Transitions Are Forever
“We’re in transition right now.”
I should hope so! Companies are always in transition; if they weren’t, they’d be closed. Often times, managers will hold out a carrot on a stick and say, “Just put up with what’s going on now. It’s going to be great!”
It’s dangerous to stay at an unfulfilling job based on the carrot because transition is endless so the carrot keeps moving. What is that carrot anyway? Do you really want to work 40+ hours a week for that undefined “great” that may or may not happen at an undetermined time in the future?
I don’t. I’d rather live in the present moment and find the right fit for where I am at that moment in my life. Here’s how to do this:
The 3 types of Transition
The Transition Continuum goes from Toxic Mess to The-Turnaround-With-The-Right-Leadership to Evolving Steadily. Your company likely fits one of these descriptors. It’s important to figure out where your company falls on the Transition Continuum, and where you’d prefer to sit, so you can decide to flee or stay and make it work.
Toxic Mess (The Undertow)
Chances are the Toxic Mess starts at the top. What is toxicity? It’s that nagging feeling deep in your gut that keeps saying, “There’s something wrong here. I can’t pinpoint it, but I feel it.” It’s Fear Based management at its finest. It’s subtle, or not so subtle, attempts at humiliation of others. This can be accomplished by quietly changing rules so the staff doesn’t know where they stand at any moment. It’s enabling leaders’ mood swings so the team needs to dance around never knowing which way the wind will blow. It’s do what I say and not what I do. Toxicity thrives under Fear Based Management.
In a Toxic Mess, leaders will say the company is “in transition” to distract the team, and outside parties, from acknowledging that nothing will change while the leadership style continues as is. They won’t identify core ways the company culture will change because they have no intention of changing the toxic culture. It feeds them in some way that may or may not be clear to us. They’ll present a PowerPoint that lists statistics that skirt the true issues, but include just enough wow to deflect from what’s lacking. Pay close attention to the word choices. There are often snazzy phrases that state the exact opposite of what is happening on the ground.
Action Steps:
Listen to your gut. Try to articulate what you’re feeling in your body. This is the fastest way to know your next step, which is probably to update your resume and get a new job that’s a better fit for you.
The-Turnaround-With-The-Right-Leadership (The 50 foot waves)
There’s tension and raised voices, but there’s also kindness and support. There’s a strategic vision for where the company is going, leadership openly shares it with the entire team, and it makes sense to you. Company veterans and newbies alike are invited to discuss and share feedback. There is transparency in how things are evolving and it’s all moving at light speed. The expectations are high, the volume of work keeps increasing and deadlines keep moving. It’s never fast enough and mistakes are made and quickly fixed because everyone is running around trying to do current and future state projects. This can feel scary and exciting; exhausting and energizing.
Action Steps:
To succeed in a company in this state of Transition, you need to believe in the strategic vision. You also need to respect upper management. You don’t need to like them, but you do need to respect them. Be honest with yourself about the vision and the leadership and this will help guide you as to whether you’re up for the hard work of a company turnaround. This is a Change Management personality’s dream gig. It’s also a fantasy come true for those who like start-ups but want a more solid financial foundation.
Evolving Steadily (The Placid Lake)
This is a rare entity in corporate America. It’s one where the direction, tone and culture are consistent and positive. The company itself doesn’t require major overhauls, just small and steady evolving approaches to tweak what’s working well. They’re established brands with functioning systems, and staff and customers who are satisfied.
Action Steps:
This is the least dramatic state of all. It’s not necessarily a super creative juiced sort of environment because the big projects are completed. It’s a quiet, steady, sometimes playful environment. It can also be boring. Have you stopped learning? Is there anywhere for you to go from here within the company? Are you fine with it as is? Answer these questions and measure how you feel about the answers. That’s your next step.
For those of you who are working for companies that bridge, or differ from, these Transition models, follow the formula laid out here: 1. Identify the Transition type and define appropriate 2. Action Steps. You’ll make the right decision for where you are right now.
Go forth and prosper.