With all the business focus on improving the bottom line, increasing sales and productivity metrics, the individual employee often struggles to keep focused on what is truly important to them. With the workplace productivity gains over the past few years, more and more employees have sacrificed their personal well being for the good of the organization. Sure, helping the organization to be a winning team has been immensely rewarding, but many casualties have occurred. Management abuses, lay-offs, and a general discontent have created a climate that ignores the needs of the individual.
But we cannot look to our organizations to save us. They are, after all, in business to promote the shareholder value. The systems and incentives are in place to ensure that managers can execute on the strategy. The organization functions for its own sake, not necessarily your happiness. The few truly mature organizations do effectively balance the needs of the customers, employees, and shareholders. But for a great deal of others, the time has come the employee to be alive again.
Here a few simple ideas to help you put life back into your work.
- Remember who you are (if you don´t know, find out!!!)
When you started this journey, there were key principles and ideas you believed in. You had a dream of what you would become. But inevitably, no matter how successful you have been, you are a bit beat up. Do you still have those dreams? What did that person believe in? If you were to go back and meet an earlier version of you, would that person be impressed by what you turned out to be? What did you set out to be? Do you still want that? If yes, what is stopping you from getting to it? Rediscover and return to that pure self. Then, make a course correction as necessary.
- Do what you love
It is easy to get caught in the trap of doing "jobs" instead of keeping your passions high. What thrills you? What would you be doing if no one were paying you? Why aren´t you doing that? (Check out Rubin´s book, Soloing- good stuff). Are you working with people who you love to be with, in a place you love to be, where people let you flourish, and all the while doing what you like?
- You are not your performance appraisal.
Deming said that 85% of performance issues are a management problem. However, this notion has trickled down to middle managers with the latest form from HR and is often poorly implemented. Frequently, these forms are loaded with metrics that treat human capital with about as much value as manufacturing equipment. Time and again decisions on your performance are not being made on your best interests, but instead the P & L of the organization.
- Take control of your work situation
Do your job with all the energy and excitement you can. Be passionate. Bring your best attitude to your workplace and don´t let the daily tasks and interfaces bog you down. Be Exceptional (Check out Sanborn´s Fred Factor). And yes, your kid´s soccer game is more important than the latest deadline. Don´t feel bad about that. The company will survive if you get a haircut during work hours. We all talk about how important family and friends are, but what are you doing to show it. Where are your priorities? Break the rules if you have to. Use more vacation that you have been granted. Take the time you need to refresh. Leave early. Be nice to yourself, it will improve your work performance.
- Be a gift to others
If we are lucky, we are on this planet for somewhere from 70-100 years. During that short time, we have great opportunities to learn new things about ourselves and others. Share these ideas and learning´s. Sure it´s great to let people figure things out for themselves, but what are you doing to help them. The greatest teacher is not only experience, but to teach others what we have learned. There is much to be done, why not lend a hand. What are you doing to make the world a better place? Be the one who makes the difference.
You have the ability to transform your world. Use every ounce of creativity you have in your soul and get in the driver´s seat. Remember that you are bigger than your company. Chances are your manager would love a constructive discussion on how to help you be more engaged.
Trust me, you will be a heck of a lot happier. Your company will thank you for it (and so will the shareholders).
Andrew Graham offers a fresh, inspiring perspective to today´s workplace. An engaging and dynamic speaker and presenter, Andrew´s informative and motivational workshops are enthusiastically received in all industries by all levels of management. By encouraging people to find their unique muse, Andrew is able to develop and nurture core business skills in others in a way that instigate professionals to take rewarding actions. Andrew can be reached at agraham@grahambizserv.com
