Should I Change Jobs?

I began working with a new client about two months ago. She was looking for ways to find a more fulfilling career. She was considering starting her own business or moving to a different line of work at the large company where she worked. She thought that coaching might help her identify a new direction and develop the strategy to pursue the new path.

We spent the first 2 sessions helping clarify her vision in life and the things that were most important to her. A few weeks later she was put in charge of an exciting project that renewed her interest in her current job. She was also appointed to lead a new initiative for an employee group at work that would allow her to use the talents that she didn’t usually get to use at work. The change in her outlook was so dramatic that she couldn’t believe it. She felt energized but also confused.

“What if this was not the change I was looking for?” She wondered. “Am I settling? Should I keep on looking?” It seemed almost too easy even though both opportunities clearly fulfilled her passion and personal values. She got to do what she loved without having to leave her job or her company.

Her confusion was not surprising if we think about where most of us look for change.

--Change from The Inside Out--

When we are unsatisfied with the status quo, we often look for change in our environment or people we work or live with.

“I hate my job. I should find a job at another company.”

“My boss makes me miserable. How can I make him change?”

Sounds familiar? I am sure these thoughts have crossed our minds at one time or another. Rarely do we examine how we could change from within to affect the challenges around us. This is what happened with this client.

Clarity drives change.

First, she got a clear understanding of who she is, what is important to her and who she wants to become. With clarity, she not only realized what to ask for but she had the courage to ask for what she wanted. When you have a vision about what you want, the picture shouts at you and increases your desire for change.
She went to her boss, told him that she needed a more challenging job and she got it.

No one is going to give it to you unless you do.

Many of us often do not have the courage to discuss the change we want with our supervisor or subordinate. Or sometimes when we discuss this, we do not give specific and actionable feedback to catalyze change. Give yourself the permission to pursue and ask for what you want and help influence the change by giving constructive suggestion on the type of support you would like to receive.

Focus on knowing what you want, not what you don’t want.

Too often, we complain about what we don’t like. But when confronted with the question of what we really like to do, we don’t have the answer. When we dwell on what we don’t like, it keeps us spinning, frustrated and unsatisfied.

After our discussions, the client became aware of what had meaning for her. When the client got the new project, she was able to see things that she wouldn’t have been able to see before. The nature of the new project was very different from what she used to work on as an independent contributor. It was a cost-cutting project with challenging personalities and a de-motivated team. But she saw great possibilities to make a difference in the team members’ lives and bring about innovation to rejuvenate the project. She aligned her project with her core values of making impact and developing her creativity. Because she now knows what she wants, she is able to integrate them into the project and create meaning and vision that are fulfilling for her.

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.*

There was a shift that took place inside of the client. The inner change allowed her to handle situations and explore opportunities differently. As a result, the new approach opened up new possibilities and created change in her environment and the people around her.

Life change begins with the transformation inside of us. If we undertake the self-transformation, we are more likely to understand how to facilitate the change around us. Take the time to examine your vision, determine what is important to you and then take another look at the situation or challenge you face.
Now, before you put down this article and go back to your challenge, imagine a different response from you that will support the change you want to see!

A special thanks to my client who has given me the permission to share the story.

*by Wayne Dyer