Maybe it’s high time to make a change . . . for everyone’s sake
When it comes to jobs, far too many people are in a state of more-or-less comfortable misery. This is the state wherein, according to Daniel Johnston’s book Lessons for Living: Simple Solutions for Life’s Problems, “You’re miserable, but you have gotten used to it.”
We all know the feeling of sticking with something beyond its productive benefit or purpose—whether it’s an old pair of jeans, or shoes, or a relationship that you just keep on giving “just one more chance”. What causes us to knowingly stay in situations or hang on to things we know we ought not to?
The answer to this question is the same as to why most people are still in jobs that offer no true satisfaction.
For many people, it feels easier to stick with an unhappy known than to attempt to find a better place in the unknown. Fear of the unknown holds them in jobs that they don’t enjoy, in relationships that aren’t working, and prevents them from living a better, happier life. Granted, there are risks associated with change, but that doesn’t mean you should fall victim to the false notion that there are no risks in not changing. In fact, the risks of inaction often far outweigh the risks of doing something new.
Job satisfaction is falling widely
What’s interesting to note about job satisfaction levels in recent years is that they are declining across the board, regardless of age, income or even residence. Workers below the age of 25 have over a 60% dissatisfaction rate, the worst level since the inception of The Conference Board job satisfaction survey. While age, money and geography can make a difference in these survey results, people overall are simply less and less happy in their jobs.
Clearly something has to change. Is it the work itself? Is it specific company policies? Is it compensation and/or benefits? Personally, I believe that changes in these things could have short-term impacts on job satisfaction. But, for a long-term solution to this problem, what has to change is employee attitudes and expectations.
I think people must modify their personal definition of what “satisfaction” from a job actually means. For example, as younger workers enter a new position, they’re excited by the nature and meaning of the work itself. As they advance in their careers, however, and rise in the organizational chart of their company, they get further and further from the job itself and assume more responsibility for management of the work process.
If the work itself is what they enjoyed most, they may find the change to being a supervisor robs them of much of their job satisfaction. Too often, this dynamic leads a manager to micro-manage—to try to stay involved in ‘doing’ instead of leading—thus aggravating those beneath them and causing voids in the management process they ought to be focusing on. If this process continues, they eventually lose interest in their jobs, their employees become increasingly dissatisfied and the overall work environment becomes laden with negativity and frustration.
A fresh perspective
If people could shift their definition of what constitutes satisfaction, and normalize their expectations about their jobs, overall job satisfaction levels would likely increase.
I have learned in my professional years to derive satisfaction less from doing the day-to-day work itself and more from helping others and motivating teams to get the work completed on their own. Mostly what I do today is manage the overall team outcomes and future directions. Being able to derive satisfaction from helping others advance their careers and managing the expectations of appropriate stakeholders required a major shift in my perspective.
Of course this wasn’t always easy. I had to learn some hard lessons along the way. However, I’ve been able, gradually, to relish this experience and successfully make the mental shift to re-define satisfaction for myself.
Don’t allow yourself to fall prey to comfortable misery within your career. Not only does doing so make for many unhappy days in your job and life, it serves no productive purpose for your company either. Instead, try to leverage your power to shift your thinking about what satisfies you. To be sure, sometimes a job change is the right decision, but it could be that making a mental pivot is all that is required.
Technorati Tags: change, risk-taking, self-improvement, leadership, developing others, not settling for second best
November 11th, 2008 at 6:25 am
> For many people, it feels easier to stick with an unhappy known
> than to attempt to find a better place in the unknown.
I do not much agree on this.
I have seen many colleagues coming and leaving the company I am working for. Many left because they were sure to be happier somewhere else. Not everybody found better a place. Instead of finding something better there is also the possibility to find only worse - especially in these times when many companies cut down employees (only just because of the chance economy might get worse - many companies reduce employees although they should not be affected by negative effects of the economy yet). Further when people leave they often flee from problems (with the boss for instance) instead of trying to solve the conflict.
What applies for me is that I think I could find other - maybe “better” job, but the main problems I encounter in my work-days are problems that I could have everywhere else too. For example: If I am bad in time management it does not make sense just changing company because I will carry the problem with me. So basically I try solve the problem instead of fleeing.
