Tips for Achieving Career Satisfaction Through Meaningful Work

“I don’t want people to micro-manage me” Defining our next role is often about what we 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 want 🙅♀️. But how can we figure out what we actually DO want? My coaching clients have found this approach effective: 🔍 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭 Reflect on your most and least satisfying jobs. Focus on your personal experience, not what ‘should’ make a job satisfying. 📋 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮 Identify what specifically made those roles satisfying or not. Make a list. 🔎 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯 Compare your list with the 7 factors that research supports as leading to job satisfaction (see below). 💡 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 “𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁” 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵. 📚 The 7 factors that tend to lead to higher job satisfaction: ✅ 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣-𝙅𝙤𝙗 𝙁𝙞𝙩: roles that match your strengths, values, and where you can be yourself. ✅ 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙮: meaningful control over your work, like flexible scheduling or choice in projects. ✅ 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨: a team that shares your values and goals. ✅ 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨: growth opportunities aligned with your interests. ✅ 𝙏𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙑𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮: What keeps you engaged? Identify the level of variety that suits you. ✅ 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨: both the physical workspace and the company's culture. Does it foster creativity, trust, etc.? ✅ 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙙: a balance – not overwhelming but enough to keep you engaged. 🤔 What qualities will you look out for in the next role? Reach out if you're looking for guidance on this path.

How do you take the job you HAVE and make it into the job you WANT? How do you take... 👉🏻 “Thank god it’s Friday!” To… 👉🏻“I love my job!” First, you have to find ways to make your current job, a job you love. This starts with job crafting – altering your role and its responsibilities to suit YOU. This includes: ⭐ Adapting tasks to suit unique strengths. ⭐ Altering the number of tasks that make up the job. ⭐ Re-prioritizing workload to spend more time on fulfilling work. 71% of adults think having a job they enjoy is a pivotal part of living a fulfilling life (Pew Research Center). Better yet, 92% of job crafters experience a more satisfying working life (MIT Sloan Management Review). Job crafting involves reshaping your job to better align with your skills, interests, and passions. Here are three practical tips to engage in job crafting: 1. Identify Areas for Change: Reflect on your current job and identify aspects that you enjoy and those that you find less fulfilling. Make a list of these aspects to guide your job crafting process. 2. Initiate Conversations: Talk to your manager about potential changes you'd like to make to your role. Frame your suggestions in terms of how they can benefit both you and the organization. 3. Seek Opportunities for Growth: Look for opportunities within your organization to expand your skills and knowledge. By actively seeking growth opportunities, you can tailor your job to align more closely with your long-term career goals and personal interests. 💥Employers: do you support job crafting? What benefits have you noticed? 💥Employees: would job crafting support you in finding happiness at work? Let’s discuss in the comments! ------------------------------ I specialize in fostering workplace environments that prioritize trust and integrity, happiness, and fulfillment. Repost to help your network ♻️ Message me to learn more! 💬💬

I had the dream career, so why did it feel so empty? I always assumed career success boiled down to three things: - Making great money - Working for a prestigious company - Doing challenging work This path led me to my job at Amazon. On paper, I'd won the career lottery. But, internally, I struggled. I felt I *should* be satisfied, but I had this unsettling feeling that something was missing… The money brought validation but the excitement quickly wore off. Scoring a job in FAANG made me feel accomplished but didn’t fulfill me day-to-day. And, no matter how challenging the work, I eventually adapted. The interesting problems became routine. So kept moving on - new teams, projects, companies. All in pursuit of deeper satisfaction. Throughout my journey, I got glimpses of the feeling I’d been pursuing. A new work project that gave me a renewed sense of purpose. Delivering healthcare supplies during COVID energized me, knowing I could help save lives. The feeling of deep pride as I watched my mentees grow as engineers and get promoted. There was a thread connecting these moments I couldn’t quite grasp. Until it hit me - I had been 'doing' my career, not 'being' in it. Focused on goals over purpose. Success felt hollow without expressing what was meaningful to me. The Japanese call this 𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙞 - discovering your life purpose. Ikigai exists at the intersection of doing what you love, using your gifts, meeting a need, and getting paid for it. When I learned to express my ikigai at work - using my skills to help others - everything changed. Mundane tasks like writing documentation took on a deeper meaning, knowing it would help others grow. I approached challenges with more patience and resilience. So how do you find your ikigai? Start by asking yourself: → What energizes and excites you? → What makes you lose track of time when you do it? → What talents can you share to help others? → Where do you find joy and meaning? Finding your ikigai is a lifelong journey. One where you get to build your life with passion, intentionality and meaning. Try new roles and projects that excite you. Build things that help people. See what sparks joy and purpose. Every small step towards your purpose will unleash more energy and fulfillment.

