I remember one of my clients calling me and telling me that their Chief Architect had suddenly quit-just like that! I will refer to this architect as Dan.
I had recruited Dan approximately six years earlier. The President of the company indicated that during the past six years of employment Dan had done an outstanding job. The President said, "Dan has never missed a day of work, never complained, and appeared quite happy." He went on to say, "Dan has almost tripled his salary during the past six years." The President seemed really baffled about the situation.
I immediately called Dan and asked, "What's happening?"
Executives simply do not quit their jobs for no reason. There had to be an explanation. Dan finally leveled with me. After fifteen years of marriage, his wife had run off with another man. Dan felt he could solve his problem by quitting his job and running off to California. Dan apparently felt that he needed a new set of surroundings.
I am certainly no psychologist, but I felt that maybe what Dan needed was someone to talk things out with. He had no children, both his parents were dead, and he was an only child. After talking with me for a couple of hours, Dan admitted that he really loved his job. He also reasoned out that quitting a job he loved while going through a painful divorce made no sense at all.
Dan called the President and rejoined the company. At the President's urging, Dan did take an immediate three-week vacation. Upon returning, he changed his surroundings by moving to another apartment.
Four years have gone by and today, I am happy to report, Dan is remarried, the father of a brand new baby boy, and still employed with the same company--only now as a Vice President.
All personal problems are obviously not that easily solved. The above example merely illustrates that one should not be too quick to quit a valued job, especially when the real problem is totally unrelated.
When you really think about it, many times the job itself is quite stimulating and challenging. If the job itself measures up highly, one should stop right there -- and try to figure out why you are even considering quitting the job or changing the location when you are happy with the people you work with--but if the job itself is dull, boring and miserable . . . that is the backbreaker!
If you truly consider your job stimulating, challenging, and enjoyable consider yourself blessed, and start counting your blessings!
Evaluating Your Compensation
Before you consider changing positions, think about the benefits you receive from earning a high salary. Money can bring a lot of joy and fulfillment into your life.
I read in the newspaper the other day of a school teacher who gave up his career to go to work in the coal mines of Kentucky at triple his teachers' salary. He was willing to sacrifice mental stimulation during the day for the benefits which high wages would bring to him and his family. Each one of us must set our own values and priorities.
I tell people who complain to conduct their own salary surveys. Answer some classified ads describing positions similar to your own. You just might be surprised to learn that your own salary is quite competitive. If, after checking out your salary with what other companies are paying, you find that your salary is competitive but you still want or need more money, then you might consider one of the following:
1. Increase Your Worth to Either Your Employer or to a Competitor. This alternative may mean going back to school at night to obtain stronger academic credentials. Employees frequently are pleasantly surprised to find that when they do return to night school to prepare for a better job, their own company suddenly recognizes their talents and promotes them!
On more than one occasion, personnel directors have confided in me that their company "keeps an eye" on employees who are returning to night school. Employers realize that when additional education is completed, if they do not take care of that ambitious employee... their competitors will.
It is pure economics and good business. Better to give their own employee the raise or promotion rightfully deserved than have that employee quit. Why be forced to go into the market place to replace him--paying even more for an unknown quantity.
2. Supplement Your Income. If everything else about your job is ideal except the pay, then, rather than change, obtain a second job working as many hours as appropriate. Another approach for a married couple to consider, when feasible, is for the wife to get a job or a better job. If you are not married, chances are you may not need the money that badly anyway.
3. Have a Good Old-Fashion-Talk With The Boss. If you feel you are worth more,then convince your boss. But you had better use a little empathy ahead of time, and try to place yourself in his position. Are you really worth any more money? Before sitting down and having this "heart to heart" talk, the groundwork should be laid.
Again, timing is crucial! You might volunteer for some extra work for awhile, or make sure you are really putting in all those extra hours that you keep complaining about at home. In other words, make your boss's job a little easier and you just might be rewarded.
Unfortunately you may be due for a raise but your employer, in order to adhere to the voluntary guidelines set down by the Federal Government, will either curtail all raises, or raises will be so minimal that they will not mean much.
Most likely, the only way to obtain a raise during a period of wage controls is to switch employers.
A word of caution: Wage controls do not last forever, and your employer may be able to make it up to you, at least partially, after the controls are lifted.
