Discern When to Change Your Work Environment: Know when to leave so you can depart with dignity

“I can’t take this anymore! I quit!” Helen yelled as she stomped out of the office for the last time. Silence followed her as stunned staff members held their breath. Despite having a wonderful purpose of helping children, the group faced significant challenges. Helen was a key figure, who had contributed to success over the several years. She gave much to the organization, but what do you think people remembered the most?

Helen’s emotional outburst and abrupt departure dominated the staff’s perception. People went into crisis mode and quickly forgot about her contributions as they tried to regain stability. Recovery for Helen and the organization was not quick or easy.  

How we leave is just as important as how we filled a position. Commitment to a cause can make it harder to leave even when our wellbeing is at risk. This becomes dangerous when we give of ourselves until we have nothing left to give. Intentionality can help us depart before this happens. We can change a work environment with our integrity intact and promote a healthy journey forward for all with some strategies.

1.    Take time to consider why change might be needed. Write down a list of benefits and disadvantages for you, others, and the organization. Be sure to do this when you are calm and can think clearly.  

2.    Identify signs of personal wellbeing and imbalance. Clarify what the healthy, well-balanced you looks like as well as typical signs when you are struggling. At a difficult time in my career, I discerned that a lack of sleep and diminished hope, accompanied by increased pain and anxiety were signs I needed to notice. What physical, social, emotional, work-related lows do you experience?  

3.    Determine what you will and will not tolerate as you move forward. When we are in a helping mode, we gladly make sacrifices for others, but we also need to honor our own needs. After identifying signs of imbalance, I acknowledged that I was not willing to give up healthy relationships with family, friends, and myself.  

4.    Remember important personal values, goals, and purpose. These can help us keep perspective and provide guidance. What can you do to honor important values and purpose in your current role? My purpose includes promoting healthy living for others and myself. When it became clear I could not do this, I knew it was time to consider change.

5.    Use resources. Talk to people outside of the organization who can offer kind, wise, and objective perspective. Others not caught up in an organization’s culture often give valuable perspective on healthy functioning and potential strategies.

6.    Establish a plan and time frame moving forward. Commit to promote healthy functioning in your work environment for a period. Understand that if your role does not become more sustainable by the end of that time you will begin a process of change reflecting values, virtues, and purpose. After years of continued struggles in an organization, I committed to promoting personal balance for six months. I was still struggling at the end of this time, so I developed a plan to leave and did so with integrity months later.    

We begin a position with the hopes of making a positive difference, but sometimes we need to change a work environment to do so. Helen began her job with enthusiasm and contributed to the organization’s work. She had given above and beyond, but a dramatic leaving created setbacks for her journey as well as the organization’s. The important values that led Helen to the position could have characterized her leaving as well.

How do you want to be known at work? Just as important, how do you want to be remembered after leaving? Take the time and effort to discern when leaving will be helpful for you, others, and the organization. Establish a plan for change that reflects who you want to be and promotes a hopeful future. Intentional change opens the door to possibilities and a healthier journey forward.   

 This article contains excerpts from Resilient and Sustainable Caring: Your Guide to Thrive While Helping Others published by Whole Person Associates.