There are many reasons why people become disenchanted with their work. While a desire for increased compensation or more challenge can prompt regular visits to the classifieds, it rarely has the impact of an ethical or values-related conflict.

While there is little empirical information on the actual effects of ethical conflicts in the workplace on job performance, at a minimum, a person will be distracted from the job at hand. At the other end of the spectrum, a person may experience physical symptoms such as regular headaches or gastrointestinal problems as they become more and more aware of the issue with which they are at odds.

Since ethical or values conflicts vary greatly in scope and content, I'll keep this blog focused on strategy rather than on specific examples. Over the years, I've met with dozens of people who experienced values-related dilemmas and they were often at a loss as to what to do about it short of resigning.

Ignoring it is not effective or sustainable. Once a conflict has your attention, there is no turning your back on it or sweeping it under the proverbial rug, as much as you might like to faun ignorance, it's too late for that.

So, what do you do instead of retreating from your situation? First, clarify the issue. Write down your thoughts to help you understand your circumstance and your feelings about it. You might begin by writing responses to the following questions:

• What is the ethical conflict I have observed or experienced?
• What is so troublesome about this for me?
• How is this conflict affecting me physically and emotionally?
• Where in my body do I especially feel this conflict? (e.g. tightness in my shoulders, knot in my stomach…)
• What is my part in this conflict? How have I contributed to my own feelings and situation?
• What might alleviate this feeling? (Allow yourself to go inward to find your response to this one.)
• What additional information do I need to help me understand the whole of this conflict?
• With whom might I speak about this who could be objective? (It might be best to consider someone outside your workplace.)
• What are my options for dealing with this conflict? (Try to come up with several even if they seem difficult.)
• What are two steps I might take to move forward?

Recognizing how a conflict is impacting you as well as identifying your options can shift your perception of it. You may find that paradoxically, if you face right into the conflict, you will avoid the ineffective and unnecessary struggle that comes from ignoring it.

Often clients will come in to see me and the first thing they'll say is: "I'm afraid I haven't accomplished much since the last time we met." Over the years I've learned not to take that statement at face value. People have a tendency to underestimate what they have accomplished if it falls short of reaching their overall goal.

Whether I am helping them in an active pursuit of other employment or their preliminary investigation of possible new directions, I then ask them to update me on what's happened on the job front.

While the specific details vary greatly, there's usually a consistency in the responses. Clients report on a combination of introspective pursuits that include mulling over questions and ideas along with more concrete action steps like conversations with colleagues or reviews of relevant websites. If the latter actions don't add up to many, clients tend to feel negative about what they have done. However, after exploring their whole process, including the introspective actions, it becomes clear to both of us that much indeed has transpired.

It is impossible for nothing to have changed in a client's situation from one meeting to the next, for we are always in a state of constant change. When people value only the tasks that have measurable outcomes in the course of their transition, they shortchange themselves and underestimate the significant progress that occurs on more subtle levels.

Instead of asking "What did I accomplish in my job search this week?" job seekers might consider the following questions:
• How do I feel about my progress?
• What shifts have occurred in my thinking around my transition since last week?
• What has contributed to this shift?
• Am I happy with where I am in the process? If not, what is the next step I can take to further it along?