I will never forget the time I had a conversation with a colleague about a great position they had just received. About a year passed and I asked how it was going. Their response was not what I expected: “I made that classic mistake. I’ve leveled up too much.” At that moment, it was clear that they wanted to go back to where they were, or even take a half-step back, but they didn’t know how to ask or say it out loud, because by doing so they would admit to some kind of professional failure.
In other cases, I’ve seen co-workers take on more responsibility because they don’t know how to say no and their managers don’t want to do it for them. In my experience, managers think that if someone says yes, that means they can handle it. At this point, they are already well past the point tiredness.
Most of us are taught to be good from a young age career the path has an upward trajectory, resulting in higher levels of responsibility and rewards, both financial and otherwise. The previous employee should go to the middle, and then to the top managementwill eventually reach the executive suite before moving on pension. But the truth is, not all of us are cut out for management. And most of us, at one point or another, simply want less. But how do you demand that when our system and structure rewards ambition above all else?
Changing career definitions
Career paths have changed a lot over the years as people have found opportunities to move between roles, organizations and industries, and employers have moved away from the professional development and succession planning that were hallmarks of career employees. The Company Man (Englehard, 1982) was released; borderless careers (Eby et al., 2003) and side hustles (Sessions et al., 2021).
While antiquated, gendered notions of the company man’s persona didn’t hold much sway, there was something comforting about joining an organization and knowing there would be a steady, predictable upward trajectory for decades to come. While there is freedom in creating one’s own path, there is an enormous individual responsibility to independently determine the right next step. The work, in fact, turned into a rush. And that in itself can be exhausting.
Ambition, personality and work
For a long time, work served as an element of personality person (Gini, 1998). We measure our worth and the worth of others by their work, including title, organization, and industry. The cult of “busyness” has not disappeared (Rosseinsky, 2024). Both organizations and individuals prioritize ambition. You should want more: more responsibility, more authority, and yes, more rewards for doing more. There’s a reason the saying “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” entered the cultural lexicon.
But what is the price for all this work? Who benefits from our hard work? In general, this is not a person, but an organization. We’ve all heard the saying, “If I got hit by a bus tomorrow, my job description would be posted here the next day.” Harsh, but unfortunately true. Work does not love you and does not love you, because work is just work.
Unfortunately, the solution to all these redundancies is at the structural and systemic level, and there is nothing wrong with the structure and the system. motivation to change what works. This brings it back to the individual. What if you need to take a step back from this?
How to ask for a step back
There can be many reasons for not wanting to be less professional. You may be in a season that calls for more attention to your personal life. You may have been promoted and discovered that the additional responsibilities do not match your strengths or interests. Maybe you’re thinking about a career or a role-playing game and want to get something extra education or training to prepare for that action. You may feel overwhelmed, close to burnout, and have less to do.
Whatever the reason, find out the “why” behind it before you talk to your manager about this next step. You should approach a demotion interview the same way you approach a promotion interview with data and a solid argument as to why you deserve it.
Once you understand why, take the time to think about how you will respond to the move and what the real-life impact will be on you and others who may depend on you. Will you have to take a pay cut? Are you cut off from future opportunities? What will your personality and emotions be like? self esteem change?
Develop a strategic plan to bring as much as possible to the interview with you. If you take a step back, do others have to step up to fill the gaps? How does it work and what are the consequences? How to communicate this change? The easier you make this transition for your manager, the more likely they will say yes.
Remember that a step back is not a step away. We are all working to the point of exhaustion now and sometimes we need time to rest to come back refreshed. Perhaps for you, if this is the time, you can see your next steps more clearly and achieve them more. trust.
Recognize that just because you want something doesn’t mean you can have it. Maybe your manager doesn’t have the time or ability to consider your request because it means more work for them. The answer can be a flat “no”. At this point, you need to go back to yourself and decide whether you can continue in your current role, at your current level, if nothing changes.
And if not, remember. Your career path belongs to no one but you, and you can make the necessary changes to have the life you want. Your work may benefit the organization, but your value is much more than that.
