“No matter how hard you work or how successful you are, it’s not good enough.”
This is what I joked to a colleague years ago during a brief stint in the 90s. He turned to me and said, “I’ve got to get out of here.” And proceeded to tell me about various humiliations large and small. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. He was a top producer and the person who attracted me to the company. I thought it must be a good place because he was there and he could be anywhere. I soon left for greener pastures.
Fast forward to 2021, I have been getting calls left and right from people who made it through the pandemic relatively unscathed. They retained their health and their jobs and yet I keep hearing the same phrase which brings me back to the day in the office. “I have to get out of here.” I am working non-stop and there is no end in sight.
This type of feeling on top of the reality of being in pandemic for over 18 months, I suspect is driving a lot of the Great Resignation. My advice to some is to start exploring. My advice to others is to see if they can fix the issues. Often a well placed call to a caring manager can help solve a challenge. Some companies seem to be trying to get ahead of the burn out by giving everyone a holiday for a week. For many people, a simple conversation from a company may help, the recognition that you work hard, are successful, and it is good enough.
Let’s remember to truly show the people that they matter, are appreciated, and that they can do great work, and still have a life outside of work.
Note: this article originally appeared on LinkedIn here.