> If the work itself is what they enjoyed most, they may find the change
> to being a supervisor robs them of much of their job satisfaction.
> Too often, this dynamic leads a manager to micro-manage—to try to
> stay involved in ‘doing’ instead of leading
For young employees or trainees I notice the opposite. They start working and want to get CEO’s ASAP. Mostly everybody wants to be a manager and nobody wants to do the basic work - to “get the hands dirty”. Therefore companies don’t have cleaning women any more, they have “facility managers” or whatever.
> If people could shift their definition of what constitutes
> satisfaction, and normalize their expectations about their jobs,
> overall job satisfaction levels would likely increase.
Fully agree to that.
November 11th, 2008 at 8:33 am
@Martin Wildam: Thanks for your comment, Martin. While I agree that making a change doesn’t always remove or even lessen a personal problem, I stick by my view that a large group of people (perhaps a majority) prefer what they imagine is stability over the risks of doing something new. That doesn’t mean they can’t see the possibilities of change; merely that they value the ‘known’ of staying put over the ‘unknown’ of whatever those advantages may be.
And I do think many people find being a manager less satisfying than “doing the work.” Of course they want to become managers—usually there’s no other way to get higher pay and status. It looks like the right path. But when they get there, it doesn’t turn out to be what they expected: there’s less real power and authority, more boring work, many more meetings to attend that contribute little or nothing to ‘real’ outcomes, and you’re still forced to slog towards crazy goals imposed by bigger bosses. However, once you’re a manager, there’s usually no way back—except one.
I am convinced one of the main reasons why so many people long to start their own business and be their own boss is less about being the boss than getting back to doing what they once loved to do: gets hands-on with the work itself.
Keep reading, my friend.
November 11th, 2008 at 10:01 am
The responsibilities under jobs can change with time or you may move in the ladder changing the job type. If it does not fit you today you bank on the chance that it may fit you after a time. Second, you do not find many happy souls in job anywhere. So you almost accept job-dissatisfaction as part of the job and try to adjust with it. Third you do not know if you will find a better opportunity elsewhere. When you come to a job, you come expecting job satisfaction, which you do not find after some time. How do you know you wont get the same result in the next one ? Then the transition has a cost- both monetary and emotional. Is it worth the risk unless you are sure that you will get a better situation ? Again what is better to-day may take a turn for worse anytime. Who will like to put himself and more importantly his family to uncertainty if he can help it ? But what you say is also true in may cases.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Hi Martin & Carmine,
Thanks for the discussion on this topic. I think there is truth in Martin’s point that leaving one place of employment without solving an internal or personal problem will not likely lead to happier times at a new place of employment. However, I fundamentally believe, as Carmine apparently does, that people fear the unknown to such a great extent, that they will endure significant levels of dissatisfaction just to avoid the unknown. This dynamic fosters an environment wherein there are many dissatisfied people plainly going about their day without deriving much benefit from it, other than a paycheck. This cannot be good for anyone involved. I am simply trying to suggest alternative ways to look at things so as to enhance one’s outlook and attitude about how most of us spend a tremendous amount of our waking time.
As for who does the work, I believe there are people who love doing the work and not managing. I don’t disagree that younger employees often have high ambitions - perhaps management roles. However, there are also those that are quite good at doing the work and not all that interested in managing others doing the work. To me, this is a good thing as we clearly need workers and managers. An overabundance of one at the expense of the other is not a recipe for long-term success.
Moreover, I find managing to be very pleasing. I so enjoy surrounding myself with high-performing people and helping guide the collective efforts toward a desired goal. As I say, if each member of a team focuses on performing their respective roles to the best extent possible, the collective effort will surpass the sum of the individual efforts.
Thanks again for a good dialogue about this important topic.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Sambit,
Thanks for your comments as always. I agree that there are many considerations to be made when considering job satisfaction, be it in your current position or in one that someone considers leaving their current employment for. However, we must all look inside ourselves to determine what creates satisfaction. For some, satisfaction comes from helping others; so to be satisfied, they ought to have a job in which they can do just that. For others, satisfaction comes from doing projects previously undone. So, they might enjoy consulting positions wherein each new client and each new project brings new experiences. Regardless what the source of satisfaction, we must all make this personal assessment and seek positions where we can obtain satisfying opportunities.