// CAREER TOOLS / MOVE MATRIX
Score your current role across Meaning, Opportunity, Value, and Environment. Rate each dimension honestly and let the data tell you whether to stay or go.
Score your current role on Meaning, Opportunity, Value, and Environment to tell the difference between a bad week and a real reason to go.
Does your work still matter to you?
Ask yourself:
Red flag: You can't articulate why your work matters anymore.
Green flag: Bad days happen, but you still believe in the mission.
Is there room to grow?
Ask yourself:
Red flag: You've been doing the same work for 18+ months with no new challenges on the horizon.
Green flag: You see a clear path to developing skills or taking on new responsibilities.
Are you compensated fairly?
Ask yourself:
Red flag: You're significantly underpaid compared to market rates, or your compensation hasn't kept pace with your increased responsibilities.
Green flag: Total compensation is competitive and you feel valued for your contributions.
Is the culture sustainable?
Ask yourself:
Red flag: Sunday night dread about Monday morning, toxic leadership, or unsustainable work patterns.
Green flag: You generally enjoy your colleagues and the work environment, even when the work is hard.
Total Score
8
out of 12
Mixed situation
Identify which specific areas are problematic. Can they be fixed? Some issues (bad leadership, toxic culture) rarely improve. Others (compensation, unclear growth path) might be addressable with a direct conversation.
Score each dimension honestly: Strong (3), Okay (2), or Poor (1). Then read the total against the bands below.
12-11 points: You're in a good spot. If you're considering leaving, make sure it's strategic rather than emotional.
10-8 points: Mixed situation. Identify which specific areas are problematic and whether they're fixable.
7-5 points: Start looking. Something is significantly wrong, and multiple factors are problematic.
4 or below: Leave as soon as you can do so intelligently. This situation is damaging you.
Common pitfalls: confusing needing a vacation with needing a new job, assuming the grass is greener without a concrete better thing to move toward, staying for the wrong reasons ("I've been here X years"), and leaving at the wrong time when finishing a project or hitting a vesting cliff is the strategic move.