Last week we looked at some tips if you want a new job. But what if you want to stay in your current job, but want it to feel like a new job?
If only there were some way to revitalise your current job. Well maybe there is. And it all starts with the Flower Model of Job Satisfaction.
Lets take each petal at a time and see what you can do to boost your job satisfaction. Effective action on two or three of these could transform the way you feel about your current job.
Motivation
What is it that really motivates you in your work? David McClelland’s theory of ‘Motivational Needs’ can help you here: You may be motivated by:
The Need for Power: a desire to be in control – of yourself, yes, and others maybe. Certainly you will look for respect.
The Need for Affiliation: a desire to be part of a team and to relate to other people, working together and being recognised for your contributions.
The Need for Achievement: a desire to do things, do them well, see results and sense progress.
Whatever you discover motivates you, look for ways to get more of it in the balance of your work.
Effectiveness
If getting things done and making a difference matters to you, then look for ways to take a more strategic perspective on your work. What choices and decisions have you been pretending you can’t make? It is time to be more precise in what you choose to do, and to seek more responsibility for making a difference. So start with ‘what is the purpose of my job?’ and work towards focusing more on that and less on the trivia.
Creativity
Get involved in projects, take part in change, review how you do things or what else your organisation could do to serve your clients or customers. Take time out to think, experiment and play.
Enjoyment
Start to look for the fun in the things you do day-to-day: maybe a robust argument about the next marketing campaign, perhaps a chance to design a new window display, possibly a decision to learn new techniques that will make you better at your job. With the right attitude, discussion, design and learning are all fun – and so is just about anything.
Efficiency
Focus on one thing and look at how you can do it as well and efficiently as you possibly can. Flow states are the optimum state of pleasure for humans. We reach them when we stretch ourselves to the limit of our capability, so transform a dull repetitive task to a striving for efficiency and not only will you free up time for creativity or relationships or enjoyment, but you will have more pleasure doing the task.
Relationships
The average worker spends more of their waking hours with work colleagues than they do with their family. So make the most of it. Look for new ways to enjoy the company of your colleagues – or look for new colleagues within your organisation whose company you can better enjoy.
Please Note: This is in no way a recommendation to try out an inappropriate workplace relationship. Far more often than not, it will end badly and make things a whole lot worse!
Management Pocketbooks you may enjoy
The Positive Mental Attitude Pocketbook will give you a heap of hints how to transform your attitude to a job you are starting to tire of.
The Management Models Pocketbook has a chapter on David McClelland’s model of motivational needs.
The Improving Efficiency Pocketbook will give you a load of ideas for… improving efficiency.
The Working Relationships Pocketbook will.. well, you get the idea.
