I feel that I am stagnating! What do I do?
Sharmistha has been one of the high-performers in the department, and she has had no complaints about her rewards and recognition. She runs a crucial section where her knowledge and experience are vital to the company. But she feels dissatisfied without knowing why and wants to leave her job. There is no concrete alternative, but she knows she will find one soon …
Employee's viewpoint
Sharmistha should :
a. Give in to her feelings and change her job
b. Continue for some time, things will stabilise
c. Talk to her department head
d. Talk it over with her friends
Organisation’s viewpoint
The manager should:
a. Wait for the restlessness to pass
b. Provide her with different tasks
c. Counsel her to be patient
d. Increase her salary
Expert's viewpoint
Sharmistha's phenomenon is not very common, neither is it unique. There are persons born with restless energy who constantly seek new challenges when they have overcome the existing ones. Sharmistha obviously needs to feed this need, and therefore should talk to her department head as in option ‘C’ in order to get something more interesting in her job. If she does not, then her feelings will overcome her and she will be unable to perform. However, just changing her job will not help, because it is not the job that is unsatisfactory.
As Sharmistha's manager I would need to understand her profile. Too often departmental heads ascribe the wrong causes to problems and issues. Salary increase for example, is not a solution. Providing her with a challenge in her task, and counselling her not to let her feelings run away with her is the best alternative as in option ‘B’ .
:wink:
From Italy, Parma
Sharmistha has been one of the high-performers in the department, and she has had no complaints about her rewards and recognition. She runs a crucial section where her knowledge and experience are vital to the company. But she feels dissatisfied without knowing why and wants to leave her job. There is no concrete alternative, but she knows she will find one soon …
Employee's viewpoint
Sharmistha should :
a. Give in to her feelings and change her job
b. Continue for some time, things will stabilise
c. Talk to her department head
d. Talk it over with her friends
Organisation’s viewpoint
The manager should:
a. Wait for the restlessness to pass
b. Provide her with different tasks
c. Counsel her to be patient
d. Increase her salary
Expert's viewpoint
Sharmistha's phenomenon is not very common, neither is it unique. There are persons born with restless energy who constantly seek new challenges when they have overcome the existing ones. Sharmistha obviously needs to feed this need, and therefore should talk to her department head as in option ‘C’ in order to get something more interesting in her job. If she does not, then her feelings will overcome her and she will be unable to perform. However, just changing her job will not help, because it is not the job that is unsatisfactory.
As Sharmistha's manager I would need to understand her profile. Too often departmental heads ascribe the wrong causes to problems and issues. Salary increase for example, is not a solution. Providing her with a challenge in her task, and counselling her not to let her feelings run away with her is the best alternative as in option ‘B’ .
:wink:
From Italy, Parma
If you were to really work with Shrmila. You would explore what is important for her rather than conjecturing and determining what you think she needs.
Building codependency seems to be the easiest solution but building capability and capacity to help her develop her own skills is what we should do.
From India, Mumbai
Building codependency seems to be the easiest solution but building capability and capacity to help her develop her own skills is what we should do.
From India, Mumbai
In most of the high profile and highly energetic executives, there is this tendency to get bogged down due to no particular reason. The person, creative that he is, will be tirelessly putting in high quality work and meeting all the deadlines. Meeting deadlines becomes a habit sometimes. After getting used to this pro-active routine, sometimes the feeling of despondency takes over. Possible solutions could be talking to departmet heads and friends who would be understanding of the same. I would suggest that Sharmila should take a short vacation away from the daily friction-filled office activity. That should do her good to carry on.
From India, Hyderabad
From India, Hyderabad
Well some of my friends and colleagues have gone through this too. I think it's just about having a craving for more challenging areas, something with a sense of achievement. Doing the same thing over and over makes the person a master in handling a particular job function but takes out that feeling of challenge or achievement. Perhaps versatile responsibilities or introduction of the executive into a new area for a short period of time can help stabilize things.
From India, Gurgaon
660From India, Gurgaon
In my opinion , Sharmishtha needs a serious dose of meaningfulness in her life. Jobs can be fun provided there are challenges, stretched goals and all those other empowering things that get talked about in Corporate Breakthrough programs. But when people feel that they arent justifying their existance in the world, despondency strikes regardless of challenge, enrichment and job rotation. Sharmishtha needs to take a good hard look at what she's doing currently and whether it really adds meaning to who she is from the inside. She may even chuck her job if it doesnt fit in with where shes supposed to be heading. She'd be better off working in a place which has the same ultimate vision as her own even if it be something that she set up herself. Her supervisor needs to help her discover whether her feelings of demoralization stem from the specifics of her work (too easy goals, boredom, office conflicts etc) or is it something far more primal. Both the employee and the organization would benefit a great deal from such an analysis. Who wants a sad, lost soul working for them anyway?
Actually I went through this, chucked my job and am on a roller coaster since, so I guess I'm a bit biased. Do take everything above with a pinch of salt! :D
Maliha
Maliha Raza
OD Consultant, Trainer, Freelance Voice over artist, painter, poet, writer of science fiction stories that never get published, yogi and volunteer in community development projects.
From India, Ghaziabad
Actually I went through this, chucked my job and am on a roller coaster since, so I guess I'm a bit biased. Do take everything above with a pinch of salt! :D
Maliha
Maliha Raza
OD Consultant, Trainer, Freelance Voice over artist, painter, poet, writer of science fiction stories that never get published, yogi and volunteer in community development projects.
From India, Ghaziabad
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