Part I: Is It Time to Quit?
Practical Tools for Navigating Workplace Frustrations
Our founder, Sarah Auda, was interviewed by Success Magazine about how to assess when it’s time to leave a job and what steps should be taken. A few quotes were used for one of their articles, and the rest we get to share with you here!
This will be a limited series. For the next 3 weeks, we’ll be sharing a question and a detailed answer on considering if it’s time to quit or not and practical tips on your corporate role.
When might employees want to think about calling it quits in the workplace?
Every professional I know has wanted to leave their job at one point, so if you're feeling that way you are not alone! It's normal to go through times where your work might feel like it’s at a dead end.
Before you write your resignation letter, here are some practical tools if you're feeling like you're on the brink of quitting your job:
Get clear on the exact problem(s). Write them out. Avoid being general and get as specific as possible. General problems tend to be more complaints while getting specific gives you an opportunity to actually address it. (Example: "So-and-so are consistently late to meetings, cancel last minute, and do not contribute to the team strategy."
Go to your list and assess if the problems you listed are circumstantial or systemic. In other words, are the problems short term or due to a busy time of year? Or are these deep rooted, fundamental issues that are embedded into the company culture?
Then consider possible solutions for each specific problem. Can this be handled with a conversation and making new requests for adjustments, help/support, etc? What would solve each problem for you? This is where you need to be solutions-minded and, again, specific.
Whether or not the problems are circumstantial or systemic, you want to consider who to speak with about it. A supervisor cannot solve a problem they aren't aware of, and bosses are not mind readers. To do your due diligence, you want to speak about what's happening, make requests for solutions, and observe how it's received. The response will tell you whether or not you're valued, and that can help you make a decision to stay or leave.
Example:
One professional I supported at Google was referred to me on the heels of his 17th anniversary at the company. He was incredibly frustrated in his role and desperately wanted out of his department. As much as he genuinely loved the brand and culture of what Google stands for, he was dying a slow, painful death in his daily tasks. In our coaching, we got clear on the problems, we formulated a vision for what his ideal contributions would be in a new role, and he set a meeting with HR to discuss transitioning within the company. In one month, he had two interviews within Google to explore this and felt confident in what he wanted next.
Before you quit, you want to ensure you've had every conversation possible to correct the need. It benefits a company to retain you! According to one Gallup study, the cost of replacing an employee can range from one-half to two times the employee's annual salary.
You want to exhaust all possible resources before quitting. At the end of the day, sometimes a job that feels like a dead end can be transformed into a dream job because of your willingness to have a courageous conversation.
Next one coming next week….
For those of you who want more individualized support, you can book a Trusted Advisor Session by emailing back here.
