Life Lessons in Not Letting “Golden Handcuffs” Ruin Your Career
They're called golden handcuffs. And today, in conversations with a prospective mentee, I was reminded of these shackles — little bits and droplets of affirmation and positive feedback from your employer that can keep you stuck in a career that you no longer desire, and that is underwhelming and overworking you.
I'm going to talk about golden handcuffs, what they are, how they can be dangerous as you advance your career, and how to get unlocked from the set that might be holding you back.
The term golden handcuffs refers to a situation where you're locked in or held down by something and it's not seemingly all bad. It's basically a situation where something about your employer, your situation, or the work that you do is keeping you there. It may be something that you enjoy and that has some good merits but it is also holding you hostage.
The whole idea is that despite what keeps you staying there and interested, you're still stuck. There's still something that is missing or that you desire more. But you're stuck and bound to the place where you are and that's why I call it handcuffs.
You work for an employer as a mid-level manager and they say they trust you. They love to give you extra projects and assignments and talk about how they value your work. They tell you that you're a great team player and they can always count on you. They constantly talk about how much they love working with you and how much of a joy you are to work with.
But they pay you poorly. You haven't got anything more than a merit raise in five years. You constantly ask for more compensation and they constantly do not give it to you. Every time you bring it up, they throw you a pizza party or give you an award. But they don’t compensate you with any significantly higher level.
I want you to know that it doesn't have to be like that. Golden handcuffs are still bondage that locks you down and hurts you.
If you're experiencing bondage at any point in your career, I want you to start to be intentional about figuring out what you need to do to unlock yourself from handcuffs, even if they are gold and even if they are paying you well. Even if you've been working there for years and don't know what to do next, bondage is still bondage and you don't have to stay there.
Now is your time to release yourself from the shackles or handcuffs regardless of what color they are, even if they're on right. You need to actually develop a plan to take action in your career. I'm excited to serve you.
I'm excited to support you in your career.
Check back each week for the newest blog post from Mentor Me!