At some point in our careers we all get it. That unshakable feeling that nothing is going to get better for you no matter how you apply yourself. You can be the top performer within your business, have great friends that you have spent many years working with and even have the promise of greater things in the future, but something is still nagging at you, something is not quite right…
If you are lucky enough to have the type of relationship with your boss that allows you to speak freely then this is great. But it does not mean that you necessarily have a great boss. Whilst there are some truly inspirational leaders out there, even the very best will usually approach your conversation with their own and their company’s interests at heart. If you are an integral part of the business then your company (no matter who it is designed to benefit more) will want to help. It is because of this that you should always take your time to really analyse
- Why you feel this way; and
- What you really want?
Interestingly, it can take people a very long time to realise what they want and will take promotion after promotion only to realise that the pursuit of happiness and success bring short term euphoria followed by the return of those creeping doubts. Only now, you have the doubts with the added responsibility which in turn begins to add to the doubts…
The only way to break this cycle is to know You and if you are waiting for your boss, your colleagues or anyone else for that matter to tell you what you want then you are wasting your time.
1. Take some time off
Before you do anything else, you need to be free and away from the influence of your workplace. Take a break and dedicate it to you! In the grand scheme of a year, the amount of holiday that we take is small. And when we do, because of this, we feel the need to fill that time and it makes sense to do so! But for the purpose of You and your process, take the time to do whatever you enjoy doing in order to eventually approach the process from a position of happiness. We all have bad days but if you use that feeling to make decisions then you will make bad ones!
2. It’s an oldie but a goldie – Make a pros and cons list
It works! Come at it from this angle
In work, I feel happy when……
In work, I feel unhappy when…….
And don’t forget the important bit for each point…… WHY?
The whys are important. The why makes you think about the particular influence within your workplace that causes that feeling of happiness or dissatisfaction.
Chances are, if you have this nagging feeling then your Unhappy list is going to be longer but you have to be honest with yourself and explore if they can be resolved, or if they are being caused by you and your mindset. Remember, when something happens, we have a choice of how we respond to it and how we let it affect us.
3. Make a plan of how you might reduce the unhappy list with how you plan to react or respond to it
For example:
- I feel unhappy – when my boss fails to recognise my achievements but is quick to find fault.
One could argue, why do you care? Do you need constant acknowledgement of every good thing that you do? There is no right or wrong, it is about you and how you feel. If you truly didn’t care then you wouldn’t have written it down….
Can I change it? Again, it is on you to establish whether you have the kind of boss that is approachable. Can I change? Can I use this as an opportunity to become more secure in my own abilities and worth?
4. Know your value
If your unhappy list is heavily populated with things like money, promotions and accolades then you probably don’t feel adequately rewarded for your input. Before you make your plan to fix this however you need to understand your worth. This is a little easier if you are a sales person as you can reasonably calculate this in pounds and pence and not always so easy if you are involved in areas such as Technical Development, Production and Warehousing. If you find yourself in this position, then you need to think like your employer. How easy will it be to replace me? What technical or educational skills do I have that are in short market supply. What specific impact have I made to the business, how do I go above and beyond?
Either way, you have to be able to make a case for that issue to go away and if you can’t make one to yourself, then you won’t be able to make one to your boss or any other employer for that matter.
5. Understand how business works
It may seem simple, but it is all too easy to get caught up in the personal elements of your dissatisfaction. Take the time to understand that businesses exist to make money. Yes, it is important for them to be socially responsible, it is important for them to be a fair and considerate employer and it is vital that their customers and staff remain at the forefront of their actions and plans. But, if they are not making money and they are not successful, then the rest of it is irrelevant.
It is because of this that you have to play devil’s advocate with yourself.
I am a top performer, but is my impact on the rest of the workforce a positive one?
Do I pull in the direction of the business goals or am I only working towards my own perception of high performance?
Regardless of my individual performance, is the wider business strong and does it have the platform I need to grow in the direction that I want?
6. If you have committed to stay, then you should now have a clear plan of what it is that you want
Speak to your employer and be prepared with the case that you want to put forward. Have strong reasoning behind your requests and make sure to acknowledge their position and challenges within this process.
If you strongly feel that you are worth these changes or improvements then you will be able to deliver your reasons in a calm, succinct and convincing way.
Nobody will think less of an employee for doing this the right way and in fact, you may find that your stock rises because of it.
Either way, you will have your answer.
If you never reach the point of having this conversation because you cannot feasibly see a route forwards or at least present yourself with a clear plan of what will make you happy then there is a wider decision to make.
Regardless of your decision, if you have taken the time to give it the right consideration and if you have been honest with yourself and acknowledged that there will always be challenges with every choice that you make, then you can own that decision.
Your career and the decisions you make have to have an element of selfishness. Accept it and do what is right for you.
If you’ve gone through the steps above and decided that it might be time for your next move within your packaging career, then you will want to find a trusted and reliable packaging recruitment agency to help you navigate the market and find your next packaging job.
Woods International are a leading Executive Search agency dedicated specifically to the Print and Packaging Sectors. If you have reached the point where you want to take some advice on the next step of your career then get in touch for a confidential chat.