How do you know when to leave a job?

There’s no doubt that we have all had days where we wake up and don’t want to go to work. Our bed is too comfortable and relaxing sounds much more enjoyable. There are also days when you are at work when you are so frustrated and annoyed that you consider throwing in the towel.

But are those the reasons that you should look for a new job?

It depends.

Do you also have days that you look forward to going to work because something exciting is happening? Days where you feel a lot of motivation to tackle your obstacles and overcome any challenges? Then I would offer that you should dig a little deeper before you jump ship.

There are differences between frustrating moments and frustrating environments. Sometimes those can be hard to differentiate, so let me provide you with the best tool to try to parse out your situation.

Questions!

When you are able to step back from a situation and analyze it, then you will be able to understand whether it is situational or environmental.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself whenever these feelings come up:

• Do I feel empowered to resolve a problem that I am facing?

• Am I able to surface my frustration with a leader to help me problem-solve the situation?

• When I surface a problem or situation, does leadership respond as I would like and take the initiative to resolve it?

• Does this same situation happen over and over again?

• Is there a willingness in the organization to improve how you work together vs. just getting work done?

• Do you find you are constantly in conflict with how work is getting done?

• Are there changes that could happen in the company that would resolve these frustrations?

Now that you have asked yourself these questions about your situation you can start to understand if this is a momentary situation that is causing you angst or if it is a pin poking you in the side over and over and that pain is growing.

Here is an example to help you decipher these situations.

I am frustrated that a project is blocked and I can’t seem to find a way around the problem.

• Momentary frustration: I will huddle with my team to brainstorm a solution and raise anything to leadership that may need their support. We will find a way to resolve this even though it is incredibly frustrating.

• Environmental frustration: This happens with every project that I do. I problem-solve but then am just dismissed by leadership who then asks why things aren’t getting done. They don’t hear what I am voicing and they never do anything about the problem that comes up every single time we try to do something.

Repetition and action can be leading indicators of environmental frustrations. When you face the same challenges over and over and never see action taken to resolve the challenge, then it is likely time to go. You are more valuable than a work environment that doesn’t value your energy and input.

If you are struggling to decide if it is time to go or what you should do next, my Career Clarity session can get you there.