What if you are stuck in a rut at work?

 What are your strategies for getting out of a rut at work?

Your Rant: I just realized that I’m in a rut. I’ve become cynical and I’d rather complain than do anything to fix my situation.

911 Repair,

Your email reminded me of the school board election in Mississippi County, Arkansas, earlier this fall. There was no winner, because not one person voted in the entire election. Not even Carl Miner, a candidate for the school board, who just so happened to be the only person whose name appeared on the ballot.

Call it the Miner rule, at some point each of us needs to climb out of our rut and stand up for ourselves and what we believe. I’ve listed some issues below for you to explore. For more, check out Diana De Lonzoe’s book “Never Be Late Again” (Post Madison, 2003)

Is it time for you to face the facts? Hey, I love my rose colored glasses as much as the next person, but it may be time for you to face the truth. You’ve taken an important first step by writing to me. But now it’s important to maintain your momentum and ask some hard questions. “What are people at work who are more successful than I am doing that I’m not doing?” could be a darn good place to start.

Can’t remember the last time you left your comfort zone? Many of us are loathe to leave our comfort zone. But unfortunately by clinging onto the status quo we avoid the chance to learn and grow. So take a hard look at yourself at work. Even better, talk to trusted colleagues to get their take on how risk averse you have become.

Is it time to get more focused and organized? I’m not a big to-do list kind of guy. But except for those few organizational freaks (you know who you are), most of us could use a refresher course on how to get more done at work. This journey can take many paths, get tips from the most organized person you know, surf the self help section of any bookstore or just start to do a better job of prioritizing your time.

Is it time to get reconnected to the people you work with? Is email your exclusive way to communicate these days? Take the time to give people a call or to meet face to face.

Is it time to move on? I often think longingly of that first day of high school or college, where you have the chance to reinvent parts of yourself. As much as I enjoy colleagues, they can serve the role of pigeonholing you. That’s why a job change can be like a breath of fresh air. Even if you don’t move on, sometimes just going for a job interview can help to reframe your goals at work.

One of my favorite quotes is that the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. Now it’s time to crawl out of it and act.

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the weekly internationally-syndicated workplace911 column. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has personally responded to over 50,000 emails. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Watch our 911 team of consultants, authors, counselors and comedians—namely Bob & Sherrie—tackle the nastiest work wrecks in organizations and via seminars, TV, radio, newspapers, books, web sites and live on workplace911.com.