Quit Your Job or Not Quit Your Job: Time to Go or Stay?

The pandemic has given us time and space to reflect and evaluate the quality of our lives. The decision to change jobs may be triggered for various reasons, job satisfaction, meaning and fulfillment, money, and flexibility are a few examples. The idea of reclaiming control and taking ownership of our careers has taken hold for most of us. 

I quit an executive position with good perks last month because I had this aching sense that I was not living my purpose and calling. My talents and competencies were not being utilized. I tried to proactively create opportunities to live my calling at work but a gnawing feeling of uneasiness was consuming me. The voice inside me cautioned me about the regret that was going to envelop me in a few years for not living my calling, which was using my insights from lived experiences and lifelong learning to positively impact the lives of others. You may be sensing discomfort now. But before you consider typing up your resignation letter, I strongly suggest that you first consider whether you are quitting for the right reasons. Have you done a deep dive on the reasons compelling you to quit? Could a perception shift and some new insights help you reconsider? Could a coach or mentor help clarify your situation for you? You may believe that you have no autonomy at work, but if you evaluate broadly and deeply, you may discover that you have more power than you think. Is it a knee-jerk reaction to burnout? You may also discover that you do enjoy your job during certain periods, but you're feeling uneasy now because you are experiencing boredom. This happens when you're not challenged intellectually or creatively.

There are opportunities to stretch and learn new skills. The solution to boredom at work isn't always jumping ship and finding a new job. If you still enjoy substantial parts of your work, that's a good sign. It might just be that you need to shake things up by adding a little bit of spice to your daily routine or picking up a new hobby to master. You could also speak up and ask for new opportunities to contribute more or to take on more responsibility which could even lead to greater visibility in the organization. 

During the period when I was contemplating my next steps, I devoured articles, watched insightful YouTube videos, conducted self-assessments, and more to help me evaluate my situation comprehensively. It goes without saying, that you want to be sure that you're making the move for the right reasons.

Here are some key considerations that could apply to most people currently contemplating their next steps in their careers. 

• You have a Bad Manager(with no possibility of a change): Working under a bad manager can be soul-crushing. Your life is hijacked by such a person and your health, both physical and mental, will suffer long-term consequences. He could be a bully, slave driver, micromanager, insecure, gas lighter, and a narcissist. Sadly, going to Human Resources is rarely a good option for most, especially if your manager has clout with the senior leadership team. If you have sincerely tried to move internally with no success, you may have no other choice than to look elsewhere. 
• You are not appreciated for your work and have no opportunities for growth. As humans, we seek validation and want to feel like we belong to a community. When we feel our results are ignored and overlooked, a sense of futility takes over. When you see no changes, after you have proactively raised this issue with your leaders, it is time to leave. 
• Your intuition is telling you that something is off. It could be that your senses have picked up the rampant hypocrisy and lack of integrity in the organization. Corporate values are nothing more than empty labels. An unbalanced power dynamic across corporate functions causes great pain in individuals who are driven by a strong motive to give their best to the organization. They realize that they are among the few who care about the organization and notice that the more successful counterparts have mastered toxic office politics and are purely motivated by self-interests. 
• You feel like you are working for the weekend. The workdays are nothing more than instruments that drain your energy. None of your daily tasks and activities give you any joy or sense of accomplishment. You wake up dreading the day and more importantly, you know you are not living a purpose-driven life. You've got to honor those feelings because that's your inner self trying to highlight some important information. The right thing to do is to have an honest self-audit and decide. 

We have got to make sure that it's an environment where you feel empowered. Based on your reflection and evaluation of your current circumstance, it may be the right time for you to join the Great Resignation movement or just reframe and reinvent your current role at work. Either way, I wish you all the very best with your decision-making.