Everybody Wins When You're Aligned

...and nobody does when you're not.

I had the same conversation two separate times with two separate sales reps on back-to-back days. When that happens to me, I know I need to address it for the rest of you because there are some people out there who are going through this and really just don't know where to turn. 

Here's the situation. 

Both of these reps said, “Look, this is my first sales job, and performing very, very well; better than people expected me to. I don't know if this feels like home. I just don't know if I am fulfilled by what I'm doing. Of course, I'm succeeding, and I'm doing great. And, you know, look, the job market that's out there is kind of crazy right now. So I don't know if I want to move, but it's just not right. It doesn't feel perfect to be here anymore.”

They asked if they should stay. Is it going to look bad on a resume if they’ve only been there for a few months or a year or two? Is it going to look bad to go find somewhere else to work? Do they really want to get involved with that right now?

The advice I gave them was pretty simple. This is what I told them:

"You deserve to be in a place where you can do your very best work. If you don't have full alignment between what you do, who you do it for, how you do it, and why, you're not going to be in a position to do your best work. You deserve to receive and experience the fulfillment, the non-monetary reward that comes along with solving problems that only you can solve in the way that only you can solve them. And you're just not going to be able to bring your best to work every day if you don't have this alignment." 

You may see that as being selfish, but I'm going to tell you, you deserve that. Whether or not you think it's selfish is up to you. 

With regard to your employer, they deserve to have someone in your seat who has that alignment, who gets that fulfillment. And you need to recognize that both parties lose when anybody is uninspired. 

So you really have a couple of options. You can find a way to get inspired, and there are a lot of ways to look at the problem that you're trying to solve right now. Or you find another solution to the problem you know you already have. 

What you need to remember is that it is most fair to everybody that if you're not locked in and dialed in with passion, purpose, and enthusiasm, you're leaving your best work on the table. Neither of you deserves that. 

This happens all the time, and quite frankly, this is why people run themselves out of sales jobs. They don't feel like it's the right fit. Then they either settle for mediocrity or get out altogether. 

You have a choice. 

Remember that every place that you choose to go to work is on you. You may feel like you don't have enough options. You may feel like you're painted in a corner, and you have to take a certain role, but that in itself is a choice. 

Understand what you bring to the table and understand what you want to do with your life professionally. Then go find a place that lights you up. 

You'll find that you make more money, solve more problems, feel better about the problems you solve, and have even that non-monetary reward that goes along with it. 

This is too important to pass up. Your career is too long, and life is too short for you to do anything less than what you are absolutely inspired by.