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Erin, welcome to unlearning work, where we empower you to redesign your job by rethinking work habits, behaviors and strategies. I'm your host. Erin Merideth, a work behavior enthusiast and leadership strategist. Join me as I explore various work related topics and provide practical insights and real life examples. We'll examine the nature of work from the ground up and deliver bite size episodes with actionable advice twice a month. Last week, we talked about something that can be hard to see when you're in it sometimes your role stops working, and it's not you, it's the structure, it's how the work flows, it's how decisions get made. And once you see that, there's usually a mix of relief, and then a different kind of question shows up. Okay, so now what do I actually do? Because knowing it's not you, doesn't automatically fix anything. You still have to go back into the same meetings, work with the same people, deliver in the same system. So today we're going to talk about what to do next, not by overhauling everything, but by changing how you step into your work you're already doing. In part one, we separated the person from the setup that matters, because most people respond to a broken setup by trying to fix themselves. They work harder, they try to be more helpful, they try to be easier to work with, and none of that actually addresses the real issue. So part two is different. This is where we look at how work is actually set up, and what you can shift inside that. So your effort starts to move something again. When a role stops working, it usually isn't one big thing. It's a combination of smaller shifts that stack up the work changes, but the role definition doesn't. Expectations increase, but no one says what good looks like. You're asked to do more, but not given more ownership. And over time, this creates a pattern. You start filling in the gaps, you take on more work, you step into things that aren't clearly yours. You try to manage relationships so things go smoother. But from the outside, it looks like you're doing everything right, but internally, it starts to feel like I'm doing more and getting less back. That's usually the signal, not that you're failing, but that the setup is no longer converting effort into results. For context, I was coaching someone recently in this exact spot, their team had changed. Their manager had changed. Two people had left, and the workload didn't go with them. They were now supporting more people with more complexity and less clarity. So they did what most capable, capable people do. They stepped up. They worked longer. They tried to stay ahead of everything, they focused on being responsive and helpful, and at the same time, they were trying to build better relationships, because they had been told that's what they needed to improve. But here's what was wasn't happening. There was no clear path to promotion, there was no consistent feedback, and there's no shared definition of success. So even though they were doing more, nothing was actually moving. And that's where frustration starts to turn into doubt. The reframe here is, this is the shift that you're not just an employee completing tasks. You are delivering a service inside a system, your time, your thinking, your output. That's the product and the people you work with, they're the ones using that product. And now here, this is why this matters. When you stay in the mindset of, I just need to do a good job, you focus on effort. But when you shift to, I am delivering a service, you start focusing on what is the actual outcome? Is it clearly defined? Is it aligned with what they need? Because that's what determines whether your work lands or gets overlooked. Once you see that, the question changes. It's no longer, how do I do more? It becomes, how do I make sure the work I'm already doing actually counts? And that's where a few small shifts make a big difference. We can design this first let's define success before you start, most people skip this step without realizing it. They're given a task and they go but the task is not the same as the outcome, so you end up delivering something that makes sense to you but doesn't fully land for them. So instead, pause and ask, what does success look like for you? Here you'll start to notice different people want different things. Some care more about speed, others about detail. Some want a draft. Others want something final. That one question reduces rework, misalignment and frustration. Two, understand how promotions actually work. This is where a lot of people get stuck. They think if I take on more, I'll be seen as ready. But promotions don't usually work that way. They go to the person who is already operating at the level, making decisions at that level, managing relationships at that level. So instead of asking, Why am I not getting promoted? Ask, what are people at that level doing differently, and where can I start doing that? Now?
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Do.
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That might look like initiating conversations instead of waiting, clarifying direction, instead of just executing, managing stakeholders, not just tasks. Three stop trying to fix every relationship. This is where a lot of energy gets lost. You think if I just communicate better or build more trust, this will work, but some relationships at work are not designed to be collaborative. They're transactional. And when you try to turn a transactional relationship into a collaborative one, you end up doing more emotional work than necessary. Instead, shift to clear expectations, consistent delivery, visible communication. You're not trying to make it feel better, you're making it work better. And four, create a simple work contract. Most frustration comes from unspoken expectations, so make them visible before or during a piece of work. Clarify, what am I responsible for? What are you responsible for? How will we know this is done well, you don't need a formal document, just alignment, because once that's clear, you're no longer guessing. This week's practice is to not to try to change everything, but pick one moment, one meeting, one request, one deliverable, and do two things. First, ask, what does success look like here? And two, notice, did that change how you approach the work? And that's where this all starts. In closing, in part one, we helped you see that it's not you. This is where you take that insight and use it. You don't need to leave right away. You don't need to fix everything, but you do need to change how you're engaging with the work, because when the setup isn't working. Effort alone won't solve it. Clarity. Well, if this episode gave you something to think about, try it one moment this week. Don't change everything. Just ask what success looks like and adjust from there. And if you know someone who feels stuck in their role right now, share this episode with them. Because a lot of people don't realize this. They just think it's them And it's not you.
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Do you.
