Opportunities Abound During Organizational Change...Stay Put.

"Opportunities? They are all around us. There is power lying latent everywhere, waiting for the observant eye to discover it."

Orison Swett Marden, (1850-1924), American writer and founder of Success magazine

When going through an organizational change, you may be unhappy, fed up, and tempted to leave your job. Instead of dashing for the door, take a deep breath and consider these three reasons to stay where you are — at least for the moment:

1. Relationships matter more than money. When weighing your options, don't forget the value of the network you have now. You may think you can find a job that will pay you more, but you will be leaving behind a wealth of relationships.

2. It's less urgent than you think. Strategically plan your next career move instead of running away. Job seekers who are desperate to get out of a job tend to do less research about potential employers.

3. You're likely

overestimating yourself. Before you leave, take the time to do a realistic assessment of what you have to offer. Research shows that most job seekers overestimate their skills and prospects.

As an alternative strategy to dashing for the door, how about choosing one core skill that you are interested in developing and decide to use the organizational change to grow that skill?

Adapted from Managing Yourself: "Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams,"Harvard Business Review, January - Feburary 2010