How Much Travel?
If travel in a job suddenly becomes a hardship, one should ask oneself, "Is it indefinite or temporary?" I have seen many executives all set to give up an otherwise satisfactory career merely because of a temporary change in their routine. Careful evaluation should be given before throwing away several self-fulfilling years with the same company over a few months of travel.
I know that there are outside family pressures created when a travel schedule does become hectic, but the family must be made aware that you are only away out of necessity--not enjoyment. One can try compensating for the time away during the week by spending extra time with the family on weekends. Unfortunately, too many traveling executives are gone Monday through Friday, and then spend their weekends playing golf, tennis, poker, or whatever, with friends rather than being with their families.
Our families warrant at least two-sevenths the time we devote to our jobs!
Too many male executives take for granted that their wives and families will automatically understand; sometimes yes, and sometimes no. You must take the time and make the effort to make sure they understand. The family must be made to feel that the entire family sometimes must make temporary sacrifices for even greater long term family rewards.
If too much travel becomes a permanent condition, then one should first consider obtaining a new position within the same company, before looking to the outside. It is amazing, how many executives do not bother to analyze what else they could do within their own company before making up their minds to give up and go elsewhere.
Does Authority Equate to Responsibility?
In analyzing this problem of poorly balanced authority-responsibility, I have come across an interesting statistic. Many of the managers who make this complaint of their supervisors are even more guilty of the very same fault. There frequently seems to be a chain reaction with this problem.
My analysis is drawn from reference checks and by the candidates themselves.
One way to approach the problem is to set the tone by example. If the boss knows that you are bending over backwards to develop your own workers by delegating the appropriate authority and responsibility, he just might catch the "bug." Present it to him at the right time and in the appropriate manner. Do not confront him with a comparison illustrating that you are a better manager than he but rather explain what you are doing to develop and promote your people. A positive approach can become contagious.
How to Obtain Additional Help from the Boss
Instead of just nagging the boss for more help and crying out that you are overworked and underpaid, you might try the following:
Outline exactly what you need in the way of additional help (do not overpaid, the boss is not that dumb!).
Next, explain just what the additional help will do to increase productivity. It is the basic cliché, "It takes money to make money", but show him with facts and figures. You might also throw in a few charts and graphs. You want your boss to actually visualize the net benefit he will receive by giving you more help.
Commuting Time to Work
Discontent with the length of commuting time is very relative. To some, anything more than a twenty minute drive to the office is too much.
While others, especially in New York, think nothing of taking an hour and a half to commute to the office.
I have found that by simply changing the mode of transportation, the drudgery of a long commute may become more bearable. Try driving--then maybe changing to the train. It is amazing what you can accomplish on the commuter train: Work, read the newspaper, or even add a couple hours of sleep each day. Some prefer the car pool, even though your schedule has to be quite regimented to participate.
I have frequently recommended moving closer to work, rather than give up on an otherwise good career. People frequently move across the country with less hesitation than moving twenty miles--just to make life more pleasant. There seems to be some sort of psychological block that says, "If you are not going to move at least a couple of hundred miles, then why move at all?"
Many people just do not like to travel medium or long distances to get to work. They would be ready to sacrifice almost anything just to be able to work close to home.
I, myself, have been at both ends of the spectrum. For years I commuted an hour and fifteen minutes, doorstep to doorstep, in the morning and evening. This was a total of two and a half hours commuting time per day. In recent years I have moved my office to within ten minutes driving time from my home. It sure is nice to leave the house at 7:50 A.M. and arrive at the office at 8:00 A.M.
One does not have much difficulty in finding productive use for an extra couple of hours a day!
Job Promotion Strategy
Frequently, we have to pay our so-called "dues" in order to get ahead. There are many careers where one has to work for a low salary and do mundane chores in the beginning. These sacrifices are made in order to achieve the ultimate goal--the pinnacle of career or profession. The drudgery becomes a lot less uncomfortable when we have meaningful goals to shoot for.
You sometimes have to help your supervisor make the decision that you are ready for promotion. Frequently, the best way to do this is to help your boss get promoted. Make The Boss look good whenever possible. Let him or her know that you want more work. Offer to give extra assistance. Volunteer for other additional assignments. Or, when all else fails, discreetly mention his name as a possible candidate the next time the friendly executive headhunter calls you!
