up, and always strive to make the next day better than the last.

Last week I shared that I was part of the latest round of layoffs at Nike — and I’ve been overwhelmed by hundreds of supportive comments and DMs. Thank you everyone who encouraged me and shared what resonated with you in my post. Ironically, this photo popped up on my phone today. It was taken in front of the now closed Child Development Center on-site daycare at Nike WHQ. That tiny human on the right is my oldest daughter when she was around 2 1/2. She just turned 8. This was during the most fulfilling season of my Nike career. At that time I led an incredibly high-performing, small team and I was able (and encouraged by empowering leaders) to prioritize mentoring others, well beyond my own direct reports. That included 1:1 sessions and delivering workshops focused on career development and empowerment to hundreds of fellow employees in our Women of Merchandising community. I’ve been imagining how to get back to that fulfillment of helping others shine their light and achieve their goals. I started my Nike career as a Sr. Admin Assistant with the goal of using that role as a stepping stone toward a long term career path. But at the beginning, many of my peers told me that Admins were not viewed as promotable into other roles and I’d never be given the chance. I called B.S. and grew my career through Merchandising and Operations, into my most recent role as a Senior Director leading a team of 24, including individual contributors, managers and directors. Because of my unique career path, I especially loved helping Sr. Admins who aspired to other roles but felt stuck. Now I feel called to do that beyond Nike. This is a seedling of an idea and I don’t know exactly what it will look like yet. I need to learn from the experiences of others to help me figure out how to bring this to life. 🙏 A REQUEST TO CURRENT AND FORMER ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS IN MY NETWORK: ⭐️Are you an Administrative Professional aspiring to different types of roles but feel stuck? I’d love to chat about what roadblocks you face and what you’d find helpful to support your progress toward your goals. ⭐️Are you a thriving Administrative Professional who finds fulfillment and growth within the role? I’d love to hear about what fuels your energy. I’m curious about how your perspective could help shift the the mindset of someone feeling stuck and open their minds to expansion opportunities within the role. ⭐️Have you already leveraged your prior Admin experience as a launchpad to grow your career in other roles? I’d love to hear about how you successfully navigated that shift. What helped you? What challenges have you faced? I would be so grateful if you’d share your insights — either in the comments or via DM. With Appreciation, Debbie #administrativeassistant #adminsupport #adminjobs #administrativeprofessional #executiveadmin #executiveassistant

You should NEVER hire full-time staff for short-term gain. Nike's latest layoffs are about to hit Oregon this summer. I saw a post the other day about Nike's layoffs seeming to follow a season of success. Now I'm not claiming to know the inner workings of the shoe giant. And they definitely haven't asked me for my advice. 😅 But I'm going to give it anyway! Hiring full-time staff for short-term gain breeds: → Mistrust. → A bad reputation. → And ok output. But guys, we're looking at this ALL wrong. There is actually a huge amount of power to be harnessed when it comes to fixed-term contracts, aka, project work. If you advertise the idea that this role will only ever be temporary UPFRONT - you will get what you need for the business and they will get what they need for their career. Giving people the heads up that their employment has a start and end date breeds: → Trust. → Innovation (and pace!) → The desire to maybe work for your company again because they know you have their backs. Talent willingly coming back to your company time and time again? THAT'S the power of hiring for short-term projects with a long-term greedy mindset. You'd be surprised how much incredible talent you're missing out on by *not* hiring project-based or fixed-term contracts. What are your thoughts?

I was involved in Nike's big layoff in 2021. Since then, they have had several high profile layoffs as big as the one I was involved with, including one today. I've known people in every batch. I'm just astonished at who they are choosing to layoff. Nike is tossing away some of the most dedicated, passionate employees they had. People who bleed Nike's mission. People with over a decade or two of service to the company. People who are second generation employees. Most companies would kill for employees this dedicated to their story. I struggle to figure out what the hell the executives are thinking. For those of you who want to jump right back into the game, check out the YouTube Channel "Life After Layoff". The man has some seriously good tips for being back on the market. I wish you all the best in your search. If you don't have to go back in, don't. Take some time for yourself. The distance creates clarity. Much love to you all. 🧡 Edit to add: The book Transitions from William Bridges is required reading for these kinds of moments. I can't recommend it strongly enough.

