Here I was, dragging myself to work.
At a time I had imagined to be the pinnacle in my early career, an expat role with Shell International, a penthouse flat in Marylebone in London, international business travel and a juicy paycheck. Contractual risk allocation frameworks, global insurance strategies and annual policy renewals did not longer get me out of bed.
Is this it?
According to the World Economic Forum a whopping one in four women are considering leaving or downshifting their careers right now.
What is going on here? As humanity we can no longer afford for purpose driven professional women like you to leave our organisations. We need you to stay in your influential roles, creating the change you believe in. And yet we are also aware of your exhaustion, and your longing to make a difference in a company who seems to be deaf to your ideas or seems to take you for granted.
Ask yourself these four questions before you leave
Since those days in London I’ve learnt many a lesson I wish I would have been aware of back then. So before you pack up and look for greener grass in an NGO, as an entrepreneur or a stay-at-home mum, make sure you check if you’re leaving for the right reasons. Go through the following four questions and see if you can answer them with a full-hearted YES!
I know what I want?
Are you aware of what is missing in your career and clear on what would fill the gap? Or are simply feeling exhausted, deflated and disengaged right now? Caught in the natural ”winter” of a career cycle, between an ending (the achievement of earlier goals or a specific time in your life) and a new beginning (following the yearnings and silent discontent of a hungry soul to renewed action).
I double and triple checked what I want is not available inside my current organisation?
My younger self did not even consider that I might be able to transition into another department or role in which I could have used my newly acquired coaching skills. Don’t make the same mistake.
I know and own my unique strengths and talents, and I have been able to successfully apply them at work?
It is impossible for you to know if your current organisation is really a good fit for you if you are not yet sure if what you are doing suits, energizes and fulfills you. And you might be surprised to hear that many times you might be able to turn an okay job into a new adventure simply by perceiving it through the lens of your inner genius.
I own my vision and ideas at work and I know how to bring others along with me, set elegant boundaries and ask for what I need?
Many times it’s not an actual but your very own INNER glass-ceiling that is holding you back from creating the meaningful change you believe in at work. Your pleaser, perfectionist or avoider might get in the way of you speaking up, presenting your ideas or challenging an unworkable situation. If you’re sabotaging your success right now, you will keep doing so in your new role too.
So if it’s not a 100% YES to all four of these then make sure to give yourself a bit more time to assess your situation and to prevent to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.
Need support exploring your options?
And if we can support you in this confusing process don’t hesitate to book yourself into one of our complimentary coaching sessions. We’d be delighted to help you.
Work is love made visible. Kahlil Gibran
Best regards,
Manuela Damant
Visionary Collective Leader at Azkua
At Azkua we are on a mission to turn businesses and organisations into a force for good. And we believe that it is professional women who will be at the forefront of this transformation. Purpose driven, caring, grounded and influential women like YOU!