Q: I recently started a new job with a small creative company owned by a brilliant person I admire. I was so exited about working there but after a month, I’m totally stressed out. The problem as I see it is that (aside from some client deadlines) there’s no structure or established routine for daily operations, so the company is run “by the seat of your pants”.
On a given whirlwind day, I might be directed to do one of ten different things. I don’t mind variety and consider myself a flexible person, but I need some predictability. Help!
A: Like the majority of people, it sounds like you prefer some structure in your life.
Mental health professionals tell us that having a schedule and daily routine is healthy. Routines provide grounding and a sense of order and security in our lives. Whether you are a retiree or someone recovering from addiction, or a working stiff, structure and predictability are beneficial to most of us.
Then again there are some free spirits that would describe your current situation -where your day unpredictable- as a “dream job”. In fact I would guess that most of the people working there, enjoy the “go with the flow” style and prefer the fluidity that, for you, seems so stressful.
So, it may be the case that this is not the right work environment (a “poor cultural fit”) for you. But before you think about calling it quits here are a couple of ideas to try.
Talk to your supervisor and explain you’d like to introduce a bit of structure to your days.
It’s very possible that just as they are very flexible about how they run the place, they’ll be flexible about your needs and how you prefer to work. For example, even though work start hours are flexible, you can choose to always be there at 9 am.
Try to find a kindred spirit.
Is there someone else in the company who might share your stress? There must be. Ask them to share what they have done to adapt and succeed in that environment.
Lastly, remember that not all your stress might be attributed to the lack of structure. Some of it might be coming from simply being new on the job, that’s perfectly natural. So, be patient. Give it two months. Then re-evaluate.
©Copyright Eva Del Rio
Eva Del Rio is creator of HR Box™ – tools for small businesses and startups. Send questions to Eva@evadelrio.com
