Sometimes, you think you are getting a feeling of boredom at the workplace. The real enthusiasm or that burning desire, which used to be there earlier with you, is missing. A situation may also arise where you feel that you cannot contribute to the extent you wish to. It may also happen that you have a feeling that your boss has also become disconnected with your performance.
Also, you may feel static. Feeling static does not always mean that you are physically static. Rather, it means that you are emotionally and mentally stagnant.
If these are happening to you, it is a wake-up call or early signals of major troubles in your career.
We suggest the following tips to you to come out of these situations:
1. Acknowledge that you and only you are responsible for your life
People don’t accept or take responsibility for the depressing or disappointing stage in their professional career. They have the tendency to blame others for the problems.
We must bear it in mind that the present situation is a direct fallout of your actions, choices, reactions at the workplace. Also, if you shun the responsibility, you are bound to deteriorate.
Hence the best course is to accept full responsibility. This will make you humble and enable to reform yourself for the desired change or re-orientation at the workplace.
- Analyze ‘What went wrong’ and ‘What could have been done better’
The above analysis will reveal the shortcomings and also in what better way it could have been managed.
In the self-analysis, we should also attempt the following things.
-What are your strengths and whether you could utilize them through a well-laid-out map. If not, in what way you can develop and use your strength.
– What are your weak points? How these weak dots could be eliminated or minimized?
– Do you feel there is a need to equip yourself with a new skill, or something new, which may prove to be a great career enhancer.
-Can you identify what is the best thing you can do.
- Find a mentor to discover something new
The meaning of a mentor is “a person who advises and helps somebody with less experience over time”. A mentor may share with mentees or protege information about his or her own career path, and prescribe guidance, motivation, emotional support and do role modelling.
There has been a concept of “Guru” in Indian culture. Guru is the one who shows you the path, like a mentor.
If you have a mentor who insists that you do things as per their way, then it is really superb. The best option is to know “the way” adopted by them but do it your way.
- Nurture your strengths and hidden potentials, pursue the passion
Strengths, which you could not use or nurture prior, should now be harnessed fully
However, please remember a half-hearted approach will never solve your problems. If the nurturing of strengths and hidden potential is not done intensely, it will not change the situation.
Identifying the passion and pursuing it intensely is another way. However, your passion may not be in tune with the requirements of the workplace. In that case, find out what is the best job at workplace, which you can do in a better way. Even you may explore if this method of doing the present job, may be done in a better way to save time and increase productivity.
- Upgrade your skills to discover something new in you
You may have identified a new knowledge, skill or technology, which you should quickly learn as part of “discovering something new”.
You might choose to earn certifications as well to not only learn new skills but also have them validated. There are several global certifications which can be availed.
If you are building your career in HR, you might want to consider CHRMP (Certified Human Resource Management Professional Certification) as an option.
If you are an IT professional, you can consider various certifications on offer by Microsoft, Cisco or AWS depending upon your interest.
There are other certifications available in other popular domains as well.
- Review your progress on discovering something new in you at the workplace
Reviewing the progress periodically must be adhered to. Any fault lines are detected during the review process, a speed correction should be resorted to. Remember, getting too many chances to improve, is not the order of the day.
In a nutshell, discovering something new in you to succeed at the workplace is not an easy proposition. No journey of transformation or discovering something new is easy. However, having a steady persistence and perseverance are the key to success.
About the Author
Dr. Damodar Rai is the Chief Mentor at Ripples Learning, which offers certification programs in management functions and offers personal & organizational development courses for Fortune 100 corporations, startups, Govt & NGOs. Dr. D. Rai has more than 46 years of research & management experience. He has published 65 research papers and filed 5 patents and 7 copyrights.
