Every Job has a Little Dysfunction

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON MY BLOG - July 5th, 2021

Some of my most interesting work conversations are with friends, colleagues, and clients who have had a rough day at work. They are ready to flee for various reasons. They think their boss doesn't like them. They are overworked, underappreciated, behind on a project, or not enjoying their job as much as they had previously.?

And then I remind them, everybody has dysfunction at work.??

You know, that small part of the culture that is thinly veiled on Glassdoor.?During the interview, when you asked about it, they glossed over it with a generic answer.?Then when you left the interview, you wondered if you should be concerned (there is always a little truth to it, but remember it may not be the full story).?

Here are a few examples of the?dysfunction you may experience on a bad day:

• Frustration with an always-busy culture, but they can't finish one project
• Exhausted from over collaboration - 74 people must sign off to move forward
• Extra work from micromanagers who need to know every step before it happens
• This is urgent -hurry, hurry, 911, and then...oh, we put that project on hold
• A supervisor who yells?
• Changing employee responsibilities instead of having a tough conversation

Why is this important to think about? Because there is no perfect job.?There are perfect opportunities.?What constitutes a great opportunity??Well, that depends on you.?Maybe it is the opportunity to learn, to lead, or to make more money.?But every job, like a relationship, has its ups and downs.?You have to muster through the bad days, work hard, and focus on the opportunity.

You also have to know the?dysfunction you can live with?and when you are unwilling to compromise. For me, I could never work with yellers, but I have a friend that lets it roll off her back.?You may be great at moving projects to completion and could be a superstar in an organization where they can't land the plane, but there will be frustration along the way.??

So if you had a bad day, come home, breathe and think about the dysfunction.?Is the?dysfunction you experience the?dysfunction you can live with, or is it time to make a move?

What can?you do?to facilitate the change?to make work better??Is there a tough conversation you need to have? Find an unbiased sounding board who can help you determine if you can work through it. Whatever you decide, do the work, give it your best before opting for a move.

If you need to go, don't jump from the frying pan to the fryer. Take your time and reflect on what you need in your next?job to be happy. Running from a job often lands you in a short-term gig because you were so concerned with getting out that you did not?build a strategic job search strategy.?Take the time to ensure you explore all options to land in a place where you can thrive.

At the end of the day?- know the dysfunction you can live with.

You deserve a job you love.

Interested in staying focused on your forward career momentum??

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