Should I Stay or Should I Go?

My goal is to make myself available to address questions from my Kellogg students and executives on any topics that they would like to discuss. I constantly remind myself that if it were not for attending Kellogg, I would not have had the opportunities I have enjoyed during the last 40 years.

However, I always remind students that I have very few answers, but many opinions. Said another way, rather than Q&A, I do Q&O.

One of the most frequent questions I get is:

“How do I decide whether to stay in my current position or seek an opportunity in another organization?”

My strong opinion is to take the time to develop specific criteria that you can apply when reflecting on this question. In my case, I developed three criteria while I was a Kellogg student that I continue to use even today when deciding to change positions or join another board. I certainly do not expect you to use the same criteria that I use, but my criteria may be somewhat helpful as a way to start the process. Here are my three criteria with a short explanation of why each is important:

1) If I stay in this specific position or another position in the same organization, will I have an opportunity to learn and grow?

I believe there are new things to learn every day, and as such, we can never stop learning. It is hard to be a leader in an organization today if you are not becoming aware of the implications of brand new or evolving topics as diverse as AI, cryptocurrencies, cyber warfare and the metaverse. If you are in a position where you are no longer learning, you are already going backwards.

This does not mean you necessarily need to leave the organization. There may be other positions within the organization that could help you continue to learn and grow. However, if those positions do not exist, it makes sense to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

2) Am I adding value to the organization and making a real difference?

This is an interesting question. It is possible that you may be well-compensated and not want to walk away from the proverbial “golden handcuffs.” However, I challenge students and executives to ask themselves whether the monetary incentives are enough to outweigh the fact that they are not making a material difference in the organization. The answer for some people may be “yes,” but I encourage students to at least reflect on the question before getting locked in.

3) Am I having fun?

This is one of my favorite questions. Most of us spend a significant portion of our “168 hours” working. We are on this earth for a fairly short period of time. If we are fortunate enough to have an opportunity to enjoy our work, why wouldn’t we want to pursue that opportunity?

Now, let me interject a little “balance.” It is obvious to me that your job is not always going to be fun. As I love to quote my grandfather, “Harry, there is a reason they call it work!!” 🤣 So, to take this important fact into consideration, I always put 80% next to my answer. What do I mean by that? Well, I believe it is very possible that at least one day a week, or 20% of the time, the job is definitely not going to be fun, so I factor in the 20% discount. However, if I am miserable in the job ALL the time and constantly looking at my watch to figure out when I can leave, I should most likely be looking for another opportunity. Chances are that my progression within the organization isn’t going to be very rapid, if at all, while someone who actually enjoys his work (if not ALL the time at least a majority of the time) will fare far better in that organization than me.

As I mentioned, these are the three questions that I always ask myself in making decisions. I do not expect you to use the same criteria, but I strongly encourage you to develop your own. And if you’re looking for some additional inspiration, you can always blast The Clash’s classic “Should I Stay or Should I Go” 😉