T’work

Some brief thoughts on work

“A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts” -Richard Branson

What do you know… another Millennial writing about work. Well I’m at least supposedly more qualified since I’m a Master in Organizational Psychology. Basically everything I learned seemed to be in line with the Millennial sort of thinking. I’ll try to explain this below with some of my thoughts.

About a third of one’s life is spent working (Wrzesniewski et al., 1997). In order to enjoy the life we were given, I think we have to somehow enjoy the work that we do. I’ve always wanted to get some sort of job that I wake up excited to go do. A job that is involving, fun, and creative. I’m not sure how realistic this is, but it definitely is my goal. But what keeps me up at night is this question; “Is it possible for everybody to achieve this goal?”

Waking up excited to go to work looks different for everybody. I’m trying to imagine how it could be fun for an accountant or for a custodian to go to work everyday.

Accountant

It’s a beautiful thing how each and every single human being has a unique personality and skill set. It’s a shame that some people do not get to use or further develop their natural talents in the workplace. Often times, too much time is spent focused on improving weaknesses instead of developing talent. So the natural born numbers-whiz should be in a position where they get to use their abilities. Gallup has done extensive research about the effects of utilizing strengths in the workplace, and found that if an employee is not consistently using their strengths in the workplace they are “six times less likely to be engaged in the job”. Furthermore, Gallup’s research has shown how a “strengths based approach improves your (the employee) confidence, direction, hope, and kindness toward others” (Rath, p.12).

Work is a means to an end. It is a way to earn so that one’s basic needs can be taken care of. However, the type of work is shifting. There is now more intellectual labor as opposed to manual labor. For example, the accountant has many newer digital tools available that simplify their processes. These new accounting tools give the accountant time to do more higher level, intellectual labor such as interpret the data, suggest smart business decisions, and give good financial advice etc. The old saying of, “Work is work” doesn’t fly anymore. Machines are taking away many mindless labor type jobs, which means people need to develop skills, personalities, and services that are unique. This new type of labor encourages and requires creativity. So today’s accountant may be faced with challenges that are way beyond the scope of the previous generation. I believe being able to be creative and innovative at work plays a critical role for self-actualizing (See Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs).

Custodian

So how can a custodian enjoy the work that they do? First of all, one’s work does not define the person. However, the organization is something that a person can identify with. I think the culture of the organization has the potential to get people out of bed in the morning. The organization is made up of a community of people with a certain uniqueness and a common goal. It’s unique because each person is unique. I believe the organization has a duty to create an environment that is inclusive, supportive, rewarding, and fair. Creating such an environment is an ongoing task, that will mutually benefit the organization and the employees.

There is a difference between a job, a career, and a calling. People who view their work as a job care mostly about the material benefits gained from work. Career oriented people care about their organization, social status within the organization, and align their self- esteem with their work success. A person who is “called” to their work, works for the fulfillment that it brings to them, instead of status or monetary gain. (More details here). One may not find their calling through their work. The ability to take control and personalize one’s work may help cross the bridge from vocation to calling. For example, during this podcast Amy Wrzesniewski describes interviews she conducted with a hospital cleaning staff. She found that the cleaners who saw their work as very skilled labor were more engaged. They viewed their work as skilled because they were able to craft their jobs in a way that benefitted themselves, the organization, and the patients. Some went above and beyond and would figure out when it was safe to give water to the patients, when to interact with patients, and when to take care of patients families. This story reminds me of the janitor of my elementary school. We would purposely kick the ball to Mr. Eikerman, and he would kick it back so ridiculously high that it blew all of our minds. It was obviously not in his job description to do such a thing, but it brought a smile to many kid’s faces which was an overall good thing for the school.

I think that even if people are working just to meet their most basic needs in life, that they can enjoy their work. There is a beauty in simply working with your hands as opposed to melting away, sitting at a computer. We were designed to work, specifically to work with our hands. As the type of labor shifts, we are continuing to see the health consequences that derive from a sedentary work environment.

Concluding Thoughts

“So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?” Ecclesiastes 3:22

The book of Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, Son of David and is said to have been granted the gift of wisdom by God. Solomon had everything he needed on earth in excess. After reading Ecclesiastes for the first time, I gathered that the basic theme is that everything is meaningless, so why not enjoy the simple things in life. I think that American culture is too focused on the future as opposed to the now. So many basic needs are taken care of, so we spend our time thinking about the future and how we could make that better instead of focusing on the now.

We were all handed a different card in life. There are billionaires and there are many more people who are living on a dollar a day or less. It’s so easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to other people’s lives, especially in the age of social media. Doing this probably brings more harm than it does good. I think it’s our duty to learn how to enjoy our “lot” in life. Sometimes our lot can seem repetitive, stressful, or even boring. Learning how to enjoy daily tasks could consist of developing relationships with the people who you interact with daily, perfecting your trades and actually taking pride in them. Perhaps this could even open up new doors to accomplishing future goals.

Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2008). Strengths based leadership: Great leaders, teams, and why people follow. New York: Gallup Press.

Wrzesniewski, A., Mccauley, C., Rozin, P., & Schwartz, B. (1997). Jobs, Careers, and Callings: Peoples Relations to Their Work. Journal of Research in Personality, 31(1), 21–33. doi:10.1006/jrpe.1997.2162