Work needs a Purpose
Work is such a flexible word and shape shifts on the regular. We use this generic term to describe the tasks we do with and without pay. Cleaning and organizing the garage is just as much work as selling machine parts. When we perform our work tasks, we lean on the completion. Getting stuff done with purpose in mind creates the feeling of a job well done. We can stand back and acknowledge accomplishment. We fill up our days with these efforts. It’s a little like the chicken and the egg dilemma. Does the purpose of the work affect us more than the actual doing or is the completion of a task giving us the feeling we really desire?
Motivated to Work
Most of us would respond that we perform our jobs more for the pay than the feeling we get from it. Making money is part of being exceptional at self-care because it allows you to support yourself and any others you choose to share it with. There are a lot of thoughts created by our work that create even more feelings. These thoughts change over time and create new feelings. If you can verbalize what motivates you to go to work, you have your own purpose to continue doing it. When other thoughts creep in that don’t reflect the kind of thoughts you expect, it may be a nudge for you to refocus and see how to either recapture that feeling or find a way to discover it elsewhere. Your brain likes to provide lots of thoughts on work based on the day-to-day enjoyment measurement tool locked in your head. Having close connections at work that create energy can sustain your sense of vitality and make you smile about its effect.
Curiosity model
Leaders who exhibit curiosity have an even more curious effect on employees. Companies who stay curious about themselves attract a wider variety of employees with more diverse ideas. It is well established that ideas open up more opportunities. There is more space for new thought and questions when everything isn’t presented as part of a manual. We have trained employees to follow rules and rewarded them for getting stuff done. But that method will not work well in the future. And even worse, we are missing opportunities. So, slowing down and letting questions occur is a way to transition to a better future. The impact of work will explode when curiosity joins the team. Thoughts about work change too. If you can perform tasks that provide some challenge, you increase your own confidence that transfers to the non-work life. When leaders don’t want to relinquish control, companies and people suffer. Fear rules the C suite.
Good Work
Work should be good for us. Think about that. We spend so much time in life performing tasks. Since we invest so much of our lives at work, it should be essential to make it joyful. The first step is always recognizing the truth. The second step is being bold enough to discuss what needs to change. The third step is actually making it happen. It is actual good work. When leaders can release the anxiety of having to know-it-all and just know-a lot, strength increases. It is expensive to lose good employees because you were afraid of a little bit of chaos. Resist boring; embrace mini rebellion. It is definitely difficult to let go of the past until you have some experience doing it. Jumping into a cold lake takes you by surprise also but it makes you more willing to go to battle with your next challenge. Throwing off passivity changes your viewpoint. Let your certainty be uncertainty.
Do we just accept that work is supposed to be just work? How would you improve your workday? Have leaders always feared those who didn’t follow the manual?
