26 Ways to Get What You Want at Work: Love It, Don’t Leave It

INTRODUCTION If it doesn’t get better, I’m outta here! We’ve all felt that way at some point in our lives. The feeling could be about work, marriage, friendships, learning a new sport, or perfecting a new skill. Or, it may not feel that extreme. You might just have a subtle sense of dissatisfaction or a mild yearning for a change. Everything could be right with your work—except for just one thing. In the workplace, these feelings can cause you to head for the door (leave physically) or cause you to stay put but shut down (leave psychologically—turn down your energy, youroomph.) I was present and accounted for, but not very productive. Now I realize how demoralizing it was for me, my colleagues, my friends, and even my family. Every work- week felt like a month, and my self-confidence sagged. I’ll never do that again. I’ve learned to identify problems early and take some action to improve things. Life is too short to dread Mondays. Some of us give it a lot of time before we get to the point of departure (sometimes too much). Some of us give it too little time and move on too quickly. 1 I left for greener grass and found it had its own set of problems. I came back a year later. This place isn’t perfect, but I’m more willing now to work out problems rather than leave.2 Some of us take control of our own workplace satisfaction. We expect to enjoy our work, our colleagues, and our organizations and we’re willing to go after those things that matter most to us. And others just wait. Are YOU Waiting? Waiting for your boss to go? Or for the economy to not be so slow? Waiting for someone to bring fun to your work? Or for that colleague to stop being a jerk? Waiting for HR to chart your career? Or for a leader to calm that downsizing fear? Waiting for an assignment that’s exciting to do? Or for your manager to make work better for you? Waiting for your organization to really care? Well, guess what? Waiting simply will not get you there! Are you willing to stop waiting? If so, you’ll get some quick, effective alternatives from the chapters ahead. We hope you’ll give them a try. What’s Love Got to Do with It? Tina Turner asked a good question. If “it” is “work,” our answer is “everything.” If work takes the better part of our waking lives, we’d better be in love with it or else be prepared to 3lead a miserable—or at minimum, boring—life. When we love our work, we unleash energy, creativity, and commit- ment. We look forward to the day, our teammates, the envi- ronment, the boss—the whole package. We don’t want to press the snooze button. We feel productive. We feel a sense of accomplishment. We learn. And we feel satisfied. The longer we stay with a job, the more we build some unique forms of equity. Consider the equity you’ve built in your current job: •  Skill equity: The knowledge, the know-how that you’ve developed over time. The special capabilities and competencies that bring you respect for a job well done, and enable others to count on you. •  Social equity: The friends and colleagues you’ve gotten to know (they often feel like family) or the customers you enjoy interacting with. •  Influence equity: The ability to get your ideas heard, the connections you’ve learned to use, the resources that others make available to you so you can get your job done. •  Financial equity: The dollars you get for the job you do. And, on top of that, the retirement, investment, or bonus funds, insurance, memberships (even perks such as a parking space), all in return for your know-how and commitment. Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places Sometimes we leave our workplace equity behind (too quickly) without considering how much it is, how long it will take to rebuild it, or how heavily discounted it may be somewhere else. 4 I get together with some of the old gang from where I used to work, at times just for the laughs I miss. They say that with the new leadership team, things are actually a lot better. I’ve got more freedom here, but I’ve got more stress, too. It’s all a trade-off. Nothing is perfect. I got a raise and a new challenge with each of my four moves. That was great. But subsequent raises (and challenges) came very slowly and once I even went backward. Now my friends who hung in at the same place over the years are retiring with great packages. I’m wondering what I really gained. Yes, I look around every so often. But the truth is, I love having a sense of roots. This place is like a second family to me. I know the people and they know me. They’ve been with me through thick and thin. All too often we depend on others to keep us from leaving, or we simply give up too quickly. It’s up to my manager to make me happy. They won’t give me the power to get what I want here. It’s easier to leave than to work it out. I’m about to retire soon anyway. I’m past the point of needing to love my work. Comments like these can contain at least a grain of truth. Managers do have a role. The lack of power does get in the way. The problems may be so huge that leaving is easier. Sometimes leaving does make sense. But often, it doesn’t. 5 Shift Happens Work lives are constantly changing, just like our personal lives. Sometimes, just when you really love it, shift happens. Things change with your work, your leaders, your boss, your colleagues, your clients, your organization, the economy, the competitor, the world. And things change with you. The terrific boss moves on, the company is acquired, you get tired of the work you’ve been doing, or the direction of the organization shifts—right before your very eyes. When that happens, instead of disengaging or jumping ship: Read “Ask” and “Buck.” Then scan the table of contents for the chapters that best fit your situation right now. Take an idea from a story, try a checklist, or answer some of our interview questions. What’s one attitude adjustment that you’re willing to try? What’s one small step that makes sense? Now, read another chapter. You either get what you want or take what you get. We believe you can get what you want where you are. Do you?