Work Doesn’t Have to Suck

A stencil with the words "life is amazing" inside a dotted circle has been spray-painted into a city sidewalk

I'm usually not quite so bold in my subject lines or my statements, but I think it's important in this case to get my point across.  I know work has traditionally been defined as the activities that you do that earn a paycheck so that you can support yourself, your family, and ideally have some extra left over to save and take a vacation.  But it's time for us to pause and really think about this. I don't believe many of us agree that this is big enough of a definition. We want something more from the time that we spend doing our jobs. Just like customers for a store, as employees, we want an amazing experience.  How we define an amazing experience may differ from person to person but there will still be a lot of similarities. I believe it's time to expect an amazing employee experience in the same way we expect an amazing customer experience.  Why shouldn't we deserve that?

If you're a leader in an organization and are you thinking, "why do I care if my employees love what they do? They should be satisfied to have a job and a paycheck, especially now."  If you're asking that question, the answer is simple.  Higher employee engagement leads to greater productivity which leads to stronger business performance.  I think most leaders would aim for better business growth if they had a choice so maybe it's time to look at the experience you're providing to your employees. If you want to get the best out of your teams, you need to create the environment where they want to give their discretionary effort...where they don't just "do the job."  You want them to excel in what they do and want them to give their best every day.  One writer, Blake Morgan, talks about the impact of employee experience on 10 companies' business performance here.  Her perspective..."One of the best ways to increase business performance isn’t to push for more sales—it’s to invest in your employees. Companies that focus on employee experience tend to see greater improvement in business performance. Stock prices of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list rose 14% per year from 1998 to 2005, while companies not on the list increased their stock price by an average of just 6%."  Are you thinking about your employees as much as you're thinking about your customers?

The magic ingredients seem pretty simple to me.  We want to spend time in an organization where...

  • we like the people we work with and for

  • we feel valued

  • we are paid fairly

  • we see growth opportunities

  • we get to do the work we're best at

  • we find purpose in the work we do

If your organization isn't focusing on these things, ask the "why not" question.  Yes, I know that we're in the middle of a pandemic but your culture existed before this started, and you have the perfect opportunity now to decide what sort of organization you want to be in the future.  Recruits are already asking questions about how employers are handling the pandemic, how they're communicating to and caring for their employees.  Is your organization one that will "show well" coming out of this or do you have work to do on your culture?

As an employee, I don't think the list above is too much to ask or want.  If you don't have these things in your current role or organization, it's time to pause and figure out why.  You may feel like now is not the right time to take definitive action if you're not satisfied and, that may be true, but you can make plans about when you will take those actions - what the conditions will need to be before you pull the trigger.  If you've recently been displaced as a result of the pandemic, now is key to decide what you want from your next company and role.

But it all starts with the analysis of your current situation...does your job suck or is it good enough or is it amazing?  Amazing may feel like a strong word to you when you think about a job but it's easier to differentiate if you use a range with strong anchors:  "It sucks...It's good enough...It's amazing."  Where are you on that range?  We know that every minute or day or week will not feel the definition of amazing, but we deserve to have that be the overall emotion.  You should be able to say, "I love my role, my team, my organization.  I'm so proud to say that I work at x organization.  I recommend this organization to many people because of what it represents.  I'm learning and growing."  I get that you may have had to accept a job that you don't love due to circumstances; however, over time, you need to shift those circumstances so that you can find something that you love.  We spend so many hours of our weeks involved in work activities that it's not worth being miserable long-term.  

If you're in the "my job is amazing" camp, that is awesome!  Think about what makes it amazing and jot those factors down.  On the bad days (and we all have them), use that list to anchor back to why you do love what you do and where you work.  Figure out which factor is most important to you so that when you consider a future opportunity, you know what to ensure is in place for you to love what you do and to thrive.  If that key factor stops being in place (a boss that you love to work with, great problems to solve, etc.), think about what actions you want or need to take to once again feel amazing in the work you do.

If you're in the "it's good enough" camp, I suggest you think about why you're willing to accept "good enough."  Is it because you're afraid of looking for a new role?  Is it because this job gives you something that you're scared the next job won't?  Is it out of loyalty to your boss or your organization?  Staying in a job that's "good enough" is like going through life saying, "I'm fine."  It's a "going through the motions" work life.  Maybe you're saying, "It's just a job to pay my bills.  I get satisfaction outside of work."  That's definitely a positive, but then think about the mindset you have for your work time.  If you're ok with your job being ok...can you then love it for what it is?  Can you love that it gives you the time, money, flexibility that you need to really love your life passions or priorities?  I ask this because our mindset has such an influence over how we feel, how our body experiences stress and joy.  If we're really ok with our job being "good enough" for now, then embrace that and truly enjoy what it's giving you.

If you are in the "I'm miserable" camp, start identifying what's making you feel that way.

  • Is it your boss and how he/she treats you and the team?

  • Is it the actual work activities?  Do they drain you or not challenge you?

  • Is it the overall culture of the organization?  Is it toxic?

  • Do you not enjoy the team you work with?

  • Is it the level of bureaucracy in decision-making?

  • Do you not believe in or understand the purpose of the work you are doing?

  • Do you not feel valued for your contributions?

We often hope that the grass will be greener in another role or in another organization, and we convince ourselves that this next opportunity will be better.  However, if we don't first figure out what's really wrong and what values or factors we need to focus on for the next role or organization, we will be running away from something without a clear perspective on what we really want.

Work doesn't need to suck.  If it does...you deserve better, and it's time to make a plan to change it.  If it's just just good enough, it's time to decide...am I really ok with that?  If it's amazing, embrace what you have and give it your all.  

People-centric organizations and teams will win the war for talent.  Are you part of the winning side yet?  If you need support in analyzing your personal or organizational situation or planning actions,I'd love to talk with you. 

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The “Next Normal”