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How do I know if this workplace is for me? 10 steps for an action plan for your future

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Unlock Your Perfect Workplace:

Actionable Steps from Our Latest Podcast Episode

Have you ever wondered if your current workplace is truly the right fit for you? It’s a question many professionals grapple with, and in our latest episode of Making Impact with Teampact, we dove deep into this topic, discussing actionable strategies for evaluating your workplace fit and making informed decisions about your career path. If you haven’t had a chance to listen yet, you can find the episode here.

We covered a lot of ground in the podcast, exploring self-reflection techniques, methods for gathering external feedback, and how to synthesize it all to determine your level of alignment with your current role and company. To help you put those concepts into action, this blog post provides a breakdown of the steps we discussed, so that note taking is easier. Consider this your guide to implementing everything we covered, complete with practical exercises and questions to help you on your journey to finding workplace satisfaction. 

Exercises for Assessing Workplace Fit

1. Structured Journaling

Steps Questions to ask yourself while journaling Questions to ask yourself while Reviewing Entries
  • Set aside 10-15 minutes at the end of each day or week.
  • Write about your work experiences using the prompts below.
  • After several weeks, review your journal entries and look for patterns
  • What tasks made me feel energized or proud today?
  • When did I feel frustrated or stressed?
  • How did I feel about my interactions with colleagues?
  • Did I feel aligned with the company’s mission or culture today?
  • What patterns emerge in my descriptions of good and bad days?
  • Are there consistent triggers for my stress or frustration?
  • How have my feelings about specific colleagues or tasks evolved over time?
  • What values were consistently mentioned or alluded to?
  • Do my journal entries reveal any discrepancies between my stated values and my actual workplace experiences?
  • What advice would I give to myself based on what I’ve written?

2. Values Clarification

Steps Questions to Consider
  • Identify ten values that are most important to you in a professional setting.
  • Prioritize your list and narrow it down to the five values that resonate most strongly with you.
  • Research your company's stated values.
  • Observe how these values are manifested in the daily operations and culture.
  • Compare your personal values with the company’s values and observed practices.
  • What ten values are most important to me in a professional setting?
  • What are my top five core values?
  • What are my company’s stated values?
  • How are these values demonstrated in daily operations?
  • Does the company’s actions align with its stated values?
  • Is there a consistent misalignment between my values and the workplace environment?

3. Emotional Check-ins and Mindfulness

Steps Questions to ask yourself
  • Set reminders to pause and notice your feelings during different tasks or meetings.
  • Observe your physical and emotional responses.
  • Use mindfulness apps like Headspace or Calm for guided exercises.
  • Am I tense, relaxed, excited, or bored?
  • What physical sensations am I experiencing?
  • What emotional state am I in?
  • Are there patterns to my emotional responses to certain tasks or interactions?

4. The “Ideal Day” Visualization

Steps Questions to consider while visualising
  • Visualize your ideal professional day.
  • Consider the activities, interactions, environment, and emotions.
  • Compare this visualization to your current workplace reality.
  • What tasks am I doing in my ideal day?
  • Who am I interacting with?
  • What environment am I in?
  • How do I feel throughout the day?
  • How does this compare to my current workday?

5. Seek Feedback from Colleagues and Supervisors

Steps Questions to ask people
  • Approach trusted colleagues or your manager.
  • Ask open-ended questions.
  • Be open and non-defensive.
  • How do you see my role fitting within the team culture?
  • Are there areas where you think I thrive or struggle?

6. Conduct Informational Interviews

  • Steps:
    • Talk to people inside and outside your company.
    • Prepare questions about company culture, leadership, work-life balance, and growth opportunities.
    • Listen for consistent themes.

7. Analyze Company Culture and Practices

  • Steps:
    • Observe behaviors in meetings and communication.
    • Notice how decisions are made.
    • Check diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for authenticity.
    • Review employee turnover data and sites like Glassdoor.

8. Create a Fit Matrix

  • Steps:
    • Draw a table with the following columns:
      • Personal Values
      • Workplace Alignment (High, Medium, Low)
      • Emotional Response (Positive, Neutral, Negative)
      • Growth Opportunities (Yes/No)
      • Well-being Impact (Positive/Negative)
    • Fill it out based on your reflections and feedback.

9. Identify Deal Breakers vs. Areas for Growth

Steps Questions to consider
  • Identify your non-negotiables.
  • Identify what can be improved through communication or role changes.
  • What are my non-negotiables?
  • What aspects of my work situation can be improved?

10. Develop an Action Plan

  • Steps:
    • If fit is high, focus on deepening engagement.
    • If mixed, explore conversations with leadership or HR.
    • If low, start exploring new opportunities with clarity.

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