Podcast Summary
Job dissatisfaction drivers: Understanding identity crisis, drifting apart, undervaluing, lack of autonomy, and unmanageable workload can help navigate tough career situations and find fulfilling work
Effective communication is key to navigating tough career situations and finding fulfilling work. Dr. Tessa West, a professor of psychology at New York University, emphasizes the importance of understanding why we may be dissatisfied with our jobs and how to handle toxic coworkers or avoid them altogether. Her research reveals five key drivers that make people consider leaving their jobs: identity crisis at work, being drifted apart from your job, feeling undervalued, lack of autonomy, and unmanageable workload. By applying therapeutic perspectives to work and career issues, we can better understand and address these challenges, ultimately leading to a more satisfying and successful career.
Career evolution: Understanding personal changes and prioritizing professional growth can help navigate career journeys, despite external factors or communication gaps.
Our relationship with our jobs can undergo significant changes, and it's essential to recognize that these shifts may not always be due to external factors. Instead, we may change in parallel with our careers, and understanding these changes can help us navigate our professional journeys. Additionally, in today's fast-paced world, we often find ourselves spread too thin, taking on tasks that don't truly advance our careers. Communication gaps between employers and employees can also hinder career growth. However, it's important to remember that it's not necessary to be in love with our jobs, but rather to find a good match. Our careers take up a significant portion of our time and energy, and it's crucial to prioritize our professional growth and satisfaction.
Workplace Jerks, Stress Contagion: Understanding workplace dynamics, such as dealing with jerks and stress contagion, can help individuals navigate their professional lives effectively and improve their emotional wellbeing at work and home.
Our emotional wellbeing at work can significantly impact our personal lives, leading to a phenomenon known as stress contagion. This effect is more pronounced when we bring work-related stress home than the other way around. The pandemic may have intensified this issue, causing many people to feel unhappy at work and search for external causes. However, it's essential to understand that these feelings often stem from deeper psychological issues rather than specific structural changes. When considering leaving a job, it's crucial to identify the primary driver and address it accordingly. In my research, I found that most individuals experience a combination of factors. My first book, "Jerks at Work," identified five types of workplace jerks, including the "kiss up kick downer," who mistreats colleagues while gaining favor with their boss. Understanding these dynamics can help us navigate our professional lives more effectively.
Toxic Workplace Personalities: Recognize toxic personalities like the kiss up kick downer, bulldozer, credit stealer, free writer, micromanager, neglectful boss, and gaslighter, and learn to navigate their dynamics, communicate effectively, and prioritize mental and emotional well-being.
Workplaces can be filled with various challenging personalities that can hinder productivity and create a toxic work environment. These personalities include the "kiss up kick downer," who manipulates those above and below them for personal gain, the "bulldozer," who uses their power to disrupt group processes, the "credit stealer," who takes credit for others' work, the "free writer," who doesn't contribute but is well-liked, the "micromanager," who oversees every detail but may not get things done, the "neglectful boss," who shows up sporadically, and the "gaslighter," who lies on a grand scale to deceive and manipulate. It's essential to recognize these behaviors and understand that some individuals may be unaware of their actions, while others, like the kiss up kick downer and the gaslighter, act intentionally in their self-interest. It's crucial to learn how to navigate these dynamics, communicate effectively, and prioritize mental and emotional well-being in the workplace.
Workplace culture investigation: Speak to various employees to understand hidden norms and expectations, ask 'Before I started this job, nobody told me that...', and examine structures contributing to negative behaviors.
Before accepting a new job, it's essential to gather as much information as possible about the organization's culture and work environment. Jerks can thrive in toxic workplaces with hierarchical structures that reinforce negative behaviors. To gain insights, speak to as many people as you can in the organization, not just hiring managers. Ask them to finish the sentence, "Before I started this job, nobody told me that..." This simple question can reveal hidden norms, expectations, and roles that may not be advertised or discussed during the interview process. By gathering this information, you can make an informed decision about whether the workplace is a good fit for you, or if it's better to look elsewhere. Additionally, if you find yourself in a role where you're being labeled as a jerk, there's a chance that the systems and structures in place may be contributing to the issue. In such cases, it's essential to examine these structures and work towards changing them to create a more positive and inclusive work environment.
