Now that you have decided the three or four principal reasons for thinking of leaving, let's examine what each of them means for your strategy.
- Blocked from promotion. This could change, for your boss could leave or be moved up, or your duties could be expanded. Furthermore, such changes as an acquisition could improve your role. Another key factor is how interesting and challenging the job is to you. On the other hand, you may have hit your plateau. But, if the prospects are indeed poor for any favorable change in your role within a reasonable time and a promotion is critical for you and you think you're not at the plateau, you'll probably have to move into another place in the company or leave entirely.
- Personality conflict. This is a common situation, and you don't have to be told who wins in a showdown. Don't automatically run away from this kind of situation because it is one that you are likely to meet again. A key factor in your long-term success may be to develop the skill to handle this problem effectively. Once again, if you can't resolve this problem reasonably, and it looks like you will have to live with it for a long time, you'll probably have to make an internal or external move.
- More money elsewhere. Your compensation certainly is a key factor in your job, but it isn't the only one. For the reasons cited in myth number four, unless you are badly underpaid it is quite possible that a move won't bring any substantial improvement for you. Your best opportunity for a real increase in your salary, bonus, and so on, may be to improve your performance, and thus your value to the company.
- Lack of challenge. If you're typical, you like to be challenged, and if you're in a stimulating atmosphere and you have a good boss, you probably are. But many jobs aren't like that. You might have to develop challenges. Try to visualize somebody who is highly motivated and who has just been promoted to your job. How would he or she tackle it? What challenges would another person find in the job? If another could make the job contribute more to the company, your lack of challenge might lie in your attitude and performance. Your best bet to finding challenge is to develop it on your current job. This is an important skill to develop, because what you are experiencing now you may face a number of times in the future. If you don't cope with it successfully, you may meet it again.
- Poor performance reviews. You may feel that these poor reviews are not justified - and you may be right. Whether they are fair evaluations of your work or not, if you can't overcome them you'll probably have to leave. Your only chance of overcoming your frustration from this source is to improve your performance in your boss's eyes. This may not mean an actual improvement. It may only mean demonstrating that what you're doing fills your boss's needs.
- You have a new boss. This is often a high-risk situation. The key is how the boss perceives you. If you're seen as someone helpful, you may be safe. This is assuming you can get over any blow to your ego and delay in your career goals. If, on the other hand, you're seen as a threat or an impediment, you may be in trouble. At any rate, you've got nothing to lose by waiting and trying to make the situation work. You can always leave, and sometimes things do change for the better.
- You've been offered an unattractive position. If this doesn't involve relocation, you probably will damage your future in the company by turning it down. So you better accept it and work to make it a constructive step toward your goal. If it doesn't work out, you may still have retained the possibility of making a later move within the company. If the offered job requires relocation, there's less risk - though still some - in turning it down. You'd make a big mistake accepting it if it's strongly opposed by your family. By not relocating, you will retain a stronger base for making a change by staying in a community where you are better known.
- Diminished activity. If the slowdown results from the completion and non renewal of a major contract with no move immediately in the offing, your best chance of finding a good job in the company is to anticipate this and try to make a move well before it comes to a head. Otherwise you may find yourself competing with others for a limited number of positions. If it looks as though things will simply be in the doldrums for a while, your estimate of the timing and extent of the recovery is the key. If there is no suitable position within the company, you'll probably have to look outside.
- No match between job and interests and skills. If this is true, you probably will have to find another position. Make sure before you decide to do this, however, that this situation really exists, and that it's not merely rationalization on your part. Your first priority should be to seek another place in your present company where you have a power base.
You have now identified the three or four major frustrations you feel you have about your job. Notice that I have said you feel. It is difficult to minimize emotions in making these choices. Visualize how an interested friend would view these choices and consider if he or she would substitute one or more other choices instead. Using this approach, make your final choice of the most realistic reasons. Having done this, now let's see what some of your options are in coping with them.
