Tag Archives: human resources

On Losing Your Passion

Posted on by jesskry
1

Well its bound to happen: you wake up one day and just dont give a damn anymore. It may be more subtle than that: you’re sitting at work and decide you just dont need to go that extra step anymore.

Some say that complacency isnt all that bad because, hey, at least you have a job and are getting paid, right? But shouldnt we all be happy at work? Yes work is called work for a reason but what good is life if most of your time is spent unhappy and bored?

Did you truly lose your passion for the work, or is it something else? Are other areas of your life lacking? Do you have an issue with a boss or coworker? Sometimes its not as easy to identify what the issue is when you think you just dont care about your career focus anymore.

Here are three ways to lighten the mood and figure out if you’ve really lost that lovin’ feelin’:

Read. Take time out from your day to actually read – not just delete – feeds in your RSS reader. Do you find that you’re bored or lack enthusiasm for the content? Has your focus and interest changed? Can you find new feeds that are more interesting? Start to think about what content would make you happy or that you’re excited to read more about.

Write. Cant stand the thought of blogging again? Why not write about it? If thats not suitable, journaling is always a great habit to pick up. Doing a free writing experiment – never lifting your pen from the page and continuously writing for 10 minutes or more – can be a great way to unearth whats blocking or bothering you.

Look. At other jobs. At career changes. At friends who love their jobs. At degrees. At your working relationships. AT your attitude. Maybe what you need is a sea change or perhaps just a new outlet. It could be as simple as finding a new hobby or getting out frustration via exercise. Whatever it may be, being proactive rather than wallowing in complacency will always make you feel better, because you are taking action.

What do you do when you feel passion lacking at work? Have you found ways to pick it up again or have you jumped ship?

Office Ignorance: How is it slowing you down?

Posted on by jesskry
2

Interoffice mail. Fiefdoms. Committees. Lack of technical knowledge. Sound familiar?

Traveling through my work day recently, I realized that a lot of time and money are spent on making things right after someone goes about their business ignorantly. Sometimes, its not their fault: they dont know how to set up a new printer profile, hire an outside vendor or how people get certain campaigns set up. They just didnt know better or have the skills to figure it out on their own. But, thats not their fault – or is it?

When does ‘Office Ignorance’ become more than just a nuisance? When it costs money? Maybe someone screws up big time, in an obvious way and they get canned or have their budget stifled. But what about the larger resource we all lack: Time.

Can and should people of all statures be held accountable for taking the time to figure out how things work? When does is stop being your problem and become theirs? The truth is, it doesnt. You have to have a fantastic poker face, carry on and ‘get-r-done’. This can take a toll on even the best of us. The most people savvy employee will reach their boiling point.

Then what? Do you lose your best and brightest because they just cant deal with inconsistencies and lack of planning? Even worse, they stay, continue to appease you and become complacent never pushing the envelope for creativity. This benefits you in the short term, but in the long run defeats the purpose of hiring great people. You also do yourself a disservice by never learning how the company ‘machine’ works – making you less of a prospect should you try to find another job.

But should employees rock the boat? How do  you deal with Office Ignorance creatively? Has it ever caused you to rethink your current situation?

What if…

Posted on by jesskry
1

What if your boss told you it like it is? How about if your opinion was rewarded internally? It always makes me angry to see good talent wasted in small non-profits just to keep the status quo. For every employee who thinks they are in charge and has no real clue, there are those who know they are not in charge and have big ideas and the drive to carry them out. Problem is: are you keeping them around or are they carrying them out elsewhere?

Many times younger employees are stifling their passion or special skill sets because they are not shown that they are wanted. For those of us who are passionate and driven, many internal proposals are written. They may not start off as the most popular ideas, but the more they float to the top – literally – in the organization, the more experience and clout you may be building for yourself and your skills.

Just because you are the low man on the totem pole does not mean you should hide your light under a basket. Shine on. It can only help you grow personally. That’s what jobs should be all about.


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