Wednesday, October 14, 2015

There's hope (usually!)...

Imagine things are going completely out of control; ownership and accountability are minimal; there is little willingness to collaborate and not enough leadership to make it happen. You are down with dismay and disbelief at how things are going... feeling blue and nothing seems to move despite your best effort? Imagine yourself stuck in the moment unable to get out!

We wish never to be confronted with a situation like that. Nevertheless, stuff happens, at times all we can do is think, and think hard what we should do but answers don't come easy or fast. How can we help change the situation for the better? That is the agile mindset isn't it - inspect and adapt until we find an answer?



 

What to do?


Should you stay hopeful or quit in despair!?


I hate to say it, quitting could be an option if you are desperate. It could work in the short term and give you relief, but what would you achieve, what would you solve by quitting? Why not let someone else deal with the mess? Quitting is usually the easy way out, though not always the best.

Why should you care? Before you decide whether to quit or to persevere, try answering these questions:

  • Would you learn something new that would prepare you for even greater challenges if you continued to persist instead of quitting?

  • Would you get a similar opportunity again... an opportunity to be a part of the solution to a very big or complex problem?

  • Could this be an avenue for you develop and practicing your skills in a particular area that you really want to learn?

  • How will the decision impact the organization that you work for, and your colleagues?

  • What will make you happy? What about your family and your friends?


I think:

  • If you are a kind of person who gets a kick out of bringing positive changes, you will likely enjoy persisting. Things usually change, and although they sometimes change for the worse, but they usually (eventually) change for the better.

  • If you enjoy learning, you will likely want to try and persist longer. You will also try to experiment with options you have not tried before and there is god chance you will succeed when others see value.. and they eventually will.

  • If you are very competitive (and perhaps driven by how fast you rise in your career charts!), you will likely calculate the risk/reward possibility around your situation and decide accordingly.


 In short...


Whatever you do depends on a lot on your situation, and the kind of challenges you are built for - your strengths, weaknesses, values and motivations. Give it a thought, introspect and make your choice. Good luck!

Image sources:
https://pixabay.com/en/alone-being-alone-archetype-513525/
https://pixabay.com/en/directory-signposts-hope-466935/

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