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The Human Factor

By David Smith
President, The Employers’ Association
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Michigan’s economy is re- emerging. Jobs are more prevalent (though employers complain that qualified candidates do not exist).  The unemployment rate is declining (though many may have simply given up looking for work). Green manufacturers, healthcare-related business, food processing organizations and expanding contact centers industries are emerging within our region.

Our diverse automotive support and the furniture sectors are rebounding.  The positive conditions within our region could be precursors of a positive new normal, but it seems that humans can make the worst out of even the best situation. Many see slight upturns as the reason to leave what they have seeking something different. Before you leap, make sure you consider why you are changing as well as how you plan to change. The traps I have seen people fall into would include:

1. Individuals seeking change are often driven more by what they wish to leave behind than by what they wish to build upon once they have changed. Most seekers share common threads. The boss is intolerable, the environment oppressive or the work is not what they thought. Now that the economy is changing, they want to share in that change. Their ideal opportunity has become meaningless — offering no growth. Unless one seeks to identify (and accept) his or her role in the negative, however, leaving the wrong job for anything other than the right reason will only delay the inevitable decline of one’s career. Before looking outside for the solution, examine what has changed and if anything can be done to restore the luster.
2. Identify your strengths when considering change. It is surprising how few people can answer the question, “What do you like most about what you do?” If seeking a new job, most people tend to seek a position with a similar title. If seeking a change in environment they typically begin their search within as similar a situation as possible to create the least disruptive change. Individuals able to accomplish change often leverage their proven abilities as they transition from one place to the next. Rarely will they move into a similar job unless they can build upon what they like as they leave the dislikes behind.
3. Isolate and acknowledge the negatives within your current situation when considering change. Individuals often dwell so much on the negatives of where they are that they become sum and substance in terms of what they do. If you were to focus upon the area you dislike most you may find that they actually have nothing to do with your duties, responsibilities or actual day-to-day activity. Many times the things we dislike the most can be the environment, the people we work with, the level of responsibility we are given (or we assume), the lack of responsibility we perceive we have (or have accepted), the boss — the list of dislikes could go on forever. This kind of dislike is more of an annoyance than a life-changing initiator. Before taking action to disrupt your existence, make sure that it needs disrupting. A relatively minor issue should not force you into giving something up that you otherwise enjoy.
4. If all else fails, circulate the boss’ resume. I have listened to many individuals talk passionately about the job they do, the difference they make, and how much they would love their organization if not for “the boss.” I typically ask (in jest, of course) if they have considered circulating their boss’ resume to help the “problem” move on so that they can enjoy their work more. Nobody has ever said yes to the question but it often helps to identify strengths about their manager they have buried deeply within their own negativity. Bringing them to the surface often eases the situation and puts things into perspective.

Change often requires you to take a road less traveled if you wish to arrive at a location with which you are unfamiliar doing things you have never done in order to complete something you have not yet accomplished. As humans, we are often more comfortable doing what we have always done — and blaming others for what is not to our liking. If you seek differences, intentionally act and do things in a manner that will allow for an alternative result.

When seeking change it is important that we run towards opportunity rather than away from failure or frustration. Identifying what we like about what we do should always be the starting point of any life-changing move or decision. We tend to see the neighbor’s greener grass as we ignore our own lawn’s possibilities — the results of another’s effort before fully investigating our own potential. The precursor of change should be determining what you like most about what you are now doing. Why focus on those things you don’t like when seeking a new opportunity to provide things you do like? Seek change only if you are willing to walk away from the world you know to enter one you can only imagine. Leverage the strengths you possess rather than the ones you wish you had.

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• david smith
• human resources
• the employers’ association
• the human factor