How Good Are The Fringe Benefits?
If the pay is high enough, an employee can create his own fringe benefit program.
In fact, Uncle Sam provides for those individuals who are not covered by a qualified or government retirement plan a chance to set up their own personal retirement funds. This program is called Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
Even nonworking spouses are eligible to contribute to an IRA. You could have two separate IRAs, one for you and one for your spouse.
Although there are various rules and regulations pertaining to IRAs such as the amount you can contribute, deductions from your taxes each year, when you can withdraw the funds, etc. But the ultimate retirement benefit gained when you participate is well worth the effort. One could easily set up an IRA with a bank, savings and loan association, or insurance company. Institutions which provide IRA services will gladly provide you with all the necessary information.
Further information on IRAs is also provided by the Internal Revenue Service.
Some companies provide their employees with fringe benefits which total up to one-third or more of their salaries. When you think about it, they sure add up. If you had to duplicate, on your own, the fringe benefits which are provided for you by your employer--you just might get a rude awakening.
Such items as non-contributory pension plans, major medical coverage, life insurance, liability income insurance, tuition reimbursements several weeks paid vacation, stock purchase plan--all add up to a substantial amount.
Depending on your position, and the company, you may also be receiving a company car, employee discount on merchandise, stock options, and perhaps a country club membership.
Fringe benefits are obviously not everything, and, as already pointed out if other qualities and the salary of your job are high you can purchase many of them for yourself. But they certainly are expensive.
How Important is Climate?
If you spend a lot of free time enjoying recreational activities available only because you live in a particularly suitable climate, then you may miss this environment in another part of the country.
Snowmobiling in Florida is not so good--and the beaches of North Dakota in winter are less than adequate!
Many people make career sacrifices just so they can enjoy a particular climate.
No climate is perfect: It just appears that some are less perfect than others.
Sometimes I hear people say, "I've had it with this lousy cold weather", and they take off for the Sun Belt. Sometimes they stay, other times they return. Be careful not to blame the weather instead of some other factors which are really troubling you. There appears to be a coincidence in that when executives express most disgust with their climate, at the same time things are usually not going well with their jobs, or they are having problems at home.
An exception to the above is when you or a member of your family has a genuine health problem. Thus, it could become imperative that you move to a healthier climate.
Can You Stay Too Long With One Employer?
The answer is both yes and no. Yes, if you are not progressing within the company, both career-wise and salary-wise. It is easy to become complacent in your job when the company is not treating you badly--just a little bit badly. It does not hurt to take an interview with another company every couple of years or so. If nothing else, you might find out that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence, and you just might appreciate what you have that much more.
No, if you are making good progress within your own company. You never want to change jobs just for the sake of changing. If you look forward to going to work each morning, and know you are compensated fairly--then count your blessings. ...
I frequently hear comments such as, "I could not conceivably consider changing jobs. After all, I am forty-five years old and I've been employed here for over twenty years. I must think about my pension." What a lot of people do not realize is that with the advent of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, otherwise known as ERISA, the incentive to stay with one employer for many years could be reduced. From a pension standpoint alone, because of ERISA, it is now theoretically possible to collect more money at retirement from equally dividing up your employment lifetime between two employers; rather than just staying with one "employer an entire working lifetime. The caveat is that there would have to be a particular set of circumstances in order for this to occur. The two companies would have to have pension plans which vested and paid out just at a certain percentage rate. Prior to ERISA, this possibility was greatly reduced. Too many companies required too many years to become fully vested.
When considering your present pension plan in relation to a prospective employer's--wanting to know the consequences of a job change strictly from a pension standpoint--I would advise consulting an Employee Benefits Specialist before making any final decision. It may take some time, and there may be a fee involved, but your retirement is too important, and there is too much at stake, not to have it checked and analyzed professionally.
The Working Environment
"The boss is really a great guy." "The people I work with are my friends." "The top management really has the employees' interests at heart." If one feels sentiments similar to the above, then that is another reason to stop and evaluate why you really want to make a change.
There is nothing like getting up in the morning and actually being anxious to get to work to be with people you enjoy and respect!
