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Q: I am really fed up at work, but there are no other jobs out there. My first two years here were really exciting, and my line manager intimated at my last appraisal that I would be promoted this year. However, the organisation has become a lot more concerned about money in the last six months, and much more conservative as a result. I feel bored, under-valued and stuck. Please don’t suggest I ask for training or coaching – our learning and development budget has just been cut.
A: Thwarted ambition – the death knell of motivation! I am not surprised you feel fed up. You have had a great couple of years doing exciting stuff; you were expecting to climb higher in the organisation, and now you feel you are treading water until the economic climate improves. However, perhaps there is more going for you with this role than you think? You clearly have a good line manager – he or she has provided you with stimulating work and an opportunity to develop new skills for two years, and gives you regular feedback. What’s more, there seems to be sound leadership at the top – they are realigning the organisation’s goals in light of the recession, and trying to keep staff informed. So, what to do?
• Acknowledge how you feel. Lance the boil
of disappointment by talking to your line manager. Stay calm and professional, you are telling them how you feel in order to move forward.
• Focus on the positive. For an organisation
to come out of a recession in a healthy state requires real skill on the part of its staff. What are the revised organisational goals? What are the learning opportunities for you?
• Engage your grey matter. Work with your line
manager to establish some goals for the next six months and get some cheap or free learning. Find out about shadowing, mentoring, peer-coaching and action learning sets. Learn from the best online at
www.ted.com and try the bookshop and archive at www.artsprofessional.co.uk.
It’s no bad thing to review your CV on a regular basis and keep your network up-to-date anyway, but I suspect there is a lot you can still get from your current organisation.
This week’s question was answered by Pam Henderson, Chief Executive of Arts Intelligence Ltd (publishers of ArtsProfessional).
What’s giving you sleepless nights? Share your work-related issues: editors@artsprofessional.co.uk