The Workplace

Is career fulfillment another uncertainty in your life?

Frustration at work is bad enough. Frustration with all other aspects of life are doubly worse. So, should you find yourself at work feeling let down, dejected, dissatisfied, not credible, bored, not trusted, disconnected, pushed aside, stale, stagnant or any other negative emotions that deplete, please, please do stay in your corporate role, at least for the time being! Yes, you read that correctly! As work is one small slice of your life, reactionary work-based decisions can have far-reaching and unwanted ripple effects across your entire life

There are two common reactions when people find their work unfulfilling. Firstly, some choose to ‘jump ship’ into entrepreneurship, with inadequate understanding about the commitment that takes. Secondly, others lose hope and believe unconditionally that there is no chance for change and boredom is ‘their lot’ forever. Is it any wonder these people lose hope, shut down and basically throw their future away?

The reason we do not recommend either of these strategies is the inevitable longterm consequences; both of these will most often end with the person feeling bitter, bent and broken. Once the thrill of having time to yourself wears off and bills mount up, or the ‘game’ of attending work and doing nothing is replaced by a soul-destroying lack of self-worth and contribution, there would really be little to be excited about. Our suggested alternative strategy of ‘staying in your corporate job – at least for now’ allows more-informed decisions that will support success over time.

This alternative strategy aims to convert this lack of excitement into a great opportunity for ‘consequential curiosity’. After all, keeping one eye on the future while working with the present should help eradicate longterm negative consequences. Being forever mindful that every choice and action will always have some type of impact should help steer decisions and priorities towards those that serve us best in the long run as things do take time to manifest. Human beings show up in their best form in the face of challenge and if instant career dreams were within reach for us all, career fulfillment would neither be appreciated nor valued.

‘Consequential curiosity’ encourages ongoing commitment to exploration, yet in the context of cause and effect. For example, some love both walking in the outdoors and pets, and curiosity allowed the service of ‘dog walkers’ to be created, as love for both only provided positive effects. Some are fascinated by the fusion of chemicals, and love to explore yet it would become fairly evident that as a career it could have unthinkable longterm effects if it was performed in a haphazard way.

So back to the words that likely caused you discomfort earlier in this article; when frustrated, we suggested you to ‘stay in the corporate world - at least for now’. The purpose for doing so is to become skilled and equipped with less reactivity and a lot more responsiveness. Responses are so much more constructive as they consider the ultimate effect. Responses allow us to consider the environment, the people, the cause and effect and importantly, the longer term impact.

Consider: should I stay or should I go? Reactions to that question might be a yes or a no yet either way, the answer will be cemented in ‘the now’. That will let you feel either freedom or ongoing frustration; nothing more, nothing less. Responses to that question might include:

• if I choose to go, what will I do with the time I will have, how will I move forward and not find myself in the same situation or what levels of energy will I need to reposition myself, or what support do I have for the repositioning time, or what is the availability for the resources I will require

• if I choose to stay, what coping mechanism will I need and how accessible are they to me currently, or what is the ultimate purpose for time ‘under sufferance’ or how can I redirect my efforts into better results to reduce longterm suffering or with whom should I surround myself, to name but a few.

Career fulfillment is the right of everyone who invests in it. Know where you are heading and acutely watch how your current actions either help or hinder your progress towards that. After all, with cause and effect being present at every moment, what could be the consequence of expecting career fulfilment in return for no investment?

Debbie Nicol, managing director of ‘business en motion’, builds org systems, frameworks and cultures through the services of training, coaching and solutions, helping move businesses and leaders ahead through change. ‘learning en motion’, a niche brand of ‘business en motion’ is a contemporary response for those leaders who feel frustrated in the workplace, enabling them to be part of the solution.