Jolted

The new science of why we quit, whether we should, and how to make the right choices for our work and lives, by a leading organizational psychologist

Most of us are just one event away from leaving our job. Conventional wisdom would have us believe that the decision to leave secure work is the result of an uneven trade-off between our paychecks and benefits, and the time and effort we put into our jobs. But in reality, quitting is most often triggered by a single event, inside or outside the workplace, that causes us to stop and reflect on our relationship with work.

These events are what organizational psychologist Anthony Klotz calls “jolts,” and they are the most underacknowledged realities in our work lives. In Jolted, Klotz breaks down what makes a jolt, and helps us navigate these inevitable disruptions, keeping us from being thrown off track by quitting when we shouldn’t—or spurring us to make the career change that can improve our lives.