Is It Time For a Change?

By Kathleen Wells, Ph.D.

The days of staying with a company indefinitely and moving up through the ranks are over. Although the strategy of being a company man or woman has worked in the past, for most executives today promotion means change. The thing to remember is that change promotes growth and growth leads to new opportunities. The question then is how do you know when the time is right to make a change?

One of the first warning signs is when your growth in the company seems to hit a wall. Scenario: Your resume with them reflects promotions and increased responsibility every six to 12 months. You have been with this company for two to three years and continued to move up quickly until recently. You believed you were headed for the executive offices complete with the proverbial key to the executive washroom. Lately, though, you notice that your supervisor is not seeking your opinion nor is she assigning you special projects as she once did. Your input no longer seems important or respected by superiors in the organization.

Another warning sign is if you are interviewed for a position that has your name written all over it and you are passed over for the promotion. Scenario: Your immediate supervisors have highly recommended you for the promotion to a new level. You may be interviewed several times by different managers. Then when you are feeling jubilant, optimistic and just a little over confident, the rumor mill goes to work and informs you someone was brought in from outside the company to fill your future spot. To add insult to injury, the new manager downplays and contradicts all of your ideas. You begin to wonder how soon you will be scooted right out the door.

For both of these scenarios, you need to practice your communication skills. First go through and honestly analyze the work you have been doing. If it is exemplary and exceeds the company's expectations, it is time to sit down and have a heart-to-heart with your supervisors. Don't be accusatory. Do not make it personal, even if it seems personal to you. Ask for input that will allow you to be a greater asset to the company than you already are. Let them know you enjoy working for the company and cite some examples of good work you have done (especially examples that impacted the bottom line). Ask if they have any challenging projects or positions coming up in the near future to which you could be assigned. Remember, let them know what is in it for them. If your reception is seriously cool, ask them outright if you have disappointed them in some way. If the answer is yes, then ask how you can improve that particular job performance to meet the needs of the company.

Downsizing is another major warning signal. Scenario: Things are moving really well for you when suddenly the company "right sizes" and you are offered less money if you are willing to stay and be loyal to the company while it goes through some tough times. You do some checking around and find out there were few layoffs and other people at your level were not expected to take pay cuts. Even if they were also reduced, any growth in the near future looks highly unlikely for any of the employees.

For this one, it is probably time to dust off the resume. If the company is truly in difficulties that require downsizing, you cannot be sure how long it will hold on before folding. If they are not in that situation, do you want to work for a company that cannot be honest with you? Either way it is time to begin discreetly networking and getting your resume into the hands of good headhunters and agents. Talk to everyone you know and let them know you are quietly seeking other opportunities. Remember networking is the best way to not only find a new position but to be hired into it.

The last red flag comes into play when you realize your passion is gone. Scenario: You dread going to the office. Sick days become common where you never before missed work. Your stress level is going up and even time at home has lost some of its quality.

I realize the old school of thought is "work is called work because that is what it is." Well, we are finally beginning to see that life is too short to be dragging our bodies to a job that doesn't excite us like it did five years earlier. No matter why the passion has died, it is time to look inside first for a new direction and then outside for a new career.

Begin with a soul-searching look at what you truly enjoy doing. You can do this on your own or read two books to get some ideas. One is "The Work We Were Born To Do" by Nick Williams and "Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts" by Peter McWilliams. Both authors will help you discover the truth about yourself and what would rekindle your professional fire. They can then help you set new goals and prepare for a positive shift in your work life, which will reflect in your private life.

These warning signs can be very unsettling and create a high level of stress. If these signs are present in your career, look for the lesson in change, embrace the opportunity for growth and know that a better position has your name written all over it. You just have to go after it.

Career Planning: 10 Practical Steps for Those Too Busy to Plan
Surviving a merger
Negotiating a salary package

Dr. Kathleen Wells is a professional career coach and Director of Coaches That Care. Ask her all your career-related questions.