We’ve all felt culture misalignment, micromanagement, or new ideas struggling to take hold. And sure, there are times when the solution is really to cut your losses and move on to a healthier environment.
But before you jump ship, here’s a bit of tough love:
Have you considered that you might be part of the problem?
If we’re being micromanaged, perhaps we’re the one that’s hindering *being* managed with our own communication style, attitude, or process and approach.
If there’s a culture dynamic that needs adjusting, maybe we can contribute toward the change by being willing to wade into the thick of it.
If we’re not getting the responses we want, maybe we need to think about how we’re communicating.
If we perceive systems and processes to be rigid, it may be that we need to be more adaptable.
If we seek leadership that inspires us to do more and better, we must be at least a little bit willing to be led.
If something isn’t going the way we need it to, it may be up to us to start and have the difficult conversations.
Change is a collective effort. If we wish it, we have to be willing to be part of it and never settle for good enough. We have to have the self awareness to at least ask the question about how we might be hindering it in our own individual way. Or we might need to be willing to change something else that can support the ultimate change we seek.
There are often solutions to seemingly impossible problems if we can individually take responsibility for part of the patience, perseverance, and creativity needed to develop them. And it can be incredibly rewarding when finally, after much effort and determination, you can feel the tiniest bit of progress on the path beneath your feet.
So, have a talk with yourself today. Figure out where you can make an impact. And get to it.
I think another important thing that I need to keep in mind is that if the workplace is negative, rather than jumping in to add my two cents, perhaps it would be better to remember the old “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”. Negativity breeds negativity. Maybe today is a good day to stop it in its tracks.
Change wins elections. Change sounds great in theory. Change sounds refreshing and new. Change is what others will do to meet us where we are. Change is what the rest of the team needs to embrace to see our way. Change will make it better for us.
Change only happens when the understanding is that everyone may need to move.
Amber,
You are spot on here. I don’t know if people get burnt out or if it’s just a personality issue. I hate feeling like I have to micromanage someone because they say they’ll be done by 5 pm on Tuesday and I still haven’t heard from them on Wednesday afternoon. Simply not communicating well or at all makes it so tough to work with others.
Wow, great post! Its so easy for me to point out what’s wrong with other people or other institutions but more difficult to point out what needs to be changed within myself.
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I believe your advice is quite good for folks working in organizations with a pre-existing culture of valuing their people. However, if an employee is working at an organization which culturally doesn’t actually value it’s people, they’ll likely not benefit much there from being honest or hard-working (except, perhaps, for so-called moral victories).