1. My boss annoys me.
2. My co-workers (usually millennials) annoy me.
3. I am dissatisfied with the type of work I do and/or don’t know what to do next.
4. I don’t actually have serious work problems but I am anxious about that.

Here is my advice, don’t work for a bad boss. I have been fortunate to have way more good/great bosses than bad ones, however, even if you are a top performer, a bad boss can sink your battleship. Side note: My current boss is awesome.

94% of people who leave a company, leave because of the person they work for vs. the company.  That is a scary stat!

In any relationship, the only person who really has the power to make you feel a certain way…is you. In this scenario, you may need to play the long game. You may need the money, can’t afford a month or three off to pay the rent, etc, but the sooner you find a person you jive with, the better your work health will be.

Caveat: Especially if you are early in your career, let’s say your first 1-7 years, answers these questions:

Am I working as hard as possible for my current boss and company?

Do I do what I say I am going to do?

Bosses often get aggravated when people on their team don’t get the basics done every week.  If this is you, look yourself in the mirror and get it done.  See if things improve. If not, you are buying yourself the time to do some internal or external networking to find the right fit.

Managing up. The biggest growth area in your career will be when you learn to manage up. It took me until my 12th year of work to learn this skill. I had a coach at the time who helped me through the prep for the conversation. You can use an inside or outside mentor to do the same.

Situation, behavior, impact.

It might sound something like this. “I want to have a conversation about how we work together.  In the last meeting with our client, when you were condescending to me in front of the customer, it made me feel small and inconsequential.  The impact is that I will trust you less, don’t think you will support my career, and don’t know if this job or company is a good fit for me. I’m curious on how that lands for you? Uncomfortable right? Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Now if you both think there is a better fit in role or company for you, having that out in the open will make the transition easier and may give you the nudge you need to find your next great boss.

Stay tuned for part two on co-workers, later this week.

Defeating Average.

Colin