Company Culture Research: While Glassdoor and other websites offer insights into a company's culture, it's crucial to supplement online research with one-on-one conversations with current employees for a more nuanced understanding. Creating a psychologically safe workplace is essential for employee happiness and productivity, but striking a balance between providing feedback and ensuring safety is challenging.
While websites like Glassdoor can provide valuable insights into a company's culture, they may not paint a complete picture. These sites often attract extreme reviews from both happy and unhappy employees, and it can be challenging to determine how representative these reviews are of the overall workforce. Therefore, it's essential to supplement online research with one-on-one conversations with current employees to gain a more nuanced understanding of a company's culture and work environment. Additionally, the concept of psychological safety in the workplace is crucial for employee happiness and productivity. However, creating a psychologically safe workplace that encourages constructive feedback and growth can be challenging. Organizations must find a balance between providing critical feedback and ensuring employees feel safe and supported. Overall, a combination of online research and personal connections can help job seekers make informed decisions about potential employers.
Psychological safety, intergenerational issues: Creating psychological safety in the workplace requires balancing employee support with necessary feedback. Intergenerational issues can be bridged by recognizing older generations' strengths and involving them in communication and mentorship opportunities. Exit interviews, though often perceived as unreliable, can provide valuable insights if conducted honestly and respectfully.
Creating psychological safety in the workplace while providing critical feedback to employees, particularly during times of stress and anxiety, is a complex challenge. It's essential to find a balance between ensuring employees feel safe and supported while also providing the necessary feedback for growth. Additionally, intergenerational issues in the workplace are becoming more prevalent as multiple generations work together. Older generations prefer more face-to-face communication and confrontation, while younger generations lean towards digital channels. It's crucial to recognize the strengths and experiences of older generations and involve them in communication and mentorship opportunities to bridge the intergenerational divide. Regarding exit interviews, it's widely believed that employees often lie during them. However, organizations should consider what benefits an honest exit interview could bring, such as gaining valuable insights into why employees are leaving and improving the workplace culture. As an exit interviewee, it's essential to be honest while also being respectful and considerate in how you share your feedback. It's a missed opportunity for both parties if the exit interview is not used to its full potential.
Workplace Communication: Transparent use of exit interview data, clear and specific questions, and ongoing conversations are crucial for effective workplace communication.
Effective communication, especially during the employment relationship, is crucial for personal and professional growth. However, miscommunication can occur due to various reasons, including the lack of incentives for honesty during exit interviews and the underestimation of the importance of clear and consistent communication throughout one's career. Organizations need to be transparent about how they use exit interview data, and employees should ask specific and clear questions to ensure they receive honest feedback. Moreover, effective communication in the workplace goes beyond formal interactions and extends to informal, daily conversations that can significantly impact one's career progression. Therefore, it's essential to prioritize clear communication, ask for feedback, and engage in ongoing conversations to address any potential miscommunications and improve overall performance.
Ironic Effect, Anxious Leadership: Being nice to those we disagree with during negotiations may increase the likelihood of letting them win (Ironic Effect). Anxious leadership among millennials and Gen Z can impact performance, growth, and overall well-being in the workplace.
Our interactions with people we morally or politically disagree with can lead to unexpected behaviors. Contrary to what we might expect, research suggests that the nicer we are to those individuals during negotiations, the more likely we are to let them win. This phenomenon, known as the ironic effect, is just one of the complex social processes shaping interactions in the workplace that we may not consider much. Another area of research is the impact of anxious leadership among millennial and Gen Z leaders, and how this dynamic can affect performance, growth, and overall well-being in the workplace. These are just a few of the intriguing projects being explored in the field of organizational psychology. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of understanding the nuances of human behavior in various professional contexts.