EMPOWERMENT EXCHANGE Is It Monday Already?

Transcription

1 Is It Monday Already? Strategies for Job Satisfaction

2 Youth with High Risk Factors Hard for you to motivate and control Make you wonder why bother Make you question the worth of reaching out Sap your energy and motivation Push your buttons Make you feel defeated Challenge your authority and evoke strong emotions 2

3 The average person will spend 10,400hrs./yr. and 458,000 hrs. for 44yrs. Working on a job. That is a lot of time to spend doing something you hate. 3

4 Job Satisfaction Data Points Less than 50% of all Americans say they are satisfied with their jobs, down 61% twenty years ago. Less than 39% of workers under the age of 25 are satisfied with their employment situation. Workers expressed the second lowest level of satisfaction with less than 45% content with their current job. At the other end of the scale are workers55-64 and 65 and over. Nearly half of all workers in these age groups are content with their current job. Conference Board Report,2007 4

5 Money Does Buy Some Satisfaction As expected, the lowest level of job satisfaction is exhibited among workers earning $15,000 or less per year. Workers whose earning exceed $50,000 per year, at 52%, are the most satisfied with their employment situation. Conference Board Report,

6 Major Reason for Job Dissatisfaction Conflict between co-workers Conflict with your supervisor Not being appropriately paid for what you do Not having the necessary equipment or resources to succeed Lack of opportunities for promotion Having little or no say in decisions that affect you Fear of losing your job through downsizing or outsourcing Job itself may cause dissatisfaction( work may be boring, ill-suited to your interests, education and skills) 6

7 Consider Your Approach to Job Work If you approach work as a job, you focus primarily on the financial rewards. In fact, the nature of the work may hold little interest for you. What s important is the money. If a job with more pay comes your way, you ll move on. Career If you approach work as a career, you re interested in advancement. You want to climb the career ladder as far as possible or be among the most highly regarded professionals in your field. You re motivated by the status, prestige and power that come with the job. Calling If you approach your job as a calling, you focus on the work itself. You work less for the financial gain or career advancement than for the fulfillment the work brings. 7

8 Finding Your Sweet Spot Major Definite Purpose Career Job Calling 8

9 Set Challenges for Job Satisfaction Improve your job skills Imagining yourself in your dream job, you might see yourself as an excellent project manager a confident communicator and a highly organized person. Why not work on these skills in your present job? Develop your own project Take on a project that can motivate you and give you a sense of control. Start small, such as organizing a work-related celebration, before moving on to larger goals. Working on something you care about you can boost your confidence Mentor a co-worker Once you ve mastered a job, you may find it becoming routine. Helping a new co-worker or an intern advance his or her skills can often restore the challenge and the satisfaction you desire. 9

10 If Your Job is Boring Break up the monotony Take advantage of your work breaks. Read. Listen to music. Go for a walk. Write a letter. Volunteer for something different If you hear that your company is launching a new project, volunteer for the work team. Ask for a new challenge If you re comfortable doing so, tell your supervisor you re a little bored with what you re doing and would like a new challenge. 10

11 The Key is to Stay Positive Stop negative thoughts Pay attention to the messages you give yourself. When you catch yourself thinking your job is terrible, stop the thought in its track. Put things in perspective Remember, everyone encounters good days and bad days on the job. Everything can t be a deal breaker. Learn from your mistakes Failure is one of the greatest learning tools, but many people let failure defeat them. When you make a mistake at work, learn from it and try again. Be grateful Gratitude can help you focus on what s positive about your job. Ask yourself, What am I grateful for at work today? If it s only for having a lunch break, that s OK. 11

12 Strategies to Maximize Job Satisfaction Know yourself Know what is important to you and what is not. What kind of work tasks or activities are attractive to you. Be clear what you expect from or require of a job Research jobs that meet your expectations Take a career assessment. It will help you identify occupations that fit your personality and to get accurate information about each of them. Consult a professional career counselor Have realistic expectations Job satisfactions is a trade-off. You should not expect 100% satisfaction or 0% dissatisfaction. There are usually dissatisfactions even in the best of jobs. 12

