Run, not away, but to...
Over the past few weeks, I've heard from a number of people who are running. Therefore, I chose to repost this blog from 2015.
Are you in a job you dislike? Do you have a horrible boss? Do you find it depressing that you have to work for another 20-30+ years in your current career? If so, run!
But don’t run away from your current undesirable situation. Instead start identifying better options and then run to them.
Run away
In my coaching experience, I find that many people are looking to get out of something. They think that it’s better somewhere else. The unfortunate reality is that without a plan, you may not find anything better. Those who quit without that plan, find the unpleasant reality that it’s harder to find a job when you don’t have one.
My younger son wanted to quit his job for a number of good reasons. He wasn’t getting the training he expected. He didn’t have enough work to keep him occupied, let alone excited. So he called me and my wife to tell us he was quitting. But he didn’t have other options lined up. In other words, he was running away rather than running to something better.
Run to
- Have and implement a smooth exit plan. Don’t burn any bridges. You may need them in the future.
- Identify your strengths/passions and leverage them into your career.
a. Use self-discovery tools to help you identify them.
b. Specifically understand why you hate your current job and identify the activities you would enjoy in your dream job.
c. Identify the type of boss with whom you want to work.
- Network to explore and surface other possible job opportunities that will better leverage your strengths/passions.
a. Use your current network to introduce you to people you need to know.
b. Connect with connectors to short cut the process.
c. Have the discipline to do a little every day.
After 3 conversations over 3 days, my son decided that the appropriate course of action was to
· Develop a smooth exit plan in order to leave in a positive manner so that the employer would provide a good reference.
· Identify some possible careers that would leverage his strengths of quickly building trust/developing good relationships and his passions of wanting to have an impact/making a difference.
· Lay out a network plan of making at least 1 new contact a day.
Over a 4 week process, he successfully exited his current employer and is now embarking on an exciting new journey.
There are a number of good tools to help you, expensive ones such as SIMA, low cost ones such as Strength Finders or MCORE and free ones like DNA (www.lancetanaka.com). Check them out.
