When a person is looking for a new job because they are dissatisfied with current pay or position, using global vision is important. What is global vision? Global refers to the whole world and vision refers to seeing or having a clear idea of what should happen in the future. Global vision in the context of this blog means to consider your entire environment, past and present, and formulate a clear idea of what you want in your future around employment and what you are willing to trade off.
Let’s look at your work environment. Are you commuting to an office and is the commute pleasant, or a huge drain on your nerves, peace of mind, time and budget? What is your office environment like? Perhaps you are sitting in a tiny cubicle listening to loud co-workers and conversations you would rather not hear. Could be that the newly reconfigured office now has no partitions, thus keeping everyone on best behavior – but you have to use earphones and stare down at your desk when on the phone so as not to be distracted by Joe tapping his pencil while twirling in his chair.
Telecommuting or working from home has advantages and disadvantages. Budget is directly impacted when you work from home or an alternative site closer to home, because you save on gasoline or mass transit fees. Remember your time is worth money too, and there are health benefits in not being stressed from a commute. However, people who are very social and those who cannot motivate themselves might prefer a commute to the office, and find the quietness and lack of social interaction in a home office stressful. Does any of this ring true with you?
If you are unhappy at work, list out the reasons on one side of a piece of paper. Draw a line and on the other side, list how you can change this. For instance, you may write down “I feel micro-managed and constantly watched in this office.” On the opposite side could be the statement “I need to rearrange my work space, AND talk to my supervisor about trusting me.” Your statement could be “I lose 1.5 hours each day of time due to traffic and the commute.” Your solution might be “I will ask about telecommuting 2 days per week so that I can get to the gym class that starts at 5:30pm – it will cut down on my lost time and the gym will decrease my stress and increase my health – all benefits to my employer.”
Many times simple changes can increase job satisfaction and take away the desire to go to another employer. Write down what bugs you and a simple fix for it. Then look over your list and comment on the fixes – are they reasonable, are they doable, do you have the courage to ask for them, do they fit your global vision? Rate each one either minor or major.
Personally, I know I would be making more money if I lived in Washington, D.C. but I don’t want to live there. Likewise, there is the chance I could make more money if I was willing to commute into Seattle every day and work for a different Federal agency. I am not willing to do that right now. My work space is a home office and I consider myself quite lucky! In my global vision, working from home is a huge benefit, such that I endure little irritations because I know if I change employment the awful commute enters the picture. I walk a few steps to my work station, medical appointments do not use up as much sick leave because I’m closer and my wardrobe expense has gone way down. Evenings, after cleaning up the dinner dishes I don’t have to prepare a breakfast and lunch every day. I can go get my bike from the garage and take a ride for exercise during lunch or take the dog for a walk. “Out of sight, out of mind” sometimes frustrates me but there are also benefits from the same, such as not being the center of the bull’s–eye!
What hidden benefits does your current employment give you? A gym membership; matching 401K contributions; a portion of your health or life insurance paid by the employer; free parking; reduced fee daycare nearby or onsite; a stipend to help with your personal cell that you are required to use for work, or perhaps a furnished cell or blackberry for business use; disability insurance; work uniform; legal assistance or mental health counseling; health benefits carried into retirement….what would you give up if you changed employment?