Today, my good friend and co-worker quit for a better job out of the state. We have worked together at several newspapers in South Florida. I'm thrilled for her and devastated that I'm losing my lunch buddy. It is because of her that I still come to the office once in a while. It made me think about how much a person's enjoyment at work is influenced by co-workers.
Many years ago, I had a group of very good girlfriends at the weekly paper where I worked. Within a few weeks, all of them quit. Before long, I felt so lonely at the office that I began to hate my job. I ended up leaving, too.
How do you avoid moping around when your buddy at work takes off for greener pastures? I went to Deborah Brown-Volkman a career and life coach, for some suggestions.
Q. What if your friend leaving has you wondering if you should leave, too?
A. Then it's time to put a plan together. Update your résumé and start thinking about how you want to conduct your job search.
Q. What if the scenario is different and you like your job but suddenly feel lonely?
A. Then it's time to focus on the things about your job that you like. It's always hard for the person who stays behind. Many times people are cliquey. When a friend at work leaves, it could be an opportunity to reach out and build new relationships you might not have built. Ask yourself, do I have a good network of people in place and how can I build it.
Q. What if the scenario is altogether different and your pal or pals at work were laid off?
A. It's always worse for the person who stays behind. They have survivors guilt. The worst thing you can do is to go to work and be unhappy. It's true, people stay in jobs longer than they they like because of the people. If someone leaves for new job, they are happy and you have closure. If they were let go, you're left behind thinking, "How could you have done this to a great person?" Maybe you ask yourself whether you want to stay or go, too, and no matter which you choose, it's time to create a plan.
Have you ever been a scenario when a co-worker's exit has affected your attitude towards your job?
These three scenarios are all things I've personally experienced. Being the last one at work after layoffs makes you feel rotten, especially when everyone keeps knocking the job and asking questions about how it's going at the company. It's hard to go through all of these scenarios though.
Posted by: OnlineSurveyJobs | September 09, 2010 at 10:58 PM