Take this job and shove it!
On a daily basis I encounter people who hate their jobs. Well, what they tell me is that they love their company and what they do. Most often they tell me they hate their boss. Did you know that one of the main reasons people leave their jobs is because they work for a manager or leader who makes their life miserable? Organizations hate to hear this because they don’t want to recognize this as truth, even in the “in-humane resources departments“. [Note: I’ve been there in the trenches of HR and leadership and I have seen it – it true!]
This morning on Good Morning America they presented a clip of one of the Super Bowl ads by GoDaddy.com. In this segment they discussed the upcoming Super Bowl commercial where someone will be quitting their job on national television. And guess what? This person’s boss has no idea. Not to imply that this “individual” is quitting for that reason, but bad bosses rarely know they’re about to lose good talent, because they are so deeply self absorbed and/or focused only on the tactical aspects of getting things done. They are often clueless as to what is going on in the minds and hearts of their people. Many times the leader has been put into a position that they were never suited for or groomed for, so they can’t pay attention to their people because they’re too busy trying to convince everyone that they aren’t naked (i.e. the story of the Emperors new Clothes). I digress.
Let’s take a look at what we can expect in the upcoming commercial where this brave individual will announce “I Quit” to the world, and her boss.
I did a little research and found another person who quit their job in a somewhat similar way. That person’s name is Marina Shifrin.
Marina worked for a multimedia company and decided she’d had enough of her boss’s one sided view of end results. She was tired of being a means to an end for her boss. Let’s watch her video.
That was brave of her, and I am sure there are those out there who would say it was irresponsible. Then again, sometimes you have to take chances in life if you ever want to seize a dream. Nobody every made their dreams come true sitting on the sidelines. Let’s see what happened to Marina next.
So, what’s the message here?
Well, there is a two fold message to be gleaned here. The primary message is for the bosses out there who are running companies and running their people ragged. Tune in to your employees and see them as individuals who make you successful through their efforts. These are the people who show up day in and day out managing to get things accomplished despite your tendencies to overlook their contributions to your success. At the end of the day, you could leave tomorrow and these individuals will continue to make the widgets and satisfy the company’s customers. Your job is not to continually impress those who are responsible for your assent to your level of incompetence (i.e. Peter Principle). Authentically check in with your people and inspire them to follow your vision and make things happen because they feel as though they make a difference and contribute to the bigger picture. Be human!
This is not a bash on leaders. Leadership is important, when leadership actually shows up in the workplace. There are wonderful leaders who display many of the competencies required to truly lead a company and its human assets (yup! Assets). To those leaders – we applaud you! You’re making a difference in the lives of your employees and enjoying returns on your investment in the areas of retention and the discretionary effort of your employees.
As mentioned, there is a two fold message. The second message is for employees who find themselves in the situation of wanting to leave their job due to a “horrible boss”, or to embrace something they have always wanted to do. If your situation is that of a horrible boss, then you must make a decision as to what your next move will be. Every situation is different and the plan of action depends on how open your organization is to hearing what you have to say, and then doing something about it. It also has a lot to do with your bosses ability to collaboratively work toward a solution of alleviating your displeasure. AND, it has a lot to do with your own ability to professionally and co-actively work toward a workable solution.
Stand by your job … (sung to the tune of Stand By Your Man – Loretta Lynn)
There are times when an employee needs to, or should, remove them-self from a situation no longer in alignment with their passions, strengths and dreams. Sometimes this can be as a result of working for a leader or company where their values are divergent from that of the leader or company culture. It’s not easy to do, but it is possible to stand in your own personal power and make these decisions. I would never condone simply quitting a job without a plan forward, so I want to be sure I make it very clear to not proceed with caution when choosing to leave your job. But, do something! Never accept a bad situation. When you accept a situation that is less than optimal you allow the situation to erode your self esteem and view of your own personal value. It’s kind of like remaining in an emotionally abusive relationship. You will find yourself having to dig your way out of the hole you’ve allowed yourself to be placed in, and it can take years to undo the damage. And by the way … at the end of life, you will not get a badge of courage or a crown for being a martyr and remaining in a bad job – to begin living at time of retirement. You’ll spend the rest of your life trying to lick your wounds and “find yourself” through the haze of all the emotional distress you’ve pushed deep inside of yourself during the “bad days” of working for the “horrible bosses”.
Do it! Be Brave.
On a brighter note, you can do what you enjoy doing. Do it whether it is for a company or for yourself (entrepreneur). Make sure your career affords you the ability to work in the areas of your passions, strengths and unique values. This will make your career (notice I didn’t say job) one that makes you want to get up in the morning and do what you love to do on a daily basis. It makes work fun. Yes, work can be fun. The old school mentality of work being drudgery is long gone. Or, at least it is working its way out of the workforce as the traditionalists retire. Heck, even the baby boomers are figuring it out now that they are getting out of the workplace. They are consistently saying they want to do NOW, those things they didn’t allow themselves the luxury of doing their entire work life. So, BE BRAVE! Be brave enough to question what you are doing and who you are doing it for. Who are you living for? You can find balance … no really! Balance does exist and you can hopefully find it where you are. If not, there is always other options. The world is a big place and there is life outside of the brick and mortar box you find yourself in for 40-60 hours a week.
Let’s end on this beautiful anthem to being BRAVE! And, let’s all cheer on the GoDaddy commercial this Super Bowl Sunday when one lucky person QUITS to embrace her dream. Cheers to the brave!
Living on Purpose 