"I want to work to live, not live to work" —> Something I heard from several coaching clients last week. Is this a viable perspective in the current job market? Yes…AND it’s still necessary to identify your values and find work that is meaningful and satisfying in the context of those values. I know that a healthy distance between our work and our "selves" feels like a wise defense. Yes, we're well-advised to distrust the support and security we can expect from our jobs. Why pour so much time and heart into a pursuit that may ultimately betray us, neglect our growth, or even jettison us into unemployment? The pandemic caused lots of us to rewire our priorities. We discovered the possibility of a life that includes more: - time with family or friends - active or outdoor time - energizing engagement in hobbies or passions There are also some realities: - The job market is unpredictable and unstable. It’s important to stay invested in your current success. This is way easier when you care about the impact you're making. - If things at your current role go sideways, you’ll want your compass ready to guide your path. - Purpose at work enhances well-being! Too many hours spent on something meaningless to you will take a toll outside of work hours. I view work-life balance as a goal of living meaningfully both outside and inside of work hours. Doing the work of identifying the important values and impact doesn’t mean overwork. It's possible to be dedicated and driven without sacrificing health and happiness. #worklifebalance #careerfulfillment #personalgrowth #professionaldevelopment #coaching

I'm excited to share insights on enhancing human performance and wellbeing in the workplace in my new piece for EmeraldPublishing's Strategic HR Review. The digital era has changed work dynamics, but the core principles of meaningful work remain unchanged. Here's the essence for HR leaders: 1. Mission Alignment: Forge a clear path where every role and task is a stepping stone towards the company's mission. This connection elevates the everyday grind to a purposeful journey. 2. Social Connectivity: For those working remotely, curate moments for connection, fostering a community that bolsters a sense of belonging. 3. Autonomy and Growth: Give employees autonomy in their work along with chances to grow. This autonomy feeds their competence and enhances their drive. 4. Purpose-Driven Culture: Meaning and purpose are critical Articulate a company vision that echoes personal ideals, merging individual purpose with collective goals. 5. Tech for Engagement: Use digital platforms to cultivate a workspace that’s both collaborative and inclusive, ensuring all team members, regardless of location, feel integrated and valued. It's not just about policies; it's about nurturing an environment where wellbeing and purpose aren't just nice-to-haves, but key to productivity. Dive into the full article for a roadmap to these transformative strategies. Link in the comments #workplacewellbeing #motivation #humanperformance #purposedrivenculture #meaningfulwork #engagement

Reflection is one of the most common missing ingredients of meaningful work. I love how Rebecca Fraser-Thill, ACC, MCPC put it in a Forbes article earlier this year: “Reflection is essential to experiencing meaningful work, yet we don’t typically get the time, space, or opportunity to do the reflection we need to experience meaning at work.” But this week, many of us may find ourselves more time and space than usual to reflect, think, and plan. As we prepare to begin a new year with new opportunities to find our work meaningful, consider reflecting on these questions to assess your experience of meaning at work: 👯 Do you feel a sense of belonging and inclusion within your team or department? Why or why not? 🤗How do you contribute to a positive work environment and the overall well-being of your coworkers? 🌎Reflect on how your work is making an impact in the organization or the world. Is there an opportunity to connect directly with a customer and hear a story about how what you do has positively benefited them? 💪🏼Are there specific tasks, projects or assignments that have provided you with a sense of challenge and growth? 📈Do you feel your current role utilizes your full potential and allows you to stretch and develop your abilities? Why or why not?  With a little reflection and intentionality, small tweaks can make a big difference for our experience of meaningful work! #meaningfulwork #reflection