13 Strategies to Maximize Job Satisfaction Separate the Intrinsic from the extrinsic If you are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the kind of work you are doing, you should consider a career change. If you are dissatisfied with the conditions of work, you might be able to set matters right by negotiating with your supervisors or your coworkers, or by changing companies. Think long-term Present dissatisfactions might be worth bearing if you see your career progressing. Examine your values You have to answer this question honestly: How important is your job, your career to you? Only when this questions is answered can you put your job satisfaction or dissatisfaction in proper perspective. 13

14 Capitalize on Your Strengths & Target Your Weaknesses Use them to your advantage Exercise Strengths Use your strengths to improve your weaknesses Identification Proactive plan for improvement Encourage teamwork to compensate for individual weaknesses 14

15 Necessary Resources for Job Satisfaction Physical--physical health and mobility Mental--ability and acquired skills (reading/comprehension, writing, computing) to deal with work/daily life. Emotional--ability to control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without engaging in self-destructive behavior Morals/Character--belief in doing what is right.

16 Necessary Resources for Job Satisfaction Support Systems--friends, family and backup resources Relationship/Role Models--frequent access to people who do not engage /encourage selfdestructive behavior Knowledge of Hidden Rules knowledge of the unspoken cues and habits of a group Financial--money to purchase goods and services

17 Out of Balance/Under Stress Under increasing stress, there is a decrease in productive thoughts and an increase in distracting thoughts. The greater the stress, the greater the distortion in perception of threat and poor judgment often occurs. The greater the fear, frustration and hostility aroused by crisis, the greater the tendency to aggression and escape behaviors. In a stressful situation (whether real or perceived stress), only immediate survival goals are considered and thoughtful considerations are sacrificed. 17

18 Human Function Curve Increased stress produces increased performance, initially We need a certain amount of stress to function Performance Good Stress Health tension Comfort zone THE HUMP Fatigue Distress Exhaustion Poor health Breakdown Arousal Stress Adapted from Nixon, P. 18

19 How work invades our Personal Life Global Economy International Business Advanced Communication Technology Longer Hours Changes in Family Roles 19

20 Work Life Balance is key strategy for Job Satisfaction Learning stress management and work life balance takes patience and commitment, but it s s benefits are priceless personally and professionally. By learning to take care of yourself while taking care of business, your work becomes more creative, effective and fulfilling. 20

21 Stress Relief for Job Satisfaction Decreasing or Discontinuing Caffeine Caffeine is a drug, a strong stimulant that actually generates a stress reaction in the body Regular Exercise Nothing beats aerobic exercise as a way of draining off stress energy Relaxation/Meditation Exercise dissipates stress energy, relaxation techniques neutralize it, producing a calming effect Sleep Get seven hours a sleep nightly, people who are tired do not cope well with stressful situations 21

22 Stress Relief for Job Satisfaction Realistic Expectations We often become upset about something, not because it s innately stressful, but because it does not concur with what they expected Reframing This is a technique used to change the way you look at things in order to feel better about them Recognizing Belief System Beliefs cause stress when they conflict with those of other people. Realize that the beliefs held by the other person are just as valid as your own Support System Sharing in the presence of a trusted and empathic listener is therapeutic for some Humor Laughter relieves tension. In fact, we often laugh hardest when 22 we have been feeling most tense

23 Strategies for Work/Life Balance Define and Manage Prioritizes Negotiate change with current employer Find a New Career/Job Avoid Procrastination/Manage Priorities not task Plan for Fun and Relaxation. 23

24 Rank Your Priorities Children Satisfying Career Community Service Religion/Spirituality Spouse/Significant Other Health Hobbies Adventure/Travel 24

25 Larry s short list for making a living Remember that you are not owed a living. A deal is a deal. Never forget it. Live by it. Remember the work ethic/life balance of our parents and grandparents Make yourself worth more than you cost Companies exist to make a profit/achieve goals, not to be sure you re happy. 25

26 Short list for loving your Job Love and enjoy what you do enough to be amazing at it. It takes more than passion, enthusiasm, love and enjoyment to be great a your job. Skill and Will are just as important. Some days you must put up with 90% of your job to get to the 10% you really enjoy Handle your Business. Plan for Pleasure and Have some Fun 26