There are often times when things get tough at work.  Everyone experiences bad days and run-ins with the boss.  Chances are, whenever people come together to work there will be differences of ideas and opinions.  It is important to know when you’re just having a bad day or if you need to consider other options such as leaving the company altogether.

Think It Through Before You React

If there’s something that’s making you consider a path towards greener pastures, you need to be sure that it’s valid enough to make such a change.  So before you follow your knee-jerk reaction, be sure to take a step back and look at your situation as objectively as possible.

There are several indicators that tell what you need to know.  Have you pinpointed the problem?  One of the biggest reasons that lead people to running off countless copies of their resume stems from problems with their direct manager.  Before you email your first resume to headhunters, try and have a discussion with your boss to see what’s underneath the tension.  Are his/her instructions and directives clear?  Many problems that people have with their managers arise from the fact that people have different approaches to getting work done.

Can You Work Out the Problems?

The first recommendation to evaluating your circumstance is talk to your boss.  Perhaps there was a glitch in communication that created the tension.  Perhaps there’s something else going on with your boss that you didn’t know about.  Ask, in a professional manner, for clarification on what they want.

Just because they’re in a leadership role does not necessarily mean that they possess the communication acumen of a true leader.  Take the time to see if it’s just a miscommunication.  If you can deliver exactly what they want in the way that they want, it could do wonders for the relationship.

Sometimes however, the issues go beyond a simple miscommunication.  Your relationship with your boss can have a significant impact on how you feel about your job.  If the relationship with the boss is truly beyond repair you may want to consider going.  It doesn’t have to be out of the company.

Good or bad, your manager has a big impact on your professional reputation.  If the relationship is not good you may want to bail if nothing else than to save your name.  If you don’t want to go for good, see about taking a transfer into a different department. 
The same goes for coworkers.  If there’s a strained relationship between you and your coworkers, try to work it out first.

Once you’ve gone that route, the next step would either be to approach your boss to step in and mediate or go higher to Human Resources.  It may be possible for either of you to transfer to a different department or maybe just be reassigned to separate tasks that no longer require interaction between the offending parties.  However, this sometimes isn’t enough.  Finding a way out may be the best way to resolve this situation.

Are You Being Challenged?

Another big factor that might force you to reconsider staying is whether or not you are you challenged in your current role.  It’s not uncommon to get bored doing the same tasks day-in and day-out.  Sometimes you just need to shake things up.

Perhaps there’s a project out there that you can volunteer your talents for working on that you can help out with.  Pitching in on a new project will not only change up your routine, but it could give you more visibility.  This does two things for you.

First, you’ll have the potential to meet new people in other departments.  It could be a great opportunity.  Secondly, the exposure to those you network with can possibly land you a job in a different department if you do choose to move on.  Forging alliances is a strategic way to help propel your career.

When Things Change

Other factors that lead to a decision to stay or go are when the company undergoes changes.  Perhaps there’s a new directive that does not align with your personal views.  It could be enough for you to lose respect and the motivation to get up and go to the office everyday.  If these company directives don’t appear to be changing anytime soon, all signs may be pointing to the exit.

Along the lines of personal views is any change in your life that make your relationship with your current employer no longer desirable.  If you’re life has gone through any changes recently, it could certainly affect the way you see your job.  If you’ve just had a baby or got married and moved, perhaps the time away from home has placed an additional strain on your life and your personal relationships.  Nobody is happy when they’re under constant time constraints and being pulled in all directions.  If telecommuting is not a viable option, then you may need to adios the job for something that aligns better with your personal life.

Consider Your Health and Stress Levels

An important sign to recognize in your debate to stay or go is if you’re overworked, underappreciated, and completely stressed out as a result.  Feeling the pressure from being under the gun all the time has its own set of consequences.  What’s worse is you don’t receive enough recognition for the work that you do.

The ensuing result from the pressure of coping with this can have a negative physical impact on your health.  When this happens, you need to give serious thought to moving on.  Is the job worth it?  High stress levels can contribute to conditions such as hypertension, weight gain or loss, heart disease, and insomnia to name a few.  When the job begins to have this kind of effect on your life it’s time to make a move.

Do You Enjoy Your Work?

Finally, when simply getting out of bed in the morning becomes the hardest part of your day you need to ask yourself why.  Over time our interests change as personal tastes change and we grow in our lives.  It may be that you simply don’t like your job any longer.  When this happens you can do a couple of things.

First, you can try to ask for new assignments that change the daily grind into something a little different and more interesting.  Or perhaps you can seek a transfer to another department.  If these options are not available to you, then it may be time to consider making a job change.

It’s important not to jump the gun and rush into any major changes such as a new job.  However, why stay in a place where you’re unhappy?  After awhile it may be natural to look beyond where you are; it may be the only way to get a promotion, more money, or to seek new challenges.  If the issues above are plaguing your thoughts and accommodations cannot be made to keep you at your job, then the best decision is to see where you’d be a better fit, both personally and professionally.

About the author - Gail Hamlin is a seasoned pro with a solid media background that spans twelve years. She lectures and conducts seminars on career and business-related topics, using the caustic wit that has made her blog (Self-Helpless: True Tales of a Working Girl) popular. Her first book, titled Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: True Tales of Survival from the Corporate Battlefield will be released in November.

Her company, Pied Piper Consulting, is a service-oriented business that helps people to sharpen their managerial skills as well as motivate their employees. In addition to her book and blog, Gail publishes a newsletter and also works as a freelance writer.

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