Here’s a podcast listener question
Hey Dan, I’m having trouble keeping jobs. I need help. Do you have any psychologists that you would recommend? My insurance runs out at the end of this month so I need to act fast. I was self employed for years but had to start working for companies to get
You’re Fired!
a steady paycheck and insurance for my family. I really need help understanding what I’m doing wrong in the workplace to keep getting laid off or fired. Thanks, Evan
There are a couple of possibilities:
- You need to ask your previous employers what was it that made them not want to have you on their team? Do you have work or attitude habits that are sabotaging your success?
- You have been spoiled by having been “self employed for years.” You’ve experienced the taste of time freedom and open-ended income and will have difficulty being an “employee” again. You may subtly resist supervision or have a hard time keeping your better ideas to yourself.
But keep in mind, these early jobs are part of the process of clarification. Few people find the perfect match right at the beginning. If you learn from these experiences it could get you closer to a job that fits you.
In Daniel Pink’s book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, he identified three things we all want in our work:
- Mission
- Mastery
- Automony
If we don’t have those, we’re likely to move on or self-sabotage to the point of getting fired.
If it’s any consolation I too would have trouble keeping a job – it’s just how some of us are wired. Consider all the new work models today – contingency worker, independent contractor, free-lancer, temp, entrepreneur, and many more. These are legitimate models for work that don’t look and feel like being an “employee.”
You may do better having a project to complete. You may find something you do really well – that you can frame into consistent income. Don’t let anyone tell you “you need a job.” What you need to do is find a way to focus your unique talents and passions – in a way that will create sufficient income for you to be responsible and enjoy the life you choose.
Yes, I can recommend some psychologists. Or if you need a coach, just contact me here and I’ll match you with one of our best 48 Days Coaches. It may not be a deep-seated flaw but rather a matter of seeing new possibilities outside of the traditional JOB.
Here’s a free guide to help you understand how you’re wired – Personality Styles Overview Guide
Greetings Dan,
I really hope your listener finds his way! One of my first thoughts is, has something changed in this persons life, such as a new and urgent need for insurance? If so, and memory serves, you have spoken of this matter periodically during your on line radio show.
Of course, not knowing the industry within which Evan works, some industries and employers require a higher level of compliance, as I would say, “being a yes man,” than others. My hunch is going from freedom to even a moderate level of compliance, as you related so well, would be extremely difficult.
Please expand upon your thought about “have a hard time keeping your better ideas to yourself.” It struck a chord. Is that what is sometimes necessary to succeed or shall I say survive? It appears to me that there are indeed work environments where being a creative problem solver, thinking outside the box, being a critical thinker or perhaps driven are not welcome although prized someplace else. Thus, underscoring the importance of matching work, workplace, and your make up amongst other things.
As Always,
Thanks Dan
Paul,
Oh yes – I think in MANY work environments it’s safer to “keep your better ideas to yourself.” Most workplaces function best when proven patterns are duplicated and past practices are continued. Although we hear about innovative and creative companies, I think it’s an exception to have a company that truly wants big thinkers.
Forgive me for rhetorically asking the obvious. Where’s the fun in that?!
As a freelancer by preference but employee by circumstance, I can relate to this person’s dilemma. I once had an HR person tell me that they hated hiring people into positions who had been self-employed because they were just too independent and were easily bored. Self-employment also means wearing a lot of hats, but being an employee means having a tightly circumscribed set of job duties and functions.
Ah yes, you’ve experienced the bias first hand. How could a company possibly channel the talents of those who were “just too independent and were easily bored?”
I have personally felt the sting, crunch and kick delivered by most companies if you tackle any problem you see or voice ideas out of the companies Paradigm. If you have an area on expertise you can market, I suggest you market to healthy smallish companies. Often European owned companies have small subsidiaries (people wise) that are allowed to run independently. I’ve found that these companies look for “go geters”, self motivated or “out of the box” thinkers. I once told an interviewer in one of these companies, “If there is a decision to be made which should come from higher authorities than me; their not available; yet the decision can’t be delayed; I will make it. I will likely error in favor of the customer and I expect the company to deliver accordingly” He picked up the phone and arranged for lunch with the President and CFO. I negotiated a higher salary (60% higher than what I was leaving) and more time before my start. It can work in the right market.
Loren,
What a great story of showing initiative and being rewarded for it! There certainly are some companies out there that embrace that. Thanks for sharing.