ARE YOU IN A JOB? OR IS SOMETHING DEEPER GOING ON?
“It’s not about being in a job. So often when there are reshuffles, people get upset and anxious. I’ve never felt like that because I’m here for an outcome. The outcome is all that ever matters, and sometimes you have to just take a different journey to get to the same place”.
The quote is from an interview with Jess Phillips, a Member of the UK Parliament who recently resigned (on an issue of principle) from a senior role she held.
For Jess, the “outcome” relates to domestic abuse, on which she has worked for 20 years.
As a quote, it resonated big-time for me because suddenly I seem to have lots of people around me struggling with this dilemma. Funny how life does that. Coincidence?
In the cases I’m thinking of, the various organisations for whom they’ve worked, often for many years, have changed direction. And my friends/clients find that they no longer fit.
It leaves them at a crossroads. An existential crossroads.
There is the sense of being abandoned by something they care about. Something, maybe, they feel they have “given their lives to”.
There is, of course, the basic question of looking for another job. But beyond that, for those who can afford (in several senses) to think about it, there is the question of “What am I here for?”. “Do I just want another job, any job, or can I take this moment to think about how best to fulfil my purpose?”.
Which of course gets us to the question of what we are working for. And the outcomes that we are seeking. We used to call it a mid-life crisis. But I observe that it occurs at all manner of ages, given the chance.
Even the very best organisations cannot stand the strain of helping us all to fulfil our purposes in life. Organisations have a life and purpose of their own. For a time these might coincide with ours, or maybe for a time we don’t worry about all this stuff too much. But then something changes. Our roads diverge, and we have choices to make.
What I’m trying to say is “This is normal”.
I know. I’ve been there. Several times. And ultimately the outcome I was seeking (helping individuals and teams to flourish in delivering something worthwhile) was best achieved by taking another road. And for 20 years I’ve focused on that outcome through being a coach.
The friends/clients I’m thinking of care about things like sustainable agriculture, solutions to poverty, and creating employment. They too will find ways of pursuing those outcomes elsewhere. It might take time, but they will find them, because they’ve worked out what they’re looking for.
Of course, there might be a bit of anger to deal with first. Maybe a sense of being betrayed by something to which they once felt a mutual loyalty. But they will get there.
If this is where you find yourself right now, may you too find ways of pursuing the outcomes you care about, even if that does look for a while like the road less travelled.
FANCY A SLIGHTLY LONGER READ?
Maybe try one or more of the books
