From great resignation to real transformation
The great Re…peat?
The great resignation, great awakening, great reshuffle... These are just a few of the ways that the job market has been described in the past couple of years. It has become an over-used topic, but also one that has been necessary and way overdue. So far, the outcome has been a collective acknowledgment that there was a fundamental problem in both workplace dynamics and in the employees' relationship to work. In the learning process, we moved from unconsciously aware there is an issue, to consciously aware. However, one thing remained unclear - what is the actual insight and what do we do with it? Without that awareness, we are bound to forget the lessons and go back to old patterns.
The old pattern -> the career hamster wheel (TCHW)
The career hamster wheel at its core is a pattern of behavior of running towards an external goal, without ever being able to reach it, but also never stopping to look around and understand the full picture. Falling into this pattern is impressively indiscriminate - comes in all shapes and sizes, and across backgrounds. It doesn't matter if you are an entrepreneur, engineer, actor, banker, stay-at-home parent, etc. - we are all susceptible to it. Some of the common outcomes of the pattern include exhaustion, burnout, loss of purpose, stress, numbness, and last but not least - being convinced that these feelings are the norm.
So what's new about this?
There are many great resources on the topic, precisely because of how universal it is. The variety of descriptions provides an opportunity to reach a wider audience, as there is something to resonate with everyone. Last year, I posted an article, “Abandon The Career Hamster Wheel And Empower Your Field Of Possibility” and through it got connected to the wonderful and inspiring Devan Adams and Taiese L. Nevels, who were writing and just published their book “The Career Hamster Wheel”. We immediately connected because of our common goal to move the conversation forward and avoid a repeat of the past.
And now what?
Raising awareness of the issue was the first step. Next, we wanted to tackle how to create a permanent mindset shift, a new pattern. We believe that this can be done in two parts:
Outline the transition stages;
Take real examples of people moving through the stages, to normalize the process and make it feel more achievable.
The six stages of moving through the career hamster wheel
1. Origin - entering TCHW
This refers to our early career or even early education experiences. It looks like getting a perfect grade, winning a competition, starting a dream job, earning a promotion. It's fun, exciting, and on its own - harmless.
2. Momentum
Once on TCHW, it's easy to start running faster, get distracted by the surroundings, and keep pace with peers who are doing the same. It starts feeling like a high to be moving from a beginner to an expert.
3. Exhaustion
Over time, approaching work as a sprint, when it is really a marathon, leads to physical, emotional, and mental burn-out. Not only that, but expectations have been adjusting consistently. At this point, it starts feeling like it's impossible to leave as it requires too much energy.
4. Breaking point
Eventually, most people reach a breaking point. For some it takes an external push to recognize it (e.g., financial crisis, pandemic, getting laid off). Other people wait until they can't go any further. Either way, change becomes inevitable.
5. Relapse
The challenge is what happens after - too often people get out of one CHW only to jump on the one right next to it. For a while it feels like it's an improvement, but then the pattern repeats.
6. Mindset shift
The real transformation comes when a new pattern gets established - one that is based on pursuing a goal aligned with values (purpose-driven) and not solely influenced by external expectations. And finally, there is real progress and forward momentum.
What stage are you at now? What will be your first step to move forward?
Continuing the conversation
Next, we want to bring to life the 6 stages of TCHW with real life examples of people in different parts of the process. To learn more, follow Devan Adams and Taiese L. Nevels and let us know what you think!