It is amazing how many people dread work. Phrases like, “If it was fun they wouldn’t call it work” are commonplace as people across the globe keep their collective eye on the weekend. How many people are right now saying or thinking: I wish it were Friday?
This idea that work is a transactional enterprise in which you show up, run through a set list of tasks and then head home is a very unsatisfying way to spend 40-plus hours a week.
We should have a great degree of satisfaction from the working week. Regardless of your role and responsibility there is great opportunity for joy in the workplace. If you’re not feeling it, then you are most certainly missing out!
Here are some approaches that will boost the pride and satisfaction.
Every role has challenges. They may be interpersonal challenges if you work in a team or are trying to manage a group or department. We are very familiar with the problems that exist in the workplace, but what are you doing to address them? Too many people are simply voicing and revoicing the problems – through complaints, gossip and plain avoidance.
The act of problem solving, of creating ways to navigate and solve the difficulties you encounter, is one of the most effective ways of creating pride in your work and satisfaction in your week. If you set yourself to become an expert at problem solving, including other people’s problems, it is inevitable that your working life will benefit. Solving problems is a great way to learn, to continuously improve and to save time. You may even walk out of work with a smile on your face.
Solving problems is an essential leadership skill and the gift of helping others is a great “feel good” factor.
A defensive mindset can force some people into a box. These attitudes keep you boxed in:
“It’s not my job.”
“Someone else is being paid to solve this, not me.”
“Not my issue, not my concern.”
By taking an interest in the roles and activities of those around you become more involved, more interconnected and ultimately more fulfilled. Extending yourself in terms of your working role, even if it is just being inquisitive about what is happening on other projects, with other team members and in other departments, will make the working week more interesting. You can extend yourself on a personal level, becoming more interested in the lives of those around you. It doesn’t mean doing things together on a social level – just caring and taking an ongoing interest.
While it often seems to be the easiest stress free route to avoid getting involved, or avoid opening a “can of worms” it is that sharing and working together that often brings surprising results rather than remaining in our own isolated cocoon.
When you take the time to get more involved with other people in the workplace and you become a problem solver you will find that there are new victories that will come your way. As this happens and you get more involved with other people you get the opportunity to share the wins.
The satisfaction of sharing a great result with other people is perhaps the ultimate satisfaction of working life: to do something great, to achieve something as a group, to celebrate afterwards – it is something that individual achievement struggles to compare to.
The amazing thing about being proud and getting into a problem solving mindset is that it becomes infectious. People around you see that you’re taking steps to move outside the box to get more involved and they will see the satisfaction. It won’t be intentional, but the effect you have on others will be profound.
We all know people that seem to have superhuman energy and application to the task. While these people are rare it can be as simple as taking a few first steps at getting more involved.
Eve Ash produces a wide range or resources to help people develop skills, improve their performance and educate others.
Smart Company is the leading online publication in Australia for free news, information and resources catering to Australia’s entrepreneurs, small and medium business owners and business managers.
