St. Louis Business Journal
How to improve your
career satisfaction without changing jobs

By Anna Navarro

August 2002 - Sometimes the solution to a miserable job isn't to change it but to change how you are operating within it. This process requires calmness, resolve, discernment — and creativity. Here are some examples.

ED - When Ed came to see me, he was convinced he needed to change his employment. But after we did a careful analysis of his job, it unfolded that he liked everything about what he was doing, except his new boss. The man was aloof, demanding and gave very little feedback. Ed's previous boss took people development very seriously. He gave Ed lots of positive feedback and criticism came in the form of constructive advice and help. Ed thrived in this environment.

Then everything changed. As Ed and I dug deeper, we made a link to his father who had been very uncommunicative and shared some personality traits with his current boss. He was reliving the frustration of wanting to please, but was never quite sure if he was hitting the mark.

With some coaching, Ed became more self-reliant and less dependent on feedback from his boss. He realized his boss had limitations in people management and no longer felt his lack of support as a reflection on his own work. Discernment of the problem and calm acceptance of his new boss' limitations helped Ed salvage a job that was actually a very good fit.

ANDREA - As a manager Andrea was lucky to have a great deal of leeway in her day-to-day work activities. But as she grew in responsibility she delegated many of the tasks she enjoyed the most. As Director of Public Relations for a major corporation she now had a publication manager who dealt with print materials, and a community relations manager who dealt with civic issues, both functions she enjoyed and missed.

Once we stood back and saw what was happening, Andrea resolved to reshape her job. She recognized there were changes she could make and she did. Andrea restructured her department and designated one of her most capable staff members to be her second-in-command. While retaining oversight, she put him in charge of many routine management tasks. She traded in some of the work she disliked and took back the job of writing some major publications and some aspects of community relations, like the corporate foundation. It took courage to make these changes, but this restructuring re-energized Andrea and she decided to stay in her job.

PEGGY - Sometimes people put so much into their jobs that there is no way they can be compensated for their efforts. In that situation, sometimes (not always) they can pull back from the job and learn to invest more in other aspects of their lives. In Peggy's case, for years she invested all her time and energy in her work. She loved her job, but as head of the department there was no place to advance within her company. She was missing the challenge of new learning and on-going growth.

It didn't seem wise to either leave her profession (she still loved the work) or the company (she had many perks that would be difficult to duplicate elsewhere). But it was also clear that the status quo was not sustaining her.

Once we had isolated the root of her dissatisfaction, it became clear that she could find the challenge of learning and on-going growth in other places. She had always been interested in singing, but had dropped it because of her workload.

It took a lot of resolve to leave the office when everyone else did, and refrain from taking on new projects that would lead nowhere. But with her new found time and energy, she started taking voice lessons and singing in choral groups and sometimes solo at weddings and other events. She developed new interests, new friends and took on new challenges. And she kept her job.

All three of these people carefully figured out what they could and could not change about their work. Then they applied their most creative problem solving to turn a miserable job situation into a satisfying one. Sometimes the answer is to move on, but sometimes staying put and acting with calmness, resolve and discernment is an even better solution.

Anna Navarro is the founder of Work Transitions, a nationwide career consulting firm that trains independent career strategists and consults with individual clients.

This column was originally published by the St. Louis Business Journal. The actual title of the column and date in which it appeared in the Business Journal may be slightly different from what appears on WorkTransitions.com.