Resignation

It's been said that the opposite of love isn't hate; it's apathy. I think that, with a slight modification, we can make this adage apply to our careers: the opposite of career passion isn't hate; it's resignation.

When you've done your best to make a difference, and you've been stopped in your tracks time and time again, it can be incredibly demoralizing. When you strive always to do the right thing for your organization (only to watch better politicians -- but weaker performers -- get the plum assignments and the corner offices), you might become somewhat hostile. When you've tried to inject a little creativity into your workplace (only to have your suggestions rejected because they were a little too creative), you might feel frustrated. And when you survive those types of situations many times over and for an extended period of time, one of four things will happen:

1. Your frustration will reach critical mass and you'll leave the company
2. Your frustration will reach critical mass, your attitude will tank, and your performance will deteriorate
3. You will become resigned to the situation, and will become a mindless drone whose primary goal is to maintain the status quo
4. You'll find a way to rise above it all; you'll learn to work the system to get what you need to do what you want to do, and you'll be a smashing success

Outcome #1 sounds good; and it can work out for you, if you're lucky and go about the process the right way. You see, politics and bureaucracy are nearly everywhere in the business world, and trying to escape them by going from one corporation to another is likely to lead you in a metaphorical circle right back into the kind of mess you're trying to avoid. Nevertheless, this is the direction that many people take. Just remember that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence; and when you're interviewing, the company is selling itself to you just as much as you're selling yourself to the company. Caveat emptor, my friends. That's not to suggest that you should stay at your current company even though the stress is killing you. What I'm saying is, if you're miserable enough to leave where you are, then you need to become a skilled interviewer of potential employers so that you can weed out the toxic environments before you're ensnared.

Outcome #2 is not good, no matter how you try to spin it.

Outcome #3 is what I believe happens to the majority of folks. The devil you know is better than the devil you don't, right? And since there's no way to know what the next company will be like, you might as well stay where you are; at least you know what to expect. It's true that your work won't excite you, and you probably won't fulfill your career aspirations. But it's rather like that pair of sweats you'd never wear outside the house: it doesn't do anything for you, but it sure is comfy.

Outcome # 4 is the ideal, if you can manage it. But it won't be easy. You'll probably alienate some people (colleagues, and perhaps even senior management, who are all about toeing the Company line), and there will be those who tell you that you're crazy. But if you have the personal strength to say, "I'm going to achieve this goal, or I'm going to get fired trying" and mean it, you might just have something going. Now, I won't lie to you: there is the possibility that you might be asked to get off the bus if you're continually challenging the system. However, if you're really approaching your work from the perspective of what's good for you and the company, that's not likely. And if you can drum up that kind of passion for your work, and network like crazy, you'll develop a name for yourself outside of your corporate home (I don't need to tell you why that's a good idea, do I?).

If you've ever read Fish! (and if you haven't, you really should), you know that one of the main themes in the book is that you choose your attitude. And I know it sounds like new agey, warm and fuzzy silliness, but it's true: we can't control much in this life, but we can control how we respond to the events around us. And you know what? Sometimes faking it can be helpful. If you can behave as though things are moving along according to plan, and if you can behave as though you're getting all the support you need to move your initiatives forward, you might be surprised to find that you start getting more support and moving forward on your pet projects.

When you feel as though you can't do anything right, and you're afraid that the corporate quicksand is going to pull you under, please keep the faith. You don't have to be miserable, and you don't have to be ineffective, and you don't have to spend your career just making do. Dare to do what makes you great (and everyone has some greatness), and refuse to accept the status quo from yourself. You have more power than you think to change your world. One of my favorite songs ever is from a horrible little movie called, "Bedazzled." The song played during the closing credits was by a band called Sister Hazel, and the lyrics of the chorus read:

If you want to be somebody else... if you're tired of fighting battles with yourself,
If you want to be somebody else, change your mind.

American society seems to perpetuate victimization, and it's very tempting (and convenient) to allow youself to believe that you're a victim of bureaucracy, poor management, or incompetent colleagues. But the truth is that, if you are unhappy at work, you can choose to overcome it or you can choose to wallow in it.

The future really is up to you. Choose wisely.