In mild of the continued layoffs and studio closures within the video games trade, a panel on the current BAFTA Video games Psychological Well being Summit appeared into how one can navigate uncertainty and stay resilient in times like this.
Hosted by psychologist Stuart Chaun, the panel featured One Participant Mission founder Kim Parker Adcock and sound designer Konstantin Semionov as they spoke about their experiences with layoffs from two completely different views.
Parker Adcock, who recently spoke to GamesIndustry.biz concerning the closure of OPM, now works exterior of video games as operations supervisor for charity Thyroid UK, whereas additionally remaining the vice chairperson of Protected in Our World’s board of trustees.
Semionov joined the video games trade full time in 2023 working at Frontier as a technical audio designer. He was affected by the spherical of redundancies made on the developer final October, and have become an worker consultant during this course of.
Whereas Parker Adcock and Semionov shared their experiences from completely different positions within the trade, the focus of this dialogue was to spotlight how one can navigate such difficult times even when it might appear not possible.
Recognising and understanding feelings
Chaun highlighted the significance of processing feelings, figuring out what you feel in a given state of affairs can assist focus your mindset on how to cope with it, and ultimately method the state of affairs extra objectively.
Take the time to sit together with your feelings and title them, so you may higher transfer via them.
For Parker Adcock, disappointment and guilt have been probably the most prevalent emotions when making the powerful choice of closing OPM, most noticeably due to the influence it might have on her staff.
“It is troublesome to start that grieving course of whenever you’re additionally attempting to take care of your staff, attempting to get them jobs,” she mentioned, including that OPM remains to be within the course of of liquidation. “It is a bit like when anyone dies, and also you simply begin to get your head round it, then there is a funeral and it takes you proper again into it – notably if it is delayed.”
For Semionov, it was panic that got here first which shortly settled right into a interval of stress which he likened to taking part in Silent Hill 2.
“The entire level of that sport is uncertainty – you do not know what’s coming or when it is going to occur,” he defined. “And then you definately take these [experiences] and put it again into ready for somebody to announce whether or not you have obtained a job or not.
“I really feel prefer it’s not only a situational panic – it is clearly a horror state of affairs. You would in all probability make a sport about redundancies and it is going to scare folks as a lot as Silent Hill.”
This sense of instability is why Semionov turned an worker consultant.
“I needed to get info and to assist different folks get info as a result of as quickly as you do, you may at the least plan issues, and you may know for certain [whether] one thing’s taking place or not taking place,” he famous. “And since of that, you can also make these choices.”
The significance of venting
The power to vent with trusted staff members may be important earlier than speaking options with administration.
“Earlier than you make a nasty or good choice, simply let all of it out,” Semionov urged. “It appears like one thing that does not yield a outcome, nevertheless it does. As a result of whenever you sit down with the pinnacle of a division, you do not simply go, ‘Effectively, it is all of your fault that that is taking place.’ None of that spills out, you begin speaking about precise options.”
“The purpose of venting just isn’t essentially getting help, it is extra the case of getting it out of your system”
Konstantin Semionov
As Semionov defined, the technique is to vent together with your colleagues earlier than speaking to larger ups concerning the state of affairs.
He added: “The purpose of venting just isn’t essentially getting help, [or] getting particular directions on how to behave and what to do subsequent. It is extra the case of getting it out of your system.”
Semionov urged establishing a channel, like in Slack or Discord, for staff members to vent and share their worries.
“This does not essentially work for all workplaces and all folks,” he famous. “I felt extremely supported by folks simply talking about their lives, as a result of they mentioned the issues that I needed to say however perhaps did not as a result of I assumed, ‘I am undecided if I ought to be shaking the boat an excessive amount of.’ However as quickly as you see folks open up, you begin opening up, you begin speaking, and also you see that it is not solely you [feeling this way].”
Semionov continued: “It is [a place] the place folks can categorical themselves with out being blamed simply because it does assist.”
Parker Adcock agreed, including {that a} protected area like this may be reassuring.
“You are all type of scared to say [certain things] as a result of you don’t need to be the one that claims one thing inappropriate, however then you definately realise all people else is on the identical aspect.