According to Fortune Nike has laid off over 700 employees from their corporate office. What should you do if your company is going through layoffs? 1. Get very clear on your vision for the future. 2. Create a profile of the ideal company for you. 3. Be very intentional about the people in your network you decide to meet with. 4. Let your network know exactly what you're looking for. 5. Be confident and not desperate. Qwerkz,Inc

I lost my job at Nike.   Many companies are currently restructuring their organizations. Recently more and more people ask me whether I've ever been confronted with dismissal in my "smooth" career. One thing first: There are no smooth careers.   It was 1998. I lived in beautiful Portland, Oregon and worked at the sensational Nike campus in Beaverton.   Suddenly, Nike announced layoffs worldwide, which meant for all expatriates like me that we had to go back to our home countries. Immediately. Since I left Nike Germany, the situation there had changed completely: new management, many well-known colleagues were no longer there. I had a well-paid expatriate contract, so, I was simply too expensive. The termination interview was all about that, not about my talent, my achievements, my commitment. It was all about the money in my contract(s).   I loved this brand. This sensational “Just Do It” mentality. But it was over. The dream I lived, was over.   Moving from the USA back to Germany, I didn't yet have an apartment and was living in a hotel. Few days after arrival, unfortunately, I tore my anterior cruciate ligament during a private football match. The chaos seemed just perfect.   Then I realized that in all the trouble there was also a huge opportunity. Moaning is not an option. Complaining is no solution. Now it was up to me, and only me, to get back up and take my career into my own hands. I had various interview appointments across Europe. On crutches. I thought this could look really weird, but this was very well received by all interviewees.They saw the will, the spirit, the energy, the commitment, and the passion. This showed much more than my CV.   Now what did I learn from this?   Any of us can lose a job. I've been in the job for 31 years and my career didn't always go uphill. There are often one or two roadblocks or one or two bad experiences. This may be how some of you feel at the moment, because the world is currently rearranging itself after years of Covid, after economic crises, after military conflicts in Europe.   I just want to encourage you with this message, because such negative experiences are often part of a "new" career. I was able to pursue my career at companies such as Electronic Arts (EA), Sony Music Entertainment, Sony, Microsoft and Leica Camera AG. Currently I have the privilege and responsibility of leading CHERRY SE.   With enough time and emotional distance, the Nike experience made me clearer, more realistic, and more precise. More hungry and thirsty. More independent.   Even 25 years later, Nike is still my sporting goods love brand.   I was able to complete this experience pretty well because with every door that closes, a new door opens. And yes, this is true.   Such an experience is just one chapter in a long professional career.

To all my friends at Nike impacted by this, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out. My heart weeps whenever I see good employees who have worked so hard for an organization see their loyalty ignored for the sake of the bottom line. Being laid off is rarely a reflection of your worth. So take anytime you need to get through a traumatic experience like this. There are books, podcasts, family, and friends ready to lift your spirits where they can. Then, recognize, this is a temporary situation, you can begin envisioning what your next step might look like. Talk to others who have moved on from these situations. dream without restrictions what your life could look like. There are more open positions than current job seekers, so be selective, and look for what is most fulfilling for you. Then begin the fun of networking with others in your orbit. Some have transitioned from a layoff, others have transitioned away from jobs at Nike (I've been through both). It is your network that will sustain you and your career. https://lnkd.in/gJ_e3J2G.

