When people contact the Empower Work text line, often they’re looking for a change. Some want to change their relationship with a boss or coworker. Others hope to earn a promotion or get a raise. Many are asking themselves if they should quit their job or change careers. Whatever the reason is, they often feel stuck, unsure if the change will be worth the trouble, or uncertain how to get started.

If you need a change, you may resist or avoid making it. That’s only natural. Maybe the change wasn’t your choice, as many workers are experiencing during the COVID pandemic. Even if you’re initiating the change yourself, the process might be uncomfortable. 

Alternatively, you may be impatient, wanting to take action immediately. That can also lead to difficulties in your career, like if you leave one bad job only to find yourself in one that’s worse.

It might reassure you to know that there are stages of change. What feels like being stuck might be a necessary step in the process. Rarely does anyone just do it. There are different strategies you can use at each stage to manage your thoughts and emotions and keep moving forward. The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone: Free, confidential support is just a text away at 510-674-1414. Working with an Empower Work peer counselor can help you orient yourself as you make the journey. 

“Something’s wrong at work.”

In the first stage, you may not know that anything needs to change–you just know that something is wrong. You might believe things will get better on their own or resign yourself to accepting things as they are.

One texter who reached out to Empower Work reported a confusing situation at work:

“I have a few issues with my manager, cutting my salary a few times then reimbursing me the following month. … it's like keeping hostage 6 hrs of work.”

The Empower Work peer counselor helped them take a step back and figure out what exactly was going on: 

“You mentioned before that you weren't sure how you might talk with your director about what's going on and what you would like to have happen. Would it be helpful to talk through what you are wanting and what that conversation might look like?”

“I need my job to change.”

In the next stage, you recognize that you’re going to have to do something. You might start reading articles around the issue. You might start venting to your friends or family members. 

Complaining has a bad reputation, but sometimes people use it to release pressure before they’re ready to take action. Then when you’re in a more relaxed frame of mind, brainstorming can help. When you brainstorm, you generate possible solutions as rapidly as you can, without stopping to perfect them. You can do this alone or with a friend or peer counselor acting as a sounding board.

A texter reached out with this complaint:

“What should I do? I've been treated so unfairly and my supervisor thinks that she can just talk down to us and make us feel ignorant.”

Their Empower Work peer counselor helped them bring their options to the surface:

“You know your situation best! Would it be helpful to talk through a few possibilities of things you could try? … Do you feel like talking to your supervisor about how you feel and your experience is an option? …  Is there anyone else you could talk to? An HR representative perhaps? … We can talk about some things you could do outside of work, how does that sound?”

“I have some ideas about making things better at work.”

Once you have specific choices to make, you can evaluate them using tools like the pros-and-cons list. You can start to think through what it will take to implement your choice. For example, you might calculate how much money you should have in an emergency fund before you quit your job. Or you could rehearse the conversation with your partner about going back to school or changing careers.

Here’s how one texter sought support from a peer counselor in making a decision:

“I started a new position about 2 months ago … I am beginning to feel a bit unmotivated and slightly disillusioned with what I am doing. … I feel like I can do more and accomplish more.” 

By the end of the conversation, they had a plan in place.

“I think I am feeling good about taking the next steps of continuing to improve and then see how it goes after a week or so and then have the conversation with my manager.”

“Ready, set, go! I can make work work for me.”

After deciding to change, researching your situation, generating and evaluating options, and thinking through some plans, it’s time to act. Acting can energize you and bring a sense of relief. Your action plan might include a small step, like sending an email about your job search to one friend. It might be a big step, like handing in a resignation letter.

A texter tapped an Empower Work peer counselor for encouragement in the midst of taking action–while enhancing their resume. 

“it feels so weird to write out ...like....I'm so great! I helped so many customers and train coworkers and catch billing errors and..... PICK ME.”

Their peer counselor validated the feeling of discomfort, which helped them keep moving forward.

“I wonder, does your company have … a customer recommendation or feedback that is written about you? Sometimes sharing it from someone else's perspective feels more comfortable. … What do you think?”

“Change on the job – it’s complicated.”

A good plan provides quick wins to keep you motivated, milestones to evaluate progress, and contingencies to work with when you experience a setback. The best-laid plans hit bumps in the road. A conversation with your boss might not go well. A job search may take longer than you prepared for. 

One texter reached out to Empower Work a second time, about an escalating conflict with their boss. Their previous actions had not improved the situation, and they needed encouragement to get through the next meeting with HR.

“I am just worrying that I know nothing about how this seasoned HR can handle this to just turn it around on me & I am unprepared & naive. … ”

Their peer counselor helped the texter regroup:

“Let's try to prepare for one situation, and if this preparation process makes sense, maybe you can practice on your own over the weekend?”

Wherever you are in the process of change, Empower Work peer counselors can help. Free, confidential support is just a text away: 510-674-1414. ƒ 

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*Note: Empower Work provides non-legal support for workplace challenges. This information, while authoritative, is not legal advice or guaranteed for legality. Employment laws and regulations vary by state. We recommend consulting with state resources for specific interpretation and decisions. If you believe you were discriminated against in violation of the law, we recommend you seek legal advice.