“And I believe that is actually what [Semionov] is saying, is that you could rant in your non-public space, then you definately go ask questions in an inexpensive human method.”
How to ask powerful questions
As an worker consultant, Semionov wanted to ask powerful questions on Frontier’s redundancy course of not just for himself, however for his staff.
“When [the process] began in October, I used to be ten months into my function and it was my first job within the trade truly getting cash from it,” he mentioned.
“I (nearly) stood in entrance of the CFO and requested powerful questions simply because we had to – there was so much of uncertainty that we needed to clear up. It is all about the way you ask the query.
“As a result of you may sit there and say, ‘Why have you ever achieved this to us?’ however you might as an alternative say, ‘May you clarify what is the motive behind this choice? Did you take into account these choices earlier than you probably did this? Have you considered this? Can we take a look at this feature?'”
As Chaun famous, it is about making the query “much less adversarial” to get the specified reply. You could not get every thing you need or want to know, however you will get extra of a response as opposed to making calls for.
The place to discover the suitable help
Venting and discussing points with staff members may be useful, however some could really feel as if they do not have anybody trusted to speak to, and concern that what they focus on could also be communicated to administration. Parker Adcock urged that whoever you vent to or ask for recommendation does not essentially want to be somebody inside your staff, and even within the trade.
As an illustration, she discovered solace in talking to her dad concerning the state of affairs she discovered herself in, as he had additionally skilled closing down his personal enterprise. Regardless of working in numerous industries, that they had shared comparable adversities.
“You do not essentially want anyone to perceive your actual image to perceive your feelings.”
Kim Parker Adcock
“You would be shocked at who will truly be there,” she mentioned, including that so much of her associates helped her too, although they did not essentially perceive what she did in her skilled life.
“You do not essentially want anyone to perceive your actual image to perceive your feelings.”
Semionov agreed, however maintained that having the ability to vent to somebody inside the video games trade has an additional benefit.
“It is good as a result of they will perceive from [that] perspective,” he defined. “Like if I say to somebody, ‘Oh, I misplaced my job as a result of of a redundancy,’ they go ‘Oh, yeah, that is not nice.’ If I say this to somebody within the trade, they immediately go ‘You as properly?’ There’s this sort of understanding and help.”
Parker Adcock additionally mentioned not to be afraid to discover help in colleagues which are extra senior.
“Do not ever suppose since you’re new and junior, that you could’t speak to anyone who’s been there for 25 years, as a result of they could recognize the dialog simply as a lot as you.”
Have a look at the larger image
Staying resilient is simpler mentioned than achieved during a interval of unpredictability, however there’s solace to be had in taking inventory of the state of affairs and looking out on the greater image.
“You possibly can’t change what occurs, however you may change the way you reply to it,” Parker Adcock famous. “And I believe that is the important thing to resilience. And that is all you are able to do.”
And there are optimistic issues to be taken out of such a dire state of affairs. Semionov urged that noting down what you contributed to during your time at that function can enhance your self-confidence.
“It is perhaps a coping mechanism, however attempting to perceive what you contributed to, what you achieved, discovering all of the stuff you discovered in that job,” he mentioned. “As a result of in each function that I’ve achieved, I managed to make an inventory of issues that I’ve discovered.
“There’s been stress and there is been anxiousness and all that stuff, nevertheless it’s been extremely rewarding personally from the work I’ve achieved. It is in all probability one of the best work of my life and I am simply completely happy to present it to folks”
Semionov additionally highlighted that taking time away from the trade might present a brand new perspective in your profession.
“Take a special job, decide one thing else then come again, and see in order for you to undergo this and nonetheless be an element of this trade,” he mentioned. “And for those who do, you will come again stronger since you’ve had the time to take it a bit simpler. If nothing comes out of it, for those who by no means work in video games once more, recognize the truth that there’s such an enormous and unimaginable group of builders that may nonetheless proceed connecting with going ahead.
“I really feel blessed that I’ve even been an element of this quick journey. Hopefully, it is not going to finish. But when it does, it has been nice.”
Parker Adcock concluded: “Catastrophe may be alternative.”