The most difficult part of my coaching sessions is when the client has already submitted their notice. Because the client is into something and he can’t bear to stay any longer.
This is difficult because if you just want to quit and quit, you will be sacrificing a lot of preparation time at the company’s expense.
If you have a toxic workplace or a challenging boss, I sympathize, but I always recommend staying put until you’re really ready.
Corporate escapology is both extricating yourself from a corporate career and landing safely and successfully somewhere else.
Although rescue is often very simple, poor management can jeopardize the success of a safe landing.
This week I spoke with a man who narrowly avoided being laid off, even though somewhere deep down he wanted it. He applied for a job with another company, but he didn’t get the job.
He’s a very talented and capable person, but I don’t think he’s in the right place to find a suitable job, so it’s no wonder he couldn’t figure it out.
He was a great leader and prioritized making sure the entire team was well placed in the new organization, and he hoped someone would do the same for him. It wasn’t. His confidence has been battered and his energy levels are dropping.
It’s an all too familiar story.
To be honest, I’m glad he didn’t take the job. He would be better off staying put and spending his time preparing for the next personnel change rather than starting a new job.
If you have invested a lot of time and energy into building your corporate career, you have an obligation to achieve the maximum return on that investment. That includes making sure the next place you move to is a better place than the one you left. “Better” of course has many meanings, which you can explore in my new book (Released on July 2ndn.d.available for pre-order now).
We live in a world of instant gratification and ‘I deserve it’, but now may not be the time to break free.
I can’t remember a time when I finished work thinking about walking out (hopefully in a blaze of glory). I started planning my escape because someone humiliated me, gave me unwelcome feedback, or cheated in some way. Ideally, you would leave the problem to the same people.
But of course, thankfully, I didn’t leave then. Because I wasn’t ready at that time. Because I might have made the wrong choice then. Because then I probably would have been back in a similar situation.
Timing is extremely important when making big life decisions, such as quitting your corporate career. Maybe there’s money you’d like to leave on the table, or a promotion or project that might help you in your next role. Frankly, a steady income may be more important in the short term than happiness at work because of family commitments.
When I left BP, my confidence was really high. I changed roles over the last few years to work in the venture capital team at BP and then helped set up a start-up venture builder. I was put through a tough test by the teams around me, but I passed.
It was the perfect time to leave. I knew I was worth it.
A few years ago it would have been a disaster. After years of doing the same (great) job and getting great reviews, my confidence had been eroded. Even at the moment I wanted to quit, I didn’t know what to do next. With every option I considered, I found reasons why I couldn’t compete, why I wasn’t good enough.
This is a scary position to be in making important life decisions.
I was lucky enough to be able to plan actions that really tested me, interested me, rewrote the story in my head, and boosted my confidence.
But it took several years.
Looking back, I think this was the best investment I made in myself. I will be forever grateful to her three men for helping me let go of the baggage that was holding me back.
timing. It may not be the right time to move. still.
But that doesn’t mean you have to wait like a victim until that happens.
prepare. But please take it easy. be patient. Let’s be positive.
There’s a great quote that pretty much sums it up.
Never cut down trees in winter. Never make negative decisions when you have little time left. Don’t make your most important decisions when you’re in the worst mood. hang on. be patient. The storm will pass. Spring will come.
However, let me add to this. You must create the spring yourself. Don’t wait for others to bring it to you. Please take action.
This week was a big week for me. Because “Corporate Escapology” has finally found its way to the printers. No more tinkering, no more ideas or people to include. The proofing is now complete, indexes are added, and final checks are performed. I hope you like it.
You can pre-order it on Amazon, so it’s a great deal!