Fix It or Quit It?
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Over the last ninety days have you thought about quitting your job??Scrapping it all??Walking away??Starting over??Again??
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Have you been imagining, fantasizing really about walking into your boss’ office, with a smug grin and a happy dance bubbling inside of you, to hand them your resignation??
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Wondering how they’d respond??Maybe with dread, a sense of doom, begging you to give them one more chance, they’ll change, they promise if only you’ll stay??
If you haven’t, you’re likely in the minority, because we are in an epidemic-size, once-in-a-millennial, get-out-of-jail, seismic workplace shift. People, especially women, are exiting their jobs in record-breaking numbers and it seems every single month the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports another record-breaking month of resignations.?
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And, even if you aren’t among those who have “thrown it all away†to find more meaning/time/money/balance/sanity, you certainly have felt the impact of the fall out.?More work to juggle.?Fewer long-term, trusted colleagues to commiserate with.?New hires who don’t have a clue but are, no doubt, being paid more just to attract them in.?Longer hours.?More stress.?More “need-it-yesterday†demands.?And…no end in sight.?
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When will it stop??Is it too late to quit??Have you missed your shot??Is the grass really greener??Are dream jobs really out there just waiting for the taking??Should I quit??Should I go??Should I leave?
Well, I can answer your questions without hesitation with a definite yes or maybe no.?What??WHAT???I know what you’re thinking.?You thought you were reading this article for guidance, direction, insight, wise counsel and frankly to answer all your burning questions.??Your ever-front-of-mind, cycling, buffering, repetitive, what-should-I-do questions.?
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But, before you bail, on this article not on your job, and look for the next quick-fix–the blog, the podcast, the advice of your well-intention, not always on the mark HR friend, or the self-described, definitive, YouTube tutorial, I’d ask you to consider if you’re ready for the final and forever type of fix.?If so, you’ve come to the right article.?This article will be life changing not only for you, but for the lives of all those around you, so….keep reading for the fix-it-forever method.
Step 1:?WTF is going on?
Should I fix it or quit it??Leave or stay??Why can’t I decide??What’s holding me back??What’s the problem??
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As is the case with any problem, the first step is to accurately and comprehensively identify the issue. ?This may seem like an arduous task, but you’re in luck because after observing and coaching overly-responsible individuals for thirty plus years, I’ve noticed a few things, patterns really.?And, what I found is that the primary reasons people struggle at work are they are either overworked, under-perked or both.?That’s it.?That’s the problem.?But, let’s dig a little deeper.
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Unless you are independently wealthy and/or have a benevolent soul and are solely working for the love of what you do, your career is, unfortunately, somewhat transactional, a this-for-that, quid-pro-quo, I scratch your-back-you scratch-mine dealio.?
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To a certain degree, it’s like a balance sheet, as long as the work (debits) are equal to or less than the perks (credits) you'll likely be more-or-less happy with your situation.?I refer to this give and take as the Net Indicator.?As long as there are credits remaining after all the debits have been deducted, then you have a Positive Net Indicator.??
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If you are buffering with indecision, you likely either have a net indicator that is around zero, or you have an issue with your?threat indicator…more about that later.
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Okay so now you’ve easily identified the root problem.??You’re struggling with a low net indicator (or high threat indicator), which we’ll dive into deeper here.
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Under the work column, consider how many hours you are working and the amount of energy you are extending.?Then rank the energy you are depleting on a scale of 0 to a -100%.?Typically, the more hours you work, the higher the negative percentage is; however, it really is situational based upon how draining your job is.?
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Under the perks column, think about each of the areas and give each category a ranking without exceeding 100% for all perks.
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Compare the two percentages to determine your positive or negative net indicator.
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The net indicator will give you a good “indication†of how satisfied you are in your current position.?Pro tip, use the perks wheel below to determine which perk areas could use some improvement and see if there are ways that you can affect change in the areas that need it.
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Working from the inside out, black out how well you think you are being perked in that area.?If you think you are not being perked at all, you don’t shade in any of the areas.?If you think that you are perked to the greatest extent, you gray all eight sections.?If you think you are receiving moderate perks, you would gray out 1/2 or 4 of the areas, working from the inside out.
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?Now that you understand how satisfied you are, we’ll introduce the threat indicator, which is all the things that threaten your well-being at work including critical colleagues, whining direct reports, bully bosses, job security, and last but probably the most prevalent issues imposter syndrome, doubt and self-sabotage.?
?Typically it isn’t the net indicator that fuels the desire to leave, but instead it’s the threat indicator.?It’s critical to learn how to navigate these three key threat categories in order to assure your forever fix so that you typically will never again feel the need to escape from your work situation.?
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And, let’s face it, if you don’t address these areas now, they undoubtedly will arise in your next position, and the next, and the next.?And, all you will have achieved is a resume with a less-than-desirable work history.
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In my next article we’ll address how to conquer the work threats and truly fix what isn’t working at work. Below are a couple graphics I will be covering in my next article.
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?I also invite you to schedule a time with me for a complimentary career clarity session where we identify what’s going on, what you want instead and exactly how to get it.?
At the end of our session together, I’ll share my career cleanse workbook and job comparison assessment as my gifts to you.
?Ready to have a zoom chat??Or, reach out to me at terrywestfahl@fix8ion.com
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Coach | Father | Entrepreneur
2 年There are nuggets in this article, thanks for sharing I’d be honored to have you in my network Terry
V.P. Strategy & Development @ Promise Healthcare | Public Administration
3 年Great article . For me I finally decided I was not ok with unethical leadership . It destroys culture and an org can’t be successful in anything if there are issues at the top .