When Your Role Slowly Moves From Strategy to Routine

Role changes in the work environment are always determined by what one is doing at the moment, not by job title. At some point, activities will shift from being done for strategic reasons to becoming routine. In effect, it shows how an organization has shifted its priority from strategic thinking to operational issues. According to Odgers, it is not uncommon for an organization to reallocate the people working with them in line with their immediate needs, irrespective of the effect this would have on the future career path of this individual. While there are benefits attached to such a decision, it also brings about a capability-job mismatch.

The execution of roles starts taking place

Role swapping occurs when an organization faces an uncertain situation and must react quickly. In this way, the organization can focus on its pressing issues without altering its workforce. According to research on leadership and organizational change, constant shifts in strategy cause uncertainty in an organization, thus prompting employees to make adjustments promptly (EAP India, Leadership Impact Research). While role swapping helps ensure smooth performance within the organization, it does not account for employees' career growth. Strategic roles need to be thought out well ahead, while tactical roles have to show immediate results.

How do employees experience this shift?

The move from strategic to routinized thinking for the employees might be depressing for a number of reasons. According to Frontiers in Psychology (2021), a lack of autonomy and control results in low engagement and burnout among employees. The reason is that employees might feel their capabilities are being overlooked by the company, which could affect their productivity. But that is not all; it could also affect how valued employees feel as individuals within the organization. They will lose interest in working in this company due to the fact that their skills will no longer be needed in the job.