The “Great Leaving” may have become the “Great Staying.” (The switch started in late 2022 per The NY Times.)
More people seem to have considered staying at their current jobs instead of bolting.
They still have points of friction, like:
“The company’s values align with mine; I love the products too – it’s just some coworkers, ugh.”
“I see people’s lives change with our tools and my coaching – the admin overwhelms me.”
They still might entertain leaving. However, many seem to value the positives more than they might have a year ago. As a client observed, “I focused on my frustration and forgot that I am passionate about what we do, how I’m integral to that, and our great benefits. Together those things outweigh my boss’s micro-managing.”
A professional friend has gone even further. They moved beyond just seeing the positive and decided to find the positive in the negative. Their example:
“The company runs slow, and I like lightspeed. It drove me crazy. Then I realized while I love fast, I also have a passion for perfection. I can deliver that without much stress since when we deliver isn’t very important. And I have time to work on transforming my team, which I love.”
Why not focus on valuing the parts of work you value and enjoy?
If you can’t find anything you like, consider some self-examination and re-framing to find a spark.
Three thoughts on doing better while you’re thinking about a change:
- When you’re annoyed, pause, and take a deep breath. Ask: Will I be annoyed in a year? If the answer is nope, go back to your task.
- Take 5 minutes 2 times per day to focus on one thing you love about work. It can be the products, values, people, or the coffee.
- Re-frame the friction points when you encounter pushback or frustration.
We can all use what we like and care about at our current jobs to make work life more palatable.
If you’d like to chat about that, Contact Us.
P. S. While it’s not his main Topic Austin Kleon has great suggestions about re-framing work in his book “Steal Like An Artist.”