Career Coach: Doing Great Work When Work's Not Great

“I'm doing a great job at work!” are the exact words that Amy*, one of my clients, said to me at the beginning of our call this week. Before my ego could inflate - I am the one coaching her, after all! - she told me what had prompted her statement. As it turns out, Amy's "great" work had nothing to do with me—and everything to do with Amy.

Amy happens to be a superstar at her company. In fact, after less than six months, she was called into her C.E.O.’s office and asked why she was thriving in such a challenging environment. Huh? Instead of telling you what makes Amy so good at what she does, let me share with you what could have kept her from being a strong performer.

Her first boss, under whom she worked for five months, was a nightmare. On one occasion, she was called into a director’s office and blamed for something that had nothing to do with her. Despite being vindicated a few hours later, she never received an apology.
She has dealt with both health and family challenges during her time with the company.
Her job really is tough! The 34 other members of her training class have already quit.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because when we see someone who is at the top of her game, it’s easy to assume that person just, well, has it easy. We convince ourselves that we could be just as successful if not for our bad luck, terrible manager, or unexpected distractions.

But maybe - just maybe - there’s more to the story. Could it be that exceptional performers also become overloaded, fail to receive necessary support, and deal with personal challenges when they leave the office? Could it be that they, too, wrestle with self-doubt and occasionally wonder how long they can keep it all up?

Amy has experienced all of these things, but they haven’t stopped her. She shows up every day and she works hard, because that’s what you have to do to succeed. Challenge yourself to do great work even when work isn't great. If you spend your life waiting for the perfect job, you could be waiting a long time.

—Alan Allard, Career Coach

*Name has been changed.