Transition Lenses: Good Work and Unlearning Through Changes

Mia is a mid-career professional who worked in a management position at a supply chain logistics company. She enjoyed the practical aspects of her work and found value in helping customers with product tracking. Mia felt fulfilled in her role because she thought of herself as a skilled problem solver, and she enjoyed the relationships she cultivated with various clients. However, her position was recently eliminated. After a difficult job search, she found a new position working in supply chain for a new company. At first, she thought it was an exciting opportunity, but after starting, she worries whether the position is right for her.

Mia is a mid-career professional who worked in a management position at a supply chain logistics company. She enjoyed the practical aspects of her work and found value in helping customers with product tracking. Mia felt fulfilled in her role because she thought of herself as a skilled problem-solver, and she enjoyed the relationships she had cultivated with various clients. However, her position was eliminated when her company was purchased by a competitor.

After a difficult search, Mia secured a new job working in supply chain for a company that manufactured medical equipment. Mia thought it was an exciting opportunity, but when she started, she began to doubt whether the position was a good fit.

Mia felt like her new job was not fulfilling because, instead of building external relationships directly, she had taken on more of a supervisory role. Because she was focused on internal teams, and following established processes, she didn't feel she was able to exercise her problem-solving abilities, either.

Furthermore, Mia was used to a particular routine in her work: organizing all of her tasks by order date. However, her new role required a devoting a sense of urgency to the most pressing needs, and she was not sure how to prioritize and consistently felt overwhelmed. As a result, she was falling behind and found herself starting to ignore some new orders to save time.

Finally, Mia felt lost at her new company, which was much larger than her previous employer. She wasn't sure who to turn to with her concerns or how to build a support network, and her supervisor was pressuring her. Mia's supervisor even told her to call several product suppliers and convince them to do more business with her by negatively commenting on competitors.

Mia was feeling frustrated and considered that her job might not be right for her.

What lenses of unlearning apply? (Think about mindsets, habits, and systems.) What aspects of good work are pertinent? (Think about excellence, ethics, and engagement.)