© Carole Kanchier, PhD
Are You In a Career Rut?
Has your job lost its challenge? Is your performance deteriorating? Do you feel disconnected? If so, you may be career plateaued –that is, be in the disengagement stage of the occupational cycle.
My research on career change and job satisfaction. identified a three stage occupational cycle: entry, mastery and disengagement. During entry, you commit to the job, are enthusiastic and involved. In mastery, you strive to achieve excellence, build experience, improve skills and derive feelings of accomplishment, purpose and confidence. Disengagement occurs when you’re no longer challenged and growing. Enthusiasm, energy, confidence and productivity plummet.
Disengagement stages in life and career cycles are often parallel. Occupational cycles range from five to ten years, depending on individuals and occupations.
Award winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, shows how to clarify life and career cycles and goals, and develop a master plan for getting out of your rut. Get a copy of Questers Dare to Change: https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/15r-Life/dp/08408963 or request a complementary pdf version of Questers from Dr. Kanchier.
Where are you in the career and life cycles?
Answer yes or no.
1. I’m happily involved in work.
2. I’m challenged.
3. I have autonomy, responsibility and authority.
4. I’m productive and creative.
5. I feel good.
6. I have growth opportunities.
7. I can attain desired career goals.
8. I’m seldom discouraged.
9. I’m rarely bored or restless.
10. I have a mission.
11. I’m seldom tired.
12. I’m rarely late.
13. I’m healthy.
14. I enjoy getting up work days.
15. I’m optimistic.
16. I rarely think of quitting or taking early retirement.
17. I’m seldom irritable or impatient.
18. I’m inspired.
Scoring: One point for each yes. 13 or more: You’re probably in entry or mastery, and happily involved in work. You’re productive, competent and competent. 7 to 12: You may be in late mastery. Identify job facets that are satisfying and unsatisfying. How can you minimize dissatisfying facets? 6 or less:You seem disengaged. Your confidence and productivity may be low. You may also be burned out. Don’t let your feelings about your situation ruin your health.
Get out of your rut
— Understand psychological success. This concept describes a cyclical relationship between challenge, achievement, confidence, goal attainment and life/job satisfaction. The prerequisites for job satisfaction and motivation are: challenge, autonomy, support and feedback. As mastering a task pushes you to higher levels of competence, satisfaction and confidence increase resulting in greater involvement. Increased success, involvement and commitment lead you to set more challenging tasks. You’re turned on!
Autonomy enables you to set work goals. Support spurs you on and fosters creativity. Feedback evaluates performance and gives feelings of accomplishment.
There are individual differences regarding needed amount of challenge, autonomy and support. What’s right for you? How can you enhance psychological success?
— Restructure your job. Identify what you like and dislike. Explore ways to creatively redesign your job. Traderesponsibilites with colleagues. Propose suggestions to superiors. Mentor. This will enrich work experiences.
— Seize initiatives. Create opportunities. Look for jobs that need to be done, research ways to enhance the project, and offer assistance and suggestions to the project manager.
Volunteer for special projects. Identify those that offer challenge and meet other needs. Offer to take charge of a newsletter or community relations project.
Be assertive. Make your needs and desires clear in a friendly way. Ask, rather than complain. Prepare and rehearse the script before the big request. To manage anxiety, practice a calming guided visualization or meditation.
Continue to learn. Read professional journals, attend professional meetings. Share expertise. Create a demand for it.
— Change jobs within the company. Is there another position in the company that could satisfy your needs? Don’t discount downward, lateral or regional moves. Anticipate company changes. Network, read memos, newsletters and job postings.
Advise key people in appropriate departments of your interest in a position. Show how your skills and accomplishments can contribute to the department’s bottom line.
— Explore many career options. You have many other alternatives including another organization or different field, self employment or time out for travel or study.
When evaluating options consider: compatibility with your needs, values, abilities, and life career goals. Research ways to get started, and how to minimize potential challenges.
— Enhance lifestyle. Sometimes, other life components depress us. Poor health and lack of leisure or an intimate relationship may contribute to feelings of boredom and low confidence.
— Get out of the rut. Keep growing. How can you improve your work situation? What community activities need volunteers?
Award winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, by Carole Kanchier, PhD, shows how to clarify life career goals, and develop a master plan for getting out of your rut. https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/15r-Life/dp/08408963
Author Bio: Carole Kanchier, PhD, is an internationally recognized newspaper/digital columnist, registered psychologist, coach and author of award winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life. Kanchier has taught at University of California, Berkeley and Santa Cruz, University of Alberta, and other institutions of higher learning, and worked with individuals and organizational clients. Dr. Kanchier is known for her pioneering, interdisciplinary approach to human potential. Dr. Kanchier is available for consultations and interviews.