Now that a week has passed, I can finally say: that I too, was laid off from Nike. After 4 years and 11 months, that's a hard sentence not only to say but to see in print. My team, North America Supply Chain Innovation, had several open roles so my immediate peers and I were hopeful that we would be safe. However, that was not the case for me. Near the end of my exit conversation, I asked if there was something more I could have done to save my job. When my assigned VP assured me that there was nothing I could have done differently, I was left feeling very lost. In June 2019, Nike brought me and my family from our home in Texas to the PNW, and while I will always be grateful for that, I'm still feeling a profound sense of loss. Unlike most, they didn't shut down my computer right away, so I was able to tie up some loose ends and say goodbye to those who impacted my #swooshlife the most. I even got to say goodbye in my favorite Slack channels. Suddenly, people whom I didn't interact with daily started reaching out here on LinkedIn to connect. I felt supported by people I didn't even know. I started getting notifications from others posting about #nikelayoffs and how their roles were impacted in one way or another. It was then I realized, while I felt alone, I was not. While I can't say that I am excited for my next opportunity yet since I'm still grieving this loss, I am confident that the perfect next role is out there for me. #nike #layoffs #opentowork #DataScience #sustainability #Insights #analytics #supplychain #takeabow

Nike's recent mass layoffs have made headlines, but is this a bold move towards innovation or a catastrophic blunder? 🚨 740 jobs gone. 🚨 32 Vice Presidents, 112 Senior Directors, and 174 Directors out the door. 🚨 Stock drops nearly 20% in one day. Nike claims this is a strategic shift to outpace agile competitors and focus on new products. But let's be real - losing seasoned leaders and support staff en masse can cripple any organization. Institutional knowledge? Gone. Leadership continuity? Disrupted. Operational efficiency? At risk. The BIG question: Is Nike's current talent pool weaker than it was seven years ago? Analyst Sam Poser thinks so, and the numbers don't lie. Your take: Is Nike paving the way for groundbreaking innovation, or are they spiraling into chaos with these layoffs? Share your thoughts on whether Nike's strategy is visionary or a recipe for disaster. #Nike #Layoffs #Leadership

To all my Converse and Nike friends and network recently impacted by the current layoffs at Inc., there is an abundance of resources to help you on your journey to your next role, but take the time to pause, heal, and reflect. The past few months you've been through an emotional roller coaster, often times not getting a clear picture of what may or may not happen from leadership. Know this, it's not personal. It may feel personal (and sometimes that does play into the decision, it's impossible to be completely impartial and unbiased), but it's a business decision made without any consideration of the people, resources, or the impact you could bring if you were repositioned in a role that tapped into your talents. The business is built on the passions of the people. It's the teamwork and the love of the brand that made my 15+ year journey through Nike and Converse so special. You're more than what they (leadership/HR) may have put a value on. I didn't leave on the terms that I wanted, but in the end the timing was best for me to go when I did. The legacy that I left wasn't the job I did, it was lifting the people up around me. I put my passion into the people, helping where I could. It's that same passion that I bring to my own business. In the end, do what you love and love what you do. You will be OK. You will get through this. It's OK to grieve this and it's OK to feel responsible, but know that no matter how hard you worked or how much you gave to the company, at the end of the day... the brand doesn't love you as much as you love the brand. Over the last 2 months what I've witnessed was cold, lacked compassion, lacked any human factor. It's not the brand that I grew up loving as a kid in Eugene, OR. When leadership fails to inspire people to bring out their best, you get mediocrity. When leadership blames the people and take no responsibility for the shortfalls of the business, that creates a toxic environment. Look within, if you're not taking responsibility for your own mistakes, people will never respect you. When it's everyone's fault but your own, it's not them... it's you. Someone that I deeply respect said to me, can you even be a leader if you lack empathy? That spoke volumes to me. The best leaders I worked with over the 15+ years were empathetic. They also knew how to build solid teams and bring out the best in people. We were a family, sometimes we didn't always get along or play nicely, but we worked hard together. The worst leaders were self indulging, lacked empathy, and had their teams fearing for their jobs instead of coming to work with passion and inspiration. A good friend of mine said to me, thank you for saying the things we are all thinking but can't say for fear of possible retaliation. We've gone backwards when people fear retaliation for speaking what everyone is thinking. I hope things change for the better for the brand that I once made the Kool-Aide for.