Before She Decided to Quit
This story is based on my work with a client. I have changed identifying details to protect her privacy.
She came to see me because she was ready to quit her job.
She had helped build the company over ten years and was now its COO. She cared about the work, but she was miserable. Other companies had offered her CEO positions. She didn’t believe in their products, and she didn’t want a new job that would take even more time from her children.
As she spoke, I sensed her anger and asked about it. She paused. Yes, she was angry.
Her boss had passed her over for a position. She felt unseen after all she had given to the company. She kept replaying his decision, trying to understand what it meant.
I asked if she was hurt. She was. She felt betrayed.
We stayed with that. She didn’t have to push the hurt away or decide what to do immediately. Once she acknowledged it, she could begin to see how much it was shaping her wish to leave.
I invited her to talk with her boss. She did. She asked what he had seen when he made his decision, and she listened.
His answer gave her information she hadn’t had before. She could hear his perspective without setting aside her own. Both of them had room in the conversation.
Then she could look at her job again. She still cared about the work. She had a leadership role and time with her children. She could consider the other offers without needing one of them to take her away from the hurt.
She was free to leave. She was also free to stay. Now she could choose based on what she wanted.
If you’re miserable at work and can’t tell whether it’s time to leave, let’s begin with what’s happening for you. Together, we can make room for what you feel and discover what you want.
