Feel Like You Have a Target on Your Back? You Probably Do...

Over the years, I have worked with so many FINRA registered reps who have come to me with complaints that they "have a target on their back."

What I have learned is that when people felt like they have a target on their back, they usually do.

It often means that they are getting set up to be let go. Fired. Workforce reduced.

And there are lots of reasons why it happens, from a company's wish to reduce expenses without losing clients (it's harder for a rep to take clients when they get fired than when they leave voluntarily), to a change in management, to, well, let's be honest here, an employee who stopped performing a long time ago, but have a million excuses for why it's not their fault.

I'm going to share with you a secret about the ones that have gone on to have the greatest success...

The ones who let go of the anger the earliest, the ones who chose not to pursue legal action and simply negotiated their way out the door, and the ones who opened themselves up to the possibility of doing something completely different and unexpected are all the ones who went on to experience the greatest success.

I can tell you, though, that if you are at the point where you feel you have a target on your back, it is because it is there.

What you do next is up to you. I highly recommend connecting with a lawyer right away. One who handles these kinds of cases. I don't say that because I am a lawyer, I say it because I have seen time and time again that getting advice early on, from someone who understands the unique regulatory, compliance, and ethical obligations you face leads to the best outcomes.

It allows you to be an active participant in your exit strategy, to develop a proactive plan. And that? Gives you way more options than being in reaction mode. When you feel like you are in the crosshairs, you can duck and run, take cover, and collect your thoughts. Or you can stand there, get shot, then wait for the medic to show up. The choice is yours.