Work Shouldn't Be Work

      In my experience leading teams, I find that when I get to know my team members, I gain an understanding of their likes and dislikes, what they are inherently good at, and what takes them effort to accomplish. I find that when I match the person with the tasks they like to do, they are great at it because it is not a struggle for them; they can feel proud of their work and they become more positive, confident even.

      Have you ever thought about the word work? It is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy! If work is work then you most likely do not enjoy it. If your career is fun, it’s most likely because you are good at it and have confidence in yourself. I looked up the word work in the dictionary and below are the various definitions provided:

      Exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil.

      Something on which exertion or labor is expended; a task or undertaking.

      Productive or operative activity.

      Employment, as in some form of industry, especially as a means of earning one’s livelihood.

      One’s place of employment

      Doesn’t really inspire one to want to work, does it? I would love to perform a study one day and find out how many employed people love their job, how many people go to work because they need the money to survive, and how many people would continue to work if they won the lottery. I think the results would be interesting.

      I love what I do and for me, it isn’t work. When I am engaged on a contract where I enjoy the tasks and the people, I am excited when I awake and look forward to getting to the client site. When I am engaged on a contract where I love the tasks and not the people, I work from home and want to be as far away from the client site as I can. This is an insight into myself I recently gained. I am lucky in that I always love the contracts I win because I am always doing what I love. I do not bid on contracts for work I do not like to do, so I am grateful.

      When I think about the difference between a good day and a bad day, or a good contract and a bad contract, the difference is always the same; it’s the people. The people with whom I am surrounded make the difference between my good day/good contract and bad day/bad contract. If you think about it, how can you get angry at a task (OK, there are times I want to throw my computer or cell phone out the window!); and if you think about it, is it the task making you angry, is it the fact you have to do the task, is it how you were asked to do the task, is it the tool for which you are using, or is it other people’s influences making you angry? For me, it can be the fact I have to do it, the tool, or the people. Most frequently, it is the tool causing me distress! If I am angry I have to do the task; that generally relates to a person. That person could not do the task or did it so poorly I am asked to re-do it. When that occurs, I offer to sit with the person and help them understand how to do the task so that the next time (or next two times) they do it, they can do it better. If that does not work, then typically I will speak with their leader and recommend the leader understand what this person likes to do and then match their skillset with the appropriate job. Again, no one comes to work with the intention of screwing up!

      So how do you go about changing your mindset from having to go to work to wanting to go to your job? Spend some time thinking about what comes easy and naturally to you. What excites you? What can you do that comes naturally to you, excites you, and will actually pay you money to do it?! Then either have the conversation with your current leader or look for a new opportunity. You are fully in control of your life. If you want a change, you can change it; no one else can do that for you.

      If you are a leader and you have disengaged staff, spend the time learning about what they like/dislike. Include your own observations in terms what that person is good at, and then re-align what they do with what they want to do. Typically when someone likes to do something, they are good at it, and it comes easy to them. Having a happy team promotes a healthy, productive, even cohesive environment.

      We spend approximately fifty years working. Imagine how great a life we would have if we enjoyed it.