We begin our careers with some sense of who we are, where we hope to go, and who we want to become. Along the way, most of us inevitably find ourselves coping with the feeling we’re not headed in the right direction. Sometimes, we might even feel like we’re going nowhere. If this happens only once in your career, consider yourself lucky.
Workforce trends, like flexible work and growing employee leverage, seem to have increased the meshing of your job and your personal life. This means that more people, more often–including those at the beginning of their careers and those who have worked for decades–are asking themselves the sorts of questions that represent a potential fork in the road: What kind of organization do I want to work for? What type of work do I most want to do? With whom do I want to work, where, and how?
These existential questions are not random. They’re often an indicator that people believe their work lives have stagnated. Stagnation is the state of not moving forward. For many employees, particularly high performers, it’s an uncomfortable place to be.
Some of the characteristics of stagnation are not bad for everyone, such as a heavy dose of routine or minimal change inflicted by external variables. It’s fine that not everybody finds their passion at work. For those who seek intense growth in their professional roles, the idea of going nowhere, even for a relatively short period, is something we seek to avoid and often stress about.
What can a high performer do when their career is stagnating?
It helps to identify the cause of the problem. Stagnation either arises from internal or external factors. Ultimately, the feeling is subjective.
At one point in my career, I was in a job for about three years longer than I thought I should have been. The main driver for me at the time was geographic stability: I wanted to stay where I was so my kids could be close to their grandparents. It was a form of stagnation driven by internal factors but made tolerable because it was my choice. While it was my choice, I’ll share that there were moments of great frustration during this time when I was passed over for opportunities.
External factors look different. Maybe the boss who’s nurtured and supported you moved on and you don’t connect as deeply with your new manager. Maybe the company was acquired or has altered its strategy and leadership in such a way that the culture is no longer a place you want to be. Maybe the layoffs you just survived meant much more work and responsibilities for the same pay without other means of greater fulfillment.
The next most important thing is to take stock of your top priorities. Top means top. There can’t be 10 of them. Work at honing your list. The process will help you develop greater clarity.
Maybe you prioritize deeper meaning from your career or more satisfying responsibilities. Perhaps you need and/or want to make more money. Or you turn down more money and prestige because flexible work is what means the most to you.
Identifying which path you want to pursue can’t happen until you’ve pinpointed what it is that you’re seeking from a different role or new challenge. At this point, it also helps to figure out if what you’re seeking can be accomplished at your current employer–or even at work at all.
If a preferred role isn’t immediately forthcoming, maybe it can still be found by asking to join a committee at work. Perhaps the answer can be found by volunteering for a local nonprofit. Depending on your employer, a side hustle may even be plausible.
Your priority may be to seek out more input that helps you decide what’s most important. If so, an openness to new experiences is necessary. Speaking of openness–you’re going to have to expand your aperture by being more purposeful about networking.
By all means, work the beat of your existing network. Rely on mentors, past bosses, and close colleagues to create new options for yourself. But also be very careful. You could easily get burned. Be judicious and intentional in your networking. No two relationships are the same.
That said, don’t keep it all inside. If you’re the sort of person who seeks out new challenges, or you’re at a point where you want to change the current trajectory of your career, or even someone who wants to align your work and personal life more deeply, you can’t internalize your problems.
The people who push it down are the ones who ultimately let their frustration show in other places. Instead, carefully and strategically use the energy of your ambition to get on the right path for the next opportunity. And don’t forget, change requires action. Align your ambition with your actions.
Anne Chow is lead director on FranklinCovey’s Board of Directors, a director of 3M and co-author of the best-selling book, The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias. Chow is the former CEO of AT&T Business and was twice featured as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
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