Why do we need a personal life and career coach more than ever?
Throughout my career spanning close to two decades as an HR practitioner, I’ve encountered countless unhappy employees struggling to achieve the ever-elusive “Work-life Balance”. In more recent years post-Covid 19, social media platforms and the corporate scenes were abuzz with terminologies describing an unprecedented wave of new social and workplace behaviours such as “Great Resignation”, “Lie Flat” (躺平), Quiet Quitting” and “Languishing”.
On the economic front, the mounting pressure of keeping up with the cost of living is keeping many on their toes. Taking a breather from work is simply not an option; not to mention being retrenched against our will. As the Chinese saying goes, “Hands Stop, Mouth Stop” （手停口停）which means our livelihood will be threatened if we stop working as we will have little to no means of putting bread on the table. It was an exceptionally scary thought for me not to be able to provide for my family and pay for my bills and mortgage.
On the social front, we are confronted with the conundrum of an ageing population and a dropping fertility rate. By 2030, 1 in 4 Singaporeans will be 65 and above. Many of our lives and careers are likely to be directly or indirectly impacted by the host of issues brought about by this social phenomenon. I have a couple of close friends who have had to go on career breaks to assume a caregiver role to their ailing and elderly parents. Many others who are in a similar plight such as mothers who need to step away from their career to care for their young children, struggle to make ends meet while dealing with caregiver stress and the prospect of being unable to reintegrate into the workforce in the future.
Today, it is not uncommon to hear your friends, colleagues (or even neighbours!) lament about the toxic workplace culture characterised by a lack of psychological safety, corporate bullying, insensitive bosses and cut-throat competition. Yet, we somehow “normalise” the situation so much so that we find it extremely difficult to walk away from the mess (think Stockholm Syndrome) and I’m guilty of this as well.
So, where does all these lead us to?
Living daily with trepidation
Being trapped and helpless in the corporate rat race
Feeling like a failure and admonishing yourself with guilt in all your roles
Thankfully, you have the agency to take control of your life and career.
Don’t like the way your life and career are panning out now?
Then change it!