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nextstepcoaching-blog · 6 years

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Do you love your job?

The way that you feel about your job depends a lot on how you answer the question. -What are you thinking about when you talk about your job? -Do you think of the work you do? -The people you work with? -The money you make, or don’t make? -The hours you work or have off? -The commute, the mundane, the fun and adventure? -Are you the first to post on Facebook the perfect meme about Mondays? “On the whole, American workers are generally satisfied with their jobs,” according to some research. So, congrats! Whether or not you knew it, you really DO love your job!

Job satisfaction also differs by household income, education and details of the job. So, depending on what study you read or what radio host you listen to or which philosophy you subscribe to… blah, blah, blah… it’s all relative, right?

When it comes down to it, you are the expert here. You know what your boss is like. You know all about the office politics and how the printer cartridge explodes when you change it, or who is actually stealing your peanut butter and banana sandwich from the ‘community fridge’. (Click here for an amusing video on what happens at work).

Bottom line is that we all want to be happy at work, even if it’s a stepping stone to get us to the next level. It’s easy to assume that you can’t change the way you feel about your job. We say to ourselves, ‘it is what it is.’ But, there is hope and a way to move forward.

So, here are 4 compelling ways to make more out of your work life and maybe add some happiness, too:

1. Give to Others

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ― Winston Churchill

To go deeper on this topic, click here for the blogpost on Give To Others.

Helping others fulfills your need to connect. We were created for connection, fellowship, relationships. When we give to others in the workplace, we are investing in the relationship. Find out what makes your co-workers tick. Discover their needs and meet them. They don’t have to be grandiose gestures, but little things. If Bob mentions that he likes bagels, bring him one. If Louise mentions that she likes …. If Jay mentions that his favorite drink at Starbucks is a long shot grande, half calf double cupped no sleeve salted caramel mocha latte with 2 pumps of vanilla, 2 pumps of hazelnut with no whipped cream and extra caramel drizzle with light ice well stirred, just roll your eyes and walk away. Slowly. Walk. Away.

Follow Dr. Luke’s advice when he writes, “Do to others as you would have them do to you. – (Luke 6:31)

Helping makes you live longer, promotes positive behaviors in others, strengthens relationships and gives us a sense of purpose and satisfaction, ie, Happiness 🙂

Helping makes you live longer. Studies have shown that helping others can decrease blood pressure, lower stress levels and are less-depressive. In general, those who help others live longer than those who don’t. Giving promotes positive behaviors in others, strengthens relationships and gives us a sense of purpose and satisfaction, ie, “Happiness” 🙂

Perhaps that is what Paul was alluding to when he quoted Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

2. Focus On Strengths

“If you spend your life trying to be good at everything, you will never be great at anything.” – Tom Rath

To go deeper on this topic, click here for the blogpost on Focus On Strengths.

There is a debate about whether or not you should focus on your strengths and emphasize them over your weaknesses. Most of us have an easy enough time seeing our faults. We can’t walk past a mirror without fixing our hair or thinking about how I was planning on losing those 10 funds months ago. When thinking about ourselves, we are normally thinking about how to improve our personalities, spiritual life, bad habits, etc. That, in itself, is not a bad thing. Our weakness maybe our greatest NEED for improvement, but our greatest POTENTIAL comes in our strengths. This is where I at NextStepDanny help people get unstuck. Helping others see where they want to be and assist them in bringing clarity for their next step on the path of reaching their goals.

Focusing on your strengths does not ignore weaknesses or blind spots. In fact, strengths give us the energy we need to deal with our weaknesses. The strength that we have (God’s ours, others’) can be brought to bare in the current situation.

Strengths are often misidentified as weaknesses or problems. For instance, a person who is decisive can be seen as bossy. Or, someone who is thoughtful and methodical can be seen as slow and indecisive. Loyalty vs. Exclusive; Cautious vs. Hesitant; Inquisitive vs. motor-mouth… the list goes on.

The perspective of looking at your life by focusing on the strengths that you have been given is a powerful way to move forward. When you understand what strengths you have and are able to do more of what you love, you find purpose in what you do. It can energize you as you work in authentic modes that are ‘you’. People who operate from their strengths are happier and more fulfilled, feel as if they have more energy, and are more engaged, reaching their goals more efficiently. In other words, you unlock the best of what you have to offer, participating fully and encouraging those around you.

“…one cannot build on weakness. To achieve results, one has to use all the available strengths… These strengths are the true opportunities” – Peter Drucker

To discover your strengths and how to start using them, click here for the blogpost on Focus on Strengths.

3. Remember, It’s from the Inside-Out

Monetary rewards are not a substitute for intrinsic motivation. – W. Edwards Deming

To go deeper on this topic, click here for the blogpost on Remember, It’s Intrinsic.

Motivation – the reason someone does what they do – Most would like moving away from the extrinsic motivation of the carrot and the stick to a more intrinsic motivation.

There is a lot of research concerning motivation, but I draw our attention to Monkeys.

Way back in 1949 (George Orwell’s book “1984” was first published and the first Polaroid Camera was sold for $89.95), Harry Harlow tested puzzle-solving skills on monkeys[1] which led to the monkeys completing the task without a carrot/stick approach. They completed the task for no other reason than it felt satisfying; like finishing a level of Candy Crush on your phone.

Follow-up studies were done in 1969 and 2008 in connection with the Harlow-Monkey study that basically showed the same results. Money may not be the most important factor in job satisfaction. Really!

It would seem that engagement is key. We need to be challenged; neither under-challenged or over-challenged

“Job satisfaction is the result of a sense of autonomy, purpose and the desire to do things because they’re fun and interesting,” claims author Daniel Pink. “Money can actually cause someone to work less effectively.”

Find a purpose in what you do. Some jobs are more difficult to unearth purpose, so dig deep. And when you find it, make it a screen-saver on your desktop for a daily reminder.

Find the best way to fulfill that purpose through the work assigned to you and do it with skill and proficiency. And, make sure that you are making progress in achieving the purpose – celebrating as you go!

4. Laugh More, A LOT More

Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine. – Lord Byron

To go deeper on this topic, click here for the blogpost on Laugh More, A LOT More.

Finally, laugh more. A recent Gallup poll found that people who smile and laugh at work are more engaged in their jobs. Find ways, or create ways to smile more! Get others involved and lighten the mood every once in a while.

Have you seen this video? The Fun Theory 1

In this Volkswagen experiment, they set out to prove that people’s behavior can be changed by adding ‘fun’ into the mix. 66% more people took the stairs than usual that day!

Laughter boosts your creativity, think Disney or Pixar; Laughter cuts tension and draws people together, think late-night TV ‘jokesters’; Laughter builds trust and helps you become more approachable, think Bill Murray vs. Willem Dafoe (Goblin in Spiderman) …Plus people enjoy working with you!

Take a bite out of your peanut butter and banana sandwich before putting it in the ‘community fridge’. For your Sci-Fi nerd friends, put a Storm trooper helmet on the trash can and make people say, “This is not the can you are looking for” when they use it. And for the junior high kid inside, make use (or several uses) of the classic whoopee cushion. Or, try one of these 101 Ways to Use Humor at Work.

Just think: you could make it so that Monday morning is something you look forward to…

I’d love to hear from you. Tell me how you make your workplace worth the commute. Comment Below.

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