Nearly every conversation finds its way to the topics of:
My boss is the worst!
I hate my co-workers!
They are just so unfair!
They won’t even let me do my job!
No one else has to do this, why do I?
Or my all time favorite, I wish I could just quit!
The first few times your friend utters these phrases, you can be supportive, offer advice and just listen. But what should you do after the 20th time? Or when you realize that his hatred of his position is more than just a few bad days?
Personally, I’ve stopped offering advice and suggestions. Now I just listen and when it is appropriate, try to steer the conversation to a happier subject because it is obvious that my friend is not yet in a place where he can be proactive about his situation.
He doesn’t want to change his behavior or outlook and moreover, refuses to see that he may actually be the problem in the situation.
How do you handle this kind of conversation?
Tough call…. I’ve got friends who hate their jobs (or sometimes worse, don’t even have jobs) and I’ve run out of things to do. I’ve tried dropping hints/encouragement to look for new jobs, but they just don’t bite. There is only so much you can do….
Danielle,
I agree, there is only so much you can do. It is difficult to continually drop hints and constantly be encouraging.
Good luck!
Aurora
I would tell him there are worse jobs out there like the one I currently hold. There are a number of ways to better his situation, one is the way I have chose and that is to finish college. Once I have completed my degrees I will be able to go after what I want in life. Other than that he or she has to suck it up or look for a new job 🙂 .
Agreed, there are worse jobs out there. Good for you for choosing to finish college! I hope everything works out just as you’ve planned.
-Aurora