Is feeling stagnant in my role a good time to quit?
A lot of people struggle with feeling stagnant, especially early on in most careers. We start developing skill sets that often grow bigger than what our current role allows for. Sometimes it takes some initiative on your end to open the line of communication with your manager.
There can be missed opportunities for your management/ leadership team to help you grow and develop. They might want to help you. But without letting your supervisor in on how you’re feeling towards your role within the company they might never know you’re feeling stagnant – unless you bring it to the table. Not every leader is great with communication and being able to spot these signs on their own.
Try doing this before you quit:
Open the door for communication with your management. Sure, in a perfect world your manager would already have that door open but in this case, it’s not and it is going to take some initiative on your side to help get the ball rolling. Take the time to speak about your personal development as well as the company’s development and make it known that you welcome opportunities that allow you to expand your role within the company.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- “I’d like to learn a little more about how you see the future of the business going and my place in it?”
- “I’d love to have more responsibility. What has the company been exploring that you haven’t quite executed yet? I’d love to have an opportunity to get involved.”
By asking these questions you’re opening up new and exciting opportunities to develop yourself within the company. If after that conversation it’s clear that it’s time to move on from your current organization or you already know without having a conversation that it’s a good time for you to move on, keep reading…
Complete a self-assessment that highlights your skills and abilities:
Be HONEST with yourself so that you have a better understanding of why you’re feeling the way you do. Ask yourself:
- What do you enjoy about your work today?
- What do you wish or want to be doing in your next role or career opportunity?
- What am I good at?
- What do I not like about my current role?
Hopefully, some truth will come out of having an open dialogue with yourself. The key here is to create a plan of action geared towards getting you on the right path to finding your next opportunity.
Good luck, Stagnant Sally!
