One + May 2011 - (Page 48)

>> ON THE JOB Staying in a job you hate can take years from your life, not to mention impact or initiate health problems. Know anyone who has gotten ulcers from their jobs? I do. “This indecision’s bugging me.” We most need change when we fear change the most. If you have been on the fence for a long time, it means there is something gnawing at you, and the status quo isn’t solving it. “Exactly whom I’m supposed to be?” English author Rose Tremain penned the famous quote: “Life is not a dress rehearsal.” If you are not connected to your passion and realizing all you can be, it’s time to move on. “Should I cool it or should I blow?” I once had a hothead of a boss who was so irrational that it would almost push ME over the edge. But cooling it was the best idea—rather than taking a cue from our JetBlue ﬂight attendant. Short-term reactions can impact longterm employability, so take a step back and determine whether intra-ofﬁce clashes are one-time-only occurrences or symptoms of larger, deeper problems. If your employer doesn’t want you, then setting yourself free could be the door to new possibilities and a healthier work environment. BY D A W N R A S M U SS E N , C M P < < Should I Stay or Should I Go? IT’S OKAY TO OCCASIONALLY INDULGE YOURSELF in that fantasy of going out in a blaze of glory, like a certain JetBlue ﬂight attendant did last year. But then it’s time to get real. We will all ﬁnd ourselves in the prickly dilemma of deciding to stay or go at least once in our careers. My trick to navigating the confusing mess of emotions that keeps us from making logical decisions is to rip lyrics from a great song by The Clash: So, darlin’, you gotta let me know… “If you say that you are mine, I’ll be here ’til the end of time.” Employers are about as loyal to you as you are to them. But loyalty can fade when ﬁnances take a tumble. Conduct periodic gut checks on the ﬁscal health of your employer. If the vibes aren’t good, follow your intuition. 48 “It’s always tease, tease, tease.” Figure out whether promises of promotions, raises and incentives are going to be delivered on. If you get reassurances, but the company doesn’t deliver the goods, it’s time to put the teasing to an end. Start looking. “One day is ﬁne; the next is black.” Ever work in a yo-yo environment? One day you feel great about your work, only to crash under an unsupportive boss? A healthy work environment means you are excited every day about going to work and feel rewarded and recognized for your contributions. Sure, we all have bad days, but when they equal or outnumber the good ones, then you’ve got some tough decisions to make…soon. “If I go, there will be trouble.” The toughest part about leaving a current employer sans alternative employment is facing extended periods of no income. It’s the risk you take, which is why most career professionals advise that you don’t depart one employer until you’ve lined up something else. Ultimately, decide whether the trouble of looking for a job is worth the reward of a great job. “If I stay, it will be double.” Don’t ignore the mental cost and toll of constant issues or stressors at work. DAWN RASMUSSEN, CMP, is the president of Portland, Ore.-based Pathﬁnder Writing and Careers, which specializes in hospitality/ meeting professional resumés. She has been a meeting planner for more than 15 years and an MPI member since 2001. one+ 05.11

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of One + May 2011

One + May 2011
Contents
Energy of Many
Impressions
Meeting Design Goes Mobile
Picking Brains
Agenda
Ask the Experts
Thoughts+Leaders
Overheard
Art of Travel
Web Watch
Radical Co-creation
Engagement + Innovation = Wunderbar
Top Spots
Connections
Irrelevant
The Business of Being Social
Safety in Numbers
Ads, Sponsors and Patrons
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
It’s Getting Better All the Time
Blame It on Rio
Ride Free
Learning How the Brain Learns
Just Face It
Becoming Mindful with Your Meetings
Group Think
The Mesh Meeting
Your Community
Making a Difference
Until We Meet Again

One + May 2011