Looking for some advice on how to get re-motivated.
I have worked for a F500 company for nearly 10 years and in 2020, they moved forward with a reorganization that was already planned pre-pandemic. What I liked about my job was that even though it is a large company, business units were able to essentially run their own business. I controlled my marketing strategy and execution. I loved this because I had the best of both worlds: resources and talent of a big org with nimbleness of a small shop. The re-org meant more processes, more oversight, and much much less autonomy. We now have to log our hours everyday, even at the Director and above level (we are on the client side and these are not billable hours we are logging). I’m experiencing much more red tape and spending a lot of time just figuring out how to navigate all of this. It’s absolutely killing my creativity and productivity. This isn’t good in general, but especially when I have to log my time! On top of that, we are expected to continue to perform at high levels amidst all this corporate change, despite nothing changing in our personal lives amidst the pandemic. How can I get my mojo back?
What are you doing outside of work to get your mojo back? How are you staying inspired and connected to your passion and your creativity so that you can show up with your full mojo on even with change and challenge?
Hi! I wish I had caught you post sooner...just reading it now.
Sounds like your org moved from decentralized operations to centralized. Most likely, they're hoping to gain efficiency of scale, are attempting to create productivity standards (thus the time/task logging), and/or are looking for ways to standardize ops across the organization so they can implement large scale improvements or growth.
While those are all laudable org goals, they do have ripple effects on the workforce like you're experiencing.
1) Given this is a F500, do they have a structured change mgmt leading this effort that is actively seeking feedback? (they should be ;) If so, be sure to let them know the pain points.
2) Do you have support from whomever you report to directly? Can she/he escalate these concerns? You are certainly not the only one being affected.
3) Can you quantify how your creativity and productivity have been affected? This is essential and helpful to let them know adjustments are needed.
To address your question directly, I believe it is possible to get your mojo back :) It's about recognizing that the new org structure is here to stay. Accept that you cannot go back to the same level of autonomy and freedom you once had. Instead, focus on how to leverage your strengths and focus on what makes you standout in new structure.
Hope this helps!