A workplace/career thought for you to consider today.
There are times in your career when things are going to feel pretty miserable.
You may feel underappreciated, feel that you’re being micromanaged, ignored, etc.
It’s natural that when this situation inevitably arises you’ll start to doubt yourself and think that you’re doing something wrong.
You’ll ask yourself, “What am I doing wrong?”, “Why do they hate me?”, or “Am I even good enough to be doing this?”.
In these moments it’s important to take a step back and consider your situation from a distance. Take the emotion out of it and really analyse what’s going on.
There’s likely going to be some sort of change that’s occurred in your life or around you to cause the degradation of your work environment. If it’s something on your end, then take the necessary steps to fix it. Hold yourself to a high standard, own the change and get things back on track.
On the other hand though, it’s important to check the temperature around you. By this I mean tactfully speak with people on your team or in your immediate work environment.
Quite often, and most likely, the problem is not you.
It’s so easy for us to go down a path of self-destruction thinking we’re at fault in these situations. It’s further exacerbated by the loneliness that you’ll feel. You don’t naturally want to share your perceived “failings” with your colleagues so it might take quite a while before you realise you weren’t the issue in the first place.
Finding someone you can trust and speak confidentially with on your team is crucial to finding out where the problem really lies.
Is it your manager? A new process? A shift in company culture? There are many things that can influence your day-to-day at work and it’s so important not to jump to the conclusion that you’re the “root of all evil” if things are feeling bleak.
My point here is don’t blame yourself unnecessarily. Don’t do it to yourself. Take the step back, analyse the situation and give it some earnest thought. Speak with those around you about how you’re feeling and you’ll likely find you’re not alone. There’s almost always a common denominator and I’d be willing to bet it’s not you.
Just remember this if you ever find yourself feeling out of it at work.
— Julian
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