Frustrated At Work? How To Decide If You Should Stay, Pivot, Or Quit

Feeling occasional job frustration is normal. However, when the bad days outnumber the good, it’s time to assess how to improve your work life.

Identify The Root Cause

First, determine what caused the frustration. Figuring out the reason will provide insight into which actions to take. Scenarios triggering work frustration could include:

• Going through an organizational change
• Being overworked and unappreciated
• Navigating a new boss dynamic
• Experiencing boredom
• Given false promotion promises
• Dealing with a toxic work culture
• Feeling overwhelmed in a new job

Next, have a conversation with your boss. Great leaders want to know when their subordinates are unhappy. Collaborating with your manager on opportunities to alleviate job dissatisfaction builds a strong working relationship.

The Case For Staying

A successful conversation with your boss ends with a clearly defined action plan detailing specific check-in points and deadlines. Strong leaders and companies recognize the importance of keeping employees happy. It is worthwhile to stay and see if the changes result in increased happiness and less frustration.

Change is difficult to navigate. It can take three months, sometimes up to a year, to adjust to a new job. Company culture changes can take multiple years to integrate within a business fully. Be compassionate and evaluate if the negative aspects subside as you acclimate to a new way of working.

Time To Pivot

If multiple conversations with your leader did not yield an improved work experience, transferring departments or roles is an appealing possibility. Utilize your access to various departments and explore different opportunities. Gain unique insights through collaborating on projects together, job shadowing, or chatting over coffee.

Conduct extensive self-reflection and identify your career non-negotiables. Would you be okay with increasing your workload if a role piqued your interest? How would a lateral move align with your long-term career goals? What if a new role required different work hours? Gathering data and self-assessing will improve the likelihood of renewed job satisfaction in another role.

If pivoting internally is the right decision, create a clear transition plan. Allocate time to offload your current responsibilities and onboard into the new profession. Confirm with all stakeholders on the final date of transition and overall expectations. This mitigates the risk of executing two jobs on one salary.

Knowing When To Quit

Quitting is the best option when there is a lack of career growth prospects, misalignment of job tasks with your work interests, or the overall work environment is not improving. Changing jobs is normal. American workers will have, on average, 12 occupations during their lifetime, according to the?U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . One job experience lends itself to another, curating skills that form your unique career portfolio.

Always look elsewhere if you find yourself in a toxic work environment. Never remain at a company solely to justify an ‘acceptable’ tenure. The long-lasting impact on your mental and physical well-being is not worth it. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , more than 44 million Americans quit their job in 2023. You deserve an improved work experience and to feel happy again.

Feeling frustrated at work isn’t always detrimental. It may indicate that a higher-level role, a different workplace culture, or a new industry would be a better fit. Ultimately, it’s a sign to reassess your current job against your career needs. Acknowledge how you feel while recognizing options exist to improve a challenging situation.

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