Be Happy – Accomplish Your Dreams (Part 79)

Change is the principle of the nature. When you do a job continuously in the repeated process, you gain some expertise but soon, you wish to make some change feeling bore “again, the same job – nothing new”. You look for some change, for some better prospect since you start to feel stagnant in your current job, current business line. You do not foresee any growth in the next few years. Your income is coming down.

What do you do when you face such questions? If you are in business, you may like to make some additions, you may make some diversification. If you are in job, you may take up some part time job if that is permitted by your employer. If not permitted, you may like to “quit” the present line of working or you may have to carry on the frustration. Frustration may cause further loss of your productivity, your income, your peace of mind, your health, and misbalance in your family life and up-keeping of your wards, their education and social status. It may affect your Dreams also. How would you accomplish them?

It is true that spending one’s entire career with a single firm is no longer the norm today as employees are willing to shoulder and explore higher roles and opportunities outside if not available within the company, with the present employer or with the present business line. But many are finding it difficult to take that crucial decision – when to quit? Some past experience asks me to put some lines for your kind consideration.

If you are not able to add on for increase of your income or satisfaction, quitting a job is still better than living in frustration. But it is not as simple as it sounds. Taking the decision to discontinue one’s service with the present employer itself is a daunting task and if taking impulsively, it might just backfire. So under which circumstances you may change is a question worth deep thinking.

First of all, kindly consider the factors against which you are making the decision to quit. Review them. There are many circumstances which can provoke an employee, a good worker to quit. They may be one or more amongst the following:

1. He does not enjoy the technology/domain anymore.
2. He perceives the manager as rude or incompetent.
3. He develops a deep sense of stagnation.
4. He feels wronged in terms of compensation and positioning.
5. He does not get comfortable feeling with the growth of the business and resultant responsibilities/work as his remuneration or income is not getting added.
6. He senses a deep disconnect/conflict between their personal values and organization’s principles or its method of working.

Secondly, Now-a-days, a span of three to five years is considered to be a good stint with an organization. If there is a consistency of growth and you can foresee more opportunities to develop, improve and add on to your calibre and income, it is not wise to move out or shift from your present line of working before you start to thing that you are reaching to a point of stagnancy. Stagnancy is more harmful for both – you and your Organization. Before you finalize your intention to move out, you can change yourself to meet the present circumstances asking you to change. If not possible, you must do a thorough self assessment to gauge whether you are financially, educationally, mentally and physically capable of shouldering your responsibilities in the new regime. If you feel that you have got lesser work with the present line of working, in the present organization and that the work is below your competency, you may try for the higher responsibilities within the organization. If you do not get an opportunity to show yourself, you may move out.

Thirdly, the transition must be more effective and hassle free when you set expectation of your joining of new organization and complete the outstanding work and knowledge transfer. Better, you may please prepare a statement on the status of ongoing project you have been handling, an account of those clients you dealt with, your understandings and your estimates regarding future.

Fourthly, regardless of the reason for quitting, the exit must be done in a graceful manner without burning the bridges. You must share your decision first with your immediate boss even before informing your colleagues. You must serve an adequate notice period as per your Company’s rules and regulations and work out a mutually amicable transition plan with your immediate boss making it clear that it is your joint responsibility with him/her to make the transition plan is adhered to strictly and meticulously, in case of any delay or failure in following the plan, things may turn out to be more difficult for the successor and also for the organization. Ending your tenure in an endeavour to begin another does not mean that you may snap ties with the previous employer for ever. Today, a healthy relationship with the previous employer is a win-win situation so that organization is ready to welcome you back in case you do not find yourself comfortable in the new environment after some spells of time.

I hope the above lines may help you to Accomplish Your Dreams.

Be Happy – Accomplish Your Dreams.