Life Situation Mismatch
I once had an employee who was enthusiastic and talented. In some ways, he was overqualified for his role, and in others, he was very green. He had a good amount of freedom, contributed to interesting projects, and worked closely with the ownership team. He had a lot but wanted more.
I’m an advocate of asking for what you want. Think you’re worth three times your salary? State your case and cite examples to back it up*. But the reality of running a bootstrapped independent business is that even when that case is compelling (it usually isn’t), there’s often no way we can meet the demands.
When these situations arise I do my best to break down the scope of the business and our limitations. I’ve made the mistake of dangling carrots in the past. I believe in Cat & Cloud but the truth is there’s no way to tell what our situation will be in 1, 3, or 5 years, so leading someone on in hopes that we’ll be able to meet their needs in the future is something I refuse to do. We’ve also made the mistake of giving raises we can’t afford based on future projections, making our monthly cash flow numbers out of wack.
In this particular case, the employee was adamant “My time is now. This is what I need.” Fair enough. But we couldn’t meet his demands. There was a mismatch between his life situation and our business's resources.
Not all places of employment are created equally. Some careers simply pay more than others. A brain surgeon makes more than the average cook but less than the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Even in the same market, some companies have huge outside investment and are larger, or more profitable.
Not all life situations and expectations are created equally either. Some people have more financial flexibility than others. Some are happy to live a more minimalist lifestyle to work in their chosen field. Some people "need" a Porsche while some are cool with an '85 Camry.
I’ve taken pay cuts to be where I want to be. I’ve chosen to commute 4 hours a day for average-paying Barista work. I’m also no stranger to running out of runway at work. When what was next for me simply wasn’t on offer at my current job, I was forced to make a change. No hard feelings: every job I’ve quit was a job I’ve enjoyed.
Employees need not feel guilty for leaving a job to advance their career or improve their life situation. Small business owners need not feel guilty for being limited in what they can monetarily provide. On both sides of the equation staying true to your vision, being grateful for what was, and transitioning gracefully seems to be a solid framework.
* When you’re advocating for yourself, keep it classy. Approach your pitch from a place of service, focusing on what you can give rather than what you hope to get or feel like you may deserve. Do your best to put yourself in your boss’s shoes. In other words, make your pitch less about you and more about your employer.