Is Your Job in Jeopardy? Do You Know the Warning Signs?

How will you know when your job may be in jeopardy? Have you developed any clues that serve as warning signs?

Well, many of the executives I coach have. Over the years, they’ve formulated signals that indicate it’s time to pay attention because trouble may be looming.

A signal some look for is a feeling that what they have to say no longer gets the attention expected or doesn’t seem to be listened to by their colleagues or superiors. As long as they sense that they’re being heard, they’re comfortable. It doesn’t mean that their ideas have to be acted upon; they’re just saying that they want to feel that, when presenting ideas or making comments, they are taken seriously.

Another key signal is being by-passed for a promotion thought to be a shoe-in.

Yet another signal that some executives pay attention to is when the boss no longer schedules regular meetings or rarely takes time to talk or even chat.

Awareness is important. It’s not enough to focus solely on your work and making sure that deadlines are met. You need to pay attention to the larger picture of unspokens that are operating to determine how you’re fitting in!

If you pick up on any of these warning signs, it would be wise for you to take some time to investigate whether or not there is any truth to what you are sensing. Ask some of your closer colleagues if they have heard rumblings or rumors of change. You don’t want to come across sounding paranoid. So, start your question with something like “Is it me, or is there something important going on around here that I should be focusing on?”