Is everyone unhappy at work right now?

Welcome to another edition of Sticky Situations, where your office dilemmas turn into productive leadership learnings. We’ll feature a situation submitted by you, with our advice on how to approach it. There’s no shortage of sticky stuff at work, so let’s get into it. Today’s topic is what we call the Career Blah Zone, when your job isn’t terrible, but it also isn’t right—is it time to move on or just a symptom of the world right now?

The Situation

I am unhappy at work. My team is fine, my work is fine, my boss is okay, there’s not a ton of career progression right now, and the company vision is not as exciting as it once felt. But I have a job. I’ve been thinking of leaving this team to do something different. But also wonder if this is the worst time to be looking for something new. Is everyone unhappy right now and I’m dumb for thinking of leaving or is there greener grass elsewhere?

My Take

Brutal. The Career Blah Zone is the worst - when things aren’t bad enough to run, but not good enough to feel satisfied. Everyone around you is miserable too. Yes, you are blessed to have a job in a crappy job market. But you can also feel an overwhelming itch to do something different. So now what?

To decide what to do next, it’ll require something very challenging and hard to find these days: a minute to yourself, a pen, and some paper.

1️⃣ Map your energy, not just your to-do list.

Track your Loves (what gives you energy) vs. your Hates (what drains you). Notice the themes. Are they generally aligned to your role or far off from the core responsibilities? Hint: If they’re far off, there may be something better out there. If they’re aligned, maybe you just need a reframe.

2️⃣ Revisit your “career non-negotiables.”

Write down your top 3 priorities in life right now. If nothing changed - same role, same boss, same growth path - how would you feel? Dread? Want to cry? Shoulder-shrug? Satisfied to close out some open initiatives?

3️⃣ Now run the Worst Case Scenario.

If you left and didn’t love the new job that you found, what would be the worst case scenario? Be specific. Eat into your savings? Go back to your previous company? Take a part-time job? OnlyFans? Is this worst case scenario untenable or actually not as bad as it seems?

4️⃣ Get clear on your options and stop waiting for external permission.

The job market isn’t the only reason to stay or leave. But your clarity is. Get clear on what your options are through coffee chats, some simple Google searches, and a little digging on areas that align with your Loves + Top 3 Non-negotiables. Often we gain some new info this way vs. what we assumed in our head.