Boss sucks, targets falling short, politics galore, manipulating colleagues, opaque roles and responsibilities … sounds familiar????? then you are in a situation where you feel that your career is in doldrums and well the news is that it probably is …. but it is imperative for your to understand that:
- is it your perception of the doomsday.
- or it is harsh reality based on identified facts and figures.
- or is it an imaginary cooked-up potpourri of thoughts based on your interpretation of the situation.
With my experience in essaying various roles in the corporate sector and observance of plethora of colleagues in various roles and responsibilities I have attempted to provide some insights in assessing the situation faced by you.
Now lets understand why are you feeling the way that you do:
- Are you underachieving your targets consecutively for the last 6 months?
- Are you being overlooked for important meetings/client discussions?
- Are you targeted by your boss irrespective of your work being up to date?
- Are you being sidelined by your colleagues or being treated like an outsider?
- Your domain expertise is no longer the company’s focus area?
- Your domain is under threat due to external exigencies……
If you have answered yes to either of the above then it is a cause of concern. It may not necessarily mean that your job is in the red but if definitely means taking stock of the situation, analysing it and taking steps towards its rectification before it is too late. There is no excuse for targets not being achieved, at the end of the day- targets are what get’s your paycheck so pull up your socks and gear up to achieve. If you can’t then it’s about time to change your function or your industry and get into the field where your skills are best utilized. Let’s face it, sales is not everyone’s cup of tea and you maybe better suited in some other role but due to compulsion you have been forced into sales …. a fish however efficient cannot climb a tree; that does not mean that it is a non performer, give it an open ocean and then gauge its performance. So take stock, discuss with HR, your supervisor and take appropriate steps to change and don’t worry there are other fish in the ocean so you always have an option of changing your company. Keep that option open and search for the role of your fitment. Remember no one is perfect so failure at one role doesn’t make you a loser so stop procrastinating and feeling sorry for yourself, take a decision and change your fate. Now, domain expertise if is becoming obsolete, this is a cause of concern. Check for alternatives and jobs which have requirements of a complementary skillsets such as yours. If you are in a technical field, look at upgrading yourself and if in non technical field, look into related industries and subtly change your domain. This is imperative as beyond a point you may get stuck with a skill that no one wants. Coming down to something I keep hearing everyday — politics, manipulations, backbiting et al…..
Guys and girls, this is a part and parcel of your corporate life, there is no escaping it. You may change a company but what guarantee do you have that such people you won’t encounter in the new organization? People mashup largely remains similar in all organisations so don’t let a few individual’s vile intentions defile your thinking and give you stress.
Ask yourself these 5 questions and then take your decision to fight or quit:
- Am I good at my job, if yes, why am I insecure?
- Why am I bothered on what he/she is talking about me behind my back?
- Why his/ her acceptance/ appreciation is so important for me?
- Why do I feel everyone is talking about only me?
- Am I really being unfair to my supervisor, am I actually delivering or have I slackened?
These questions if answered truthfully would tell you where exactly do you stand and they will give you a perspective of what is important and what isn’t. So think, evaluate, take stock of the situation and if you find that it is indeed perilous, don’t panic; start honing up your skills and move on to a different organisation and start afresh.
