Tipping points are interesting events that can change
the environment and outlook of an individual.
While tipping points can be both positive and negative, I have
personally experienced a negative tipping point in my life, particularly in my professional
career. While working for a major, nationwide
pharmacy, I was a regional trainer that spend the majority of my duties on the
road training and hiring new employees.
I had a pleasant manager who I initially got off on the right foot with and
really worked hard to impress her with my new job duties and skills. As time progressed throughout the year many instances,
I was pulled between multiple managers to handle various tasks, particularly
when I was visiting a specific area.
While during one visit, I was accused of not providing training to an employee
and being at my “post.” During this day,
I was required to fire another employee for subordination and not presenting
legal documentation to be eligible to work for the company. I made it clear to my manager that I was busy
firing an employee and was not able to provide the full training to the new
employee that I supposed to be with during that week. After careful and thoughtful communication my
manager realized that I had made the proper decision and the issue was resolved. As the year progressed, new claims against me
continued to arise with my manager constantly bringing up the initial issue
(the firing of the employee) that we had already resolved. She claimed that we had never resolved the
initial issue and that it was reflecting on my job performance. Time and time again she would bombard me with
her untruthful claims and the pressure continued to build in me, definitely
more so in a negative way. Boyatzis et
al (2015) outlines that negative events produce larger, more consistent, more multifaceted,
or more lasting effects than positive events.
The continuation of negative and false claims against me produced in me
a greater desire of unpleasantness and detestation toward my boss. The tipping point came on a hot, sunny August
afternoon in Phoenix, Arizona when after a wonderful day of training, my
manager approached me and gave me an ultimatum claiming that I was not putting
forth an honest day’s work and leaving early to beat the traffic and brought up
the initial claim stating that we had never came to an agreement. I told her I would do better and to give me
two weeks to prove myself. However, my
ulterior motive was to quit the following Monday, which I voluntarily did. To
say I was hurt would be an understatement as I was a well-liked and effective
trainer. I had a vision of how I could improve the company’s training program
and boost industry sales. I felt hurt due
to an accumulation of negative emotions that constantly wore on me until I
broke and did the unfathomable, which was to step away and look for a more positive
environment to work in. If I could have
done things in a different light, I would have taken my issue and complaint to
HR. I, unfortunately, could not take my
case to my manager’s boss as they were close friends with heavy bias toward
each other. However, HR could have
assisted me and helped me to either resolve the issue and move forward or to
find better employment within another department. In addition, I let my
emotions get the best of me and I immediately stepped down without a plan. I was grateful to find new employment quickly,
however, it was dangerous to step away without a plan and to provide for a
family. It is important to not let the negative
emotions take control and be the means of a tipping point in a professional environment
and to allow thoughtful consideration before quitting from a job. I’m glad that I have never been placed in
that situation again but if I do, I know to not let negativity get the best of
me and to work things out differently for the better.
Boyatzis, Richard, and Rochford, Kylie, and Taylor,
Scott. (2015). The Role of the Positive Emotional Attractor in Vision and
Shared Vision: Toward Effective Leadership, Relationships, and Engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, Volume 6. Page
670.
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