I am asking if you love your job, because I do.
About 15 years ago, when I was working towards a Masters Degree at the University of Oregon, I had to take a research methodology course. The professor happened to have a particular expertise in a program evaluation, and strayed off into the area of job satisfaction assessment. I learned that there are five key areas that come into play:
1. autonomy
2. sense of purpose
3. closure
4. feedback
5. financial remuneration
An evaluation of a particular job in a specific venue yields a score on how much freedom the employee has, whether the job is meaningful in the bigger scheme of things (e.g., makes a difference in people’s lives, etc.), where the job requires starting something and seeing it all the way through, if feedback about the work is forthcoming, and how well the job pays.
Then the employee rates the same five aspects of the job, based on how important each is to them. For example, I don’t need autonomy or feedback as much as I absolutely must have a sense of purpose and closure. How much I am paid is up there as well.
When the two profiles are compared, they are either a good match – and the employee is happy and loves their job. Or the disconnect between what the job offers and the needs and priorities of the employee leave them unhappy and unfulfilled.
The close match between the job I do as a special education consultant for a school district and what I need to “love my job” are certainly not an accident. I have applied this formula systematically a number of times when faced with difficult decisions related to potential career moves. I also used it to find my way here.
If you don’t love your job, rate your priorities first, and then take a look at the job. You may find that it is only a bit of tinkering needed - asking for more feedback if it is important to you but lacking. If the alignment is simply missing – then I say… overhaul! For if you don’t love your job, then it is nothing more than work.
Authors: Joanna Cerazy M.Ed. and Sandra Cottingham Ph.D
www.nomoreleadbabies.com
Publisher: Kunati Inc (USA & Canada) 1-866-356-2442
www.kunati.com
Distribution: Independent Publishers Group (IPG)
ISBN: 978-1-60164-192-2
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