A friend of mine — I’ll call him Jim — was in the running for a C-suite job at his company, a consumer packaged goods firm. I’ve known him for years, and he’d always seemed happy and fulfilled in his career. So, imagine my surprise when not long ago I got this two-word text message from him: “I quit.”
The Great Resignation or the Great Rethink?
Unsettled by the pandemic, most people are considering our jobs with fresh perspective. Some are quitting, in what has been dubbed the Great Resignation. But, for many, it’s more of a Great Rethink. Do we really like our employers’ culture? Do we feel that we’re fairly treated and have the advancement opportunities we want? Most profoundly, does our work feels as meaningful as we’d like it to? For those answering no to any of these questions, research into “deep purpose” organizations has unearthed some strategies that individuals can use to find more meaning in their careers and lives. First, know your personal purpose and then evaluate whether you really need it on the job or can find it elsewhere. If you do, try job-crafting to align your responsibilities with that purpose and evaluate your boss and employer to make sure they can support you in that endeavor. If after all that you still cannot find meaning, it might be time to consider moving on.