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This item is filed under these categories:
Teamwork Quitting Time Change Communication Persuasion Stress

I left my previous employer two years ago because my work was within my area of expertise, but not in my area of interest. My current job started out with work that I enjoy, but now most of my assignments are just like the awful assignments on my previous job. This company emphasizes being a team player, and if I say anything, I could create problems for myself. What should I do?



You have allowed yourself to slip into a no-win situation where you create problems for yourself whether you say something or not. If you say something, management will be upset with you; and if you say nothing, you will be upset with you. The only way to get out of this type of box or cubicle is to rethink your underlying assumptions.

In the first place, you can be a team player and still raise questions about your job responsibilities. In fact, you should package your comments so that your manager can see how the team will profit when you work on the kinds of projects you initially handled for the company. Give your manager specific suggestions regarding the kind of work you should be doing, and be as specific as possible when describing the benefits associated with doing so.

By saying nothing to your manager, you are going to end up with more assignments that you do not like, and that will lead to more dissatisfaction and distress. If you speak with your manager and your present job continues to resemble your previous job, then that's exactly what it should be.




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