Frances Horibe's

Bad Jobs —Reasons for Staying? 2   In the first post of this series, Why Do People Stay in Bad Jobs?,https://darksideofwork.com/index.php/2019/12/09/why-stay-bad-jobs-ee/ I asked you to identify why you are staying in a bad job. In the last post, I explored some reasons often given to continue working where you are. This post will cover more. I’m already in the best company in the industry. This can happen. When Steve Jobs was alive, Apple was considered one of the best tech companies and so worth putting up with Jobs’ mercurial temper and insane demands. But why do you think you’re in the best company in your industry? Best paid? Most prestigious? Well-known brand? Whatever it is, give a hard look whether it’s worth the price you’re paying. You might feel any other company would be a move down. So what? First, your resume will always say that you worked at the best company. It might even help you move to a lesser known company with a better environment. Best should also include best for you.   I like my colleagues. Yes, that’s wonderful. But in a toxic work setting, great colleagues often mean people who have your back, or don’t point…

Why are you Staying in a Bad Job? In the previous post, I noted that a bad job can sap your confidence. You feel trapped without slowing down enough to consider whether you actually are. In this post, I want to discuss whether believing you don’t have the skills to change jobs, or a good salary, sticking with the devil you know or even a shaky economy are enough to stay in a bad job.   I don’t have the work skills I need to change jobs You may think that no other company wants your skill set (another example of how a bad work environment saps your confidence). But look at this objectively. More than likely, the skills you use right now to do the job are adequate. Don’t let a bad work environment make you forget that. You might be able to make a lateral move to another company—same type of job, same level of pay, better environment.   If you are aspiring to a more senior position when you move companies, that’s a different story. You may not have, or have not been able to demonstrate, the qualities which make you promotable. Identify these skills and either…

Why Do People Stay in Bad Jobs? We’ve all been there. Jobs where you hate to get up in the morning, where Monday is a life sentence and Friday only a temporary reprieve. It can be bad for any number of reasons: a ruthless boss; a toxic work environment; boring assignments; or stupid company rules. The list can be endless and varied. Sapping hope But one universal affects not only your work life but also your will to take action to get out of it: a bad job saps hope. Your boss, in word and deed, communicates that you are a miserable incompetent. Much as you might refute it, the contempt has crept into your psyche and makes you half-believe that nobody else would hire you. The toxic work environment has caught you in a web of constant back watching and heading off attacks so you forget other work places can be healthier. The boring or unsatisfying work dulls you so that your best is as little as you can get away with and you have no energy to find better work. Over time, your confidence and ability to take action to get out are drained. It is the most…

Surviving in a Family Business   I want to reiterate that some family businesses are great places to work, even if you are not a family member. But some are not. A previous post gave an example of that. So You, as a non-family employee, can inadvertently be caught in these difficult dynamics. What can you do? It isn’t an easy situation but here are some Dos and Don’ts for surviving.   The Don’ts for surviving Don’t try to mediate Being right in the middle of the fight, you might try to be helpful and offer a suggestion (“A sample run won’t take long and then you can decide”). Stifle the desire to ameliorate or fix what’s going on. First, it’s not your job to do so, and second, even if you were a mediation expert, it’s doubtful you’d be successful (because you would not be perceived as trustworthy by all parties). Don’t identify what’s really going on Avoid any comments like “Look, I can see that you and Martha are having trouble, so I’ll just come back—.” No, no, no. Bad family dynamics are often that way because no one’s willing to be honest about the problem. In fact,…

Nepotism in a Family Business The last post examined a family business not operating well. Did you pick out their problems? Nepotism is one but there are others. Nepotism  Large companies are not always a picnic to work in, but usually the Powers-That-Be have realized the problems associated with hiring or working with a relative. Thus, it is usually forbidden. However, in a family business, it’s not only allowed but a foregone conclusion. Initially, family is probably needed because they might work at lower (or no) wages until the business takes off. And when it does, it’s only natural to extend employment to other family members. So, in our example, the mother, daughter and son are all in the business. But being family doesn’t mean having the marketing, finance, production, or organizational skills that the job requires. For a non-family employee—presumably hired because they did have what the job needed (like You)—this can be galling. And, as in any company, people who can’t or won’t do their work, make it more difficult for those who want to do a good job. Non-performing workers might be fired in a larger company, but, in a family business, the personal may supersede work…