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How do you get yourself out of the manager doldrums? Lately, I am finding myself to be rather stuck or adrift.
A bit of background is in order: First, I am not depressed. Personal life is great. As far as work, I'm a top performer, highly ranked (though if my present state of mind doesn't change I suppose that will change!) As a manager, in our latest employee survey I scored 100% or thereabouts for all categories. However, like many others, our company has gone through a lot - lay-offs, salary reductions, reorgs - and we currently have about the worst draconian bureacracy I've ever experienced. It is just about impossible to get anything done. I love our company, and I usually have great vision but currently I feel like I can't see more than two feet in front of where we are.
I've never felt like this before and I've had a pretty long career. It's like sitting on my ship in the middle of the ocean, with absolutely no wind in the sails. The manager doldrums.
Have any of you felt like that? How did you get yourself going again?
Start paddling to move your boat
Hi Kima
Sorry to hear that you are funk. I have been there and I suspect more than a few MT people have as well. I know what works for me is doing something completely off my normal radar or something that gives me pleasure.
Things I have done include:
I try to work on the things I can control (or think I can control). Sometimes the funk goes away faster than others. But it does go away.
I've had a similar issue
I've had a similar issue last year, and like asteriskrntt1 I looked to do things I could improve or do personally. I looked at my home life, we moved house (I always need a project!) and I started to get fit and now run and cycle regularly (lost over 8kg and still going).
From a work perspective I did some self study on an area we might find useful (a way of doing things slightly differently), I then used this knowledge to get buy-in from the organisation to do a pilot project using this new technique.
Don't get me wrong though, it took me several months to pull-myself out of the doldrums to get around to doing this, but I did get there.
This gave me something to initially learn and then focus on by trying to get the project off the ground; worse case it helped provide something for my resume. Since then I've been lucky and had a sideways move to a new roll recently so this has given me something to get my teeth in to; as well as pushing me well outside of my comfort zone. So at the moment I'm scared ridged but know it's going to be good for me in the long run.
Glenn
High D,I
Read.....
All the above comments are spot on. Adding something new to one part of your life can create spark in the other parts.
I would only add - read books.
Either some inspiring business writing, like Jim Collin's stuff, or some interesting self development, like Tim Ferris, or biographies of inspiring people.
I find these always send me back into work feeling a bit perkier.
Chris
Nope and yes...
I've never had this happen to me (since you asked). I can't even imagine it...but I better be careful, the management gods will make me pay for my hubris. ;-)
Sounds like you need to start thinking like an executive and a leader, and jump on a different S curve. What's your next big goal? (And I do mean work/career-wise).
Take a big bite. We need more folks like you at FULL speed.
Mark