OK, I am so confused. ?I love parts of my job but there are some that I just hate. ?Some weeks I am ready to hang in there, but more weeks I am ready to move on. ?I feel beat down. ?I have lost hope most weeks. I just don?t know whether to hang in there or start looking for work somewhere else. ?
- A common question, ?How do I know when it is time to move on?? ? (Many people struggle with this every time there are setbacks and discouragement?s).
- The Grass is greener syndrome.
- Ten Signs that It is Time to Go.
- Necessary Endings.
Steve Jobs quotes:
- Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do the work you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. ? Steve Jobs
- “And the most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” ? Steve Jobs
I get this question a LOT! ?Just ?this week a leader asked me how do I know? ?Then also a young man who I was having lunch with that I coach on career issues is having the same struggle.
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How to know if it?s time to leave:
I regularly get letters and emails from people who ask me that very question: ?Here is the situation I am in. What is your recommendation? Should I try to bring about change, is there any hope that things will be different, or should I just bail out and find a group that?s more satisfying to work with?? I usually try to encourage people to stick with it … up to a point. If they don?t see any movement or any responsiveness to suggestions for change, it?s probably best to move on.
Many times people ask me, ?To what point do I hang in there? How long do I keep trying before I give up and go elsewhere?? Below are a few guidelines to help answer that critical question, ?Is it time to leave?? I would say it is time to go if most of these things are present:
- Too much broken glass on the floor?you or your team has done too many things wrong to set things back in order. Too much broken trust and lack of respect exist and cannot be repaired.
- You are not the leader and have lost faith in the leadership above you; personal or professional integrity has been compromised. You can no longer accept the actions of your leader or fellow leaders in good conscience. A great resource on this topic is the book Integrity by Henry Cloud.
- You?re working in less than 25 percent of your area of gifting. You are not suited to the responsibilities, and there is no joy in your work.
- Loss of faith and respect from your leader or your board?they are not on the same page and thwart?you at every turn. They have lost trust in your?leadership.
- The juice is no longer worth the squeeze. The?frustration level is much greater than the opportunities if things did change. You don?t have any good weeks?just one bad week after another.
- People see you as the source of problems. People see you as nothing but a complainer with your continual attempts to push change, and as a result, you carry around a negative cloud in the organization.
- Contract commitments are completed, and you are free to go. Assignment completed.
- Great new opportunities knock on your door. Your heart is being drawn to a new place of leadership that matches who you are.
- One of the biggest ones of all: Your heart is just not in it anymore. You have lost the passion for the assignment. The challenge has left the building.?10?o?God clearly leads you to move on.
- God is leading you to move on.? This one is very subjective, but can trump everything as you listen to the whisper of God in your ear.
Follow Your Heart
?Howard Hendricks quotes:
- Your career is what you’re paid to do; your calling is what you’re made to do.
- My fear is not that you will fail, but that you will succeed in doing the wrong thing.
Steve Jobs quotes:
- Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do the work you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. ? Steve Jobs
- “And the most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” ? Steve Jobs
Books to recommend: ?
The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God, Having the Guts to Respond, by Bill Hybels
Necessary Endings, by Henry Cloud
48 Days to the Work Your Love, by Dan Miller
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0 Responses
Hans:
Great podcast! I was all set to write a quick blog post on my website for band teachers with a link to your podcast. However, wondered if you had feedback for a situation many of your listeners may have a problem with.
As I thought about my approach to job situations – which by the way I have loved what I do and am nearing three decades in the field (I’m a high school band teacher), I wondered about reasons 1 and 2 that you list.
If I offered that advice to my constituents, 80% of them or more would need to leave. Public school is in a shambles and the word leadership in 80% of cases is a joke. There are many micro-managers who would call themselves leaders.
What does one do when in this situation? Do you just suck it up and focus on your work (which is what I do and what I advice others to do). Or does this fall into a different category, for example missionaries that are in difficult situations. Maybe teaching school is like being on the mission field?
By the way, am enjoying your book “Top 10 mistakes leaders make.”
James
Hi James,
Thanks a much for posting your question. I’m really glad you’re liking the Top 10 Mistakes Leaders Make. It’s funny that you should mention public school. I spoke for a day to a group of high school administrators and teachers several months ago in Tennessee. I got the same feeling that I got from a number of other people that are in education. A tremendous amount of incompetence in top school district leadership. I have a number of friends in education that tell me that I should be on the speaking circuit speaking to all the educational administrators trying to talk some leadership sense into their heads. So you asked a great question. What if you have a passion and calling as a teacher but you have to work under leadership you don’t admire or respect? I think your answer is correct. Many times in that situation, like a missionary, you have to endure poor leadership for the sake of your calling. I hate to say it, but you do have to suck it up at times. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, because I have had a number of other teachers tell me the very same thing. They won’t leave their classroom because of their love for their students. But they can’t stand the incompetence in the school administration and the school districts. I’m curious, how did you find out about my podcast?