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Career Satisfaction and Career Change
Finding Work that You Love
by Debra Lea Thorsen
Are you satisfied in your work?
I attract lots of clients who are struggling with career issues.
Many of them are unsatisfied in their current job situation. I
have heard probably every reason possible for job dissatisfaction.
"My boss is a jerk." "The company doesn't value
me." "I don't find my work meaningful." "I
keep getting passed over for promotions." "The company
expects me to work insane hours." All of these reasons seem
pretty valid.
The thing is that a lot of these "problems" tend to
follow my clients around from job to job. Yes, there are some
pretty lousy bosses out there and many companies have unrealistic
expectations of their employees. But, as I delve deeper with my
clients, I often find that underlying their job dissatisfaction
is a mismatch between who my clients are and the company OR the
career that they have chosen.
Here is a 3 step process to make sure you are playing the game
that best works for you.
1. Determine your
current level of satisfaction.
Take the LIFE SATISFACTION
SURVEY
What showed up for you in the career and financial sections?
If your satisfaction level is lower than a 6 in these areas, let's
determine the source of your dissatisfaction to see if you need
to switch games or learn how to play your current game more effectively.
2. Determine the
source of your unhappiness.
If you are dissatisfied in your current work situation, the first
question you need to answer is: "Am I unhappy with my work
role or with my work culture?"
Choosing the Role that is Right for Me
In order to play a work role that is aligned with your true
nature and calling, you must know who you are. This includes
an honest evaluation of your skills and aptitude. What work
do you perform naturally and effortlessly? Also, you must know
what your value in the world and what your life purpose is.
I work with my clients on this over a period of six months.
Below are some of the tools that I use with my clients and provide
to you free of charge:
Clarifying My Values
Writing my Purpose and Mission
Statements
If you find that your work role is in alignment with your natural
abilities, values, and purpose but you are still not happy,
then we need to look at the environment in which you are doing
your work.
Choosing the Culture that is Right for Me
Many of my clients are unhappy in their current companies because
of the corporate culture and its work environment. Every company
has a unique corporate culture. You may enjoy your work and
find it gives you lots of energy, but you are not thriving in
your current company.
I help my clients to diagnose their company culture and determine
whether or not they fit into this culture. Corporate culture
is a powerful and invisible force. The more that you understand
how culture influences you and those around you, the better
you will be at making informed decisions about your career.
Here are some questions that you can ask yourself and your
co-workers about your company's culture:
- What behavior is rewarded in this company?
- What does it take to get promoted?
- Does this company have a set of core values? If so, do
the leaders of the company behave in alignment with the
values?
- What is the purpose of this company? Is this purpose in
alignment with my personal purpose?
- How does my mood and energy change when I walk in the
front door of my office?
If you find that you don't fit into your current company culture,
I recommend that you do an informal or formal survey of your
co-workers to see if the culture doesn't fit you or doesn't
fit anyone. Culture Builders' State
of the Firm Assessment is one approach that I have used
successfully with many companies.
If most of the people in your organization are happy and fit
into the culture, then I suggest that you find an organization
that is a better fit for your.
If you learn that most of the people in your company are unhappy
with the corporate culture, then work together to change it.
Yes, it is true that the culture probably works for many of
the people in the leadership team or, even if it isn't working,
they have succeeded by playing the current rules and so have
a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
But, you and your coworkers have a right to work in a healthy
and productive culture. This is just as important to your well-being
as a fair paycheck. How do you change your corporate culture?
Decide what values you want to live. Get clear on the purpose
of the company. Then start to have conversations about what
culture you would like to create. What would the work environment
look like? How are people treated? What behavior gets rewarded?
What happens when you break a promise? Can you say "I don't
know"? Start having the corporate culture conversation
and continue having the conversation on a regular basis. Corporate
culture is created and maintained on a daily basis through mundane
actions.
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