You were a lot more cheerful when you came in compared to you now

Those were the words said by my boss as we were trying to figure out the goals that we aim to achieve in 2018 for the department. Seven months have passed since I got into this large corporation, but I still feel clueless and lost.

When I started, I was told that I was going to be the game-changer, the person who would implement changes in the department as the place seriously requires a lot of change to be done. Employees lacked confidence and energy and the real job scope was becoming a blur for most people.

I felt deeply ecstatic since I was “the agent of change”, but along the way, I was just questioning my existence and whether or not a change-maker was even necessary in a department that was way too complacent for their own good. The resistance was on the high, and whatever I suggested and created was not very well-received. Exhausted and bored out of my mind, I started looking for other opportunities.

Even though I was doing work that I truly wanted to do as a career, I was doing it at a wrong place. As a young employee, it is too easy for their ideas to be rejected blindly as soon as risk is visible. Eventually, young employees like this would experience what I call a “premature burnout”. It is so important that youngsters avoid feeling this way too early in their career, and employers should really consider a few things.

1. If you want change, you have to welcome change.

You cannot bring in someone who is expected to get dirty with information and dwell on all subject area with possibilities of revamping the whole structure without fully welcoming change. If we want change, we cannot be scared of any outcomes. That is the whole point of introducing a transformer in the team, to see things from every perspective possible without any bias involved. Most of the time, change is always for the better.

2. Do not be afraid of crazy ideas.

Going crazy during the ideation process is probably one of the best things a department can let happen to encourage change. Not only it promotes a collaborative environment, it also allows for employees to think beyond what is expected out of them. Know that, idea means it is still in the premature stage without any solid outcomes yet. Do not eliminate a possible idea just because of one small risk until it is tried and tested, or at least, until all the analysis has been done and the results show otherwise.

Eventually, the bigger goal is to ensure the aims are achieved, regardless of the challenges that might be faced in the process. What makes it beautiful is having a platform to become creative and generate great ideas and together as a team, positive changes are attained.