Work smart to stay ahead

Source: DH Living, September 16, 2017

"PEOPLE WHO DON’T SHY AWAY FROM NEW EXPERIENCES, RISE HIGHER AND FASTER IN THEIR CAREERS"

CAREER-CONSCIOUS; Does your workplace atmosphere bog you down and you don’t enjoy your job anymore? It’s time to rethink you work-life philosophy, says Swatee Jog

In his book, Can You Teach A Zebra Some Algebra?, author Debashis Chatterjee narrates an anecdote about Mahatma Gandhi. While visiting a school, he happened to ask each teacher about what he teaches. Every teacher talks about the subject he or she teaches math, science, etc. A surprised Gandhiji asks the teachers, "Does anyone teach the students here?” I am always reminded of this incident whenever I hear people talk about their jobs.

I am yet to come across a person who says that he loves his job and is really happy about the salary he gets or the joy he derives while working. In fact, a few years ago, a senior at my B-School conducted a flash survey outside the college gates and randomly asked people if they were happy with their jobs and salary. To our amusement, each one had sordid tales to narrate about how they were suffering at their work.

Fight the dissatisfaction

Why is it that a large number of people are not passionate about their work? Every office-goer has stories to tell about lazy colleagues who steal stationery, curse the HR for the dismal increment, rue about their bosses and in general, feel awful about their work at all times. This feeling of discontent is not limited to those who are employed, even housewives complain about being bound to their homes and wasting their precious years.

Want to hear something brutal? The work situation you are in is a choice that you have made with full understanding. Yes, this may sound harsh, but you chose this line of work and it is important that you give it your 100%, and there is no two ways about it.

If you make this choice happily and take responsibility for it, then it becomes all the more easy for you to enjoy the work that you do. Think calmly about how your job gives meaning to your life and how you can extract its full worth by making major contributions at work.

I have often heard people say that employees will work only as much as they are paid for. A businessman knows the ups and downs of his enterprise. A housewife knows that her work at home has to be accomplished while the family is away. When you accept this, it is your moral duty to put in 100% to the work at hand. Staying back to complete a task for a few extra minutes, volunteering to initiate or handle an assignment, taking responsibility for some project that is not under their purview, are things that people shrug off.

Barring respectful exceptions, people in general seem to look at ways and means to avoid work rather than go beyond their call of duty. The feeling that I will contribute only as much as I’m paid for, is not only harmful to the organisation, but also to one’s personal growth and it also affects one’s overall feeling about life.

Loving your work is one of the most joyous feelings in life. We work not just to earn our livelihood, but we derive our identity from our work. A simple question like "who are you?” elicits the answer about our profession.

It is important that you choose to do something that you absolutely enjoy doing. There is no other to look at it. When US President John F Kennedy visited NASA in 1962, he noticed a janitor carrying a broom. He stopped at him and said, "Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy. What are you doing?” "Well, Mr President,” the janitor responded, "I’m helping put a man on the moon.” This is a classic example of how you can find meaning in your work and feel passionate about doing it to the best of your abilities.

Monetary objectives

The joy that your work gives you cannot be measured in salary. Of course, there is no denying the fact that salary is equally important. But equating the quantum and quality of work with salary does huge injustice to the work and reflects in a poor quality of life too.

I’ve been working for almost 15 years now, and I happily celebrate my work anniversary every year. There is a very simple test to determine if you really love what you do. Every night as you hit the bed, ask yourself if you are excited about going back to work the next day. If you don’t feel happy with the prospect, stop and see if you need to change your attitude or your line of work altogether.

Being passionate about your job has several benefits. You can focus on getting your tasks done in the best possible way, in time and bring in innovation wherever possible, without getting tired of the routine.

Stressful work environment and lack of monetary rewards are some of the most common reasons for disliking work. The former can be managed with some self-training, while the latter can be achieved only with hard work.

Kill the negativity

Workplaces, especially in the corporate sector, are fraught with their own politics, underpinnings and a general feeling of competition among co-workers. Dealing with setbacks and negative feedbacks sportingly, reduces the stress associated with work.

Keep in mind that people are inherently good and that circumstances or behaviour could be bad. This easy-going approach will help you maintain a healthy relationship with co-workers. You may be passionate about your work, but your colleagues may not share similar sentiments. In such cases, it is important to motivate yourself. Stay focused and consistent in your efforts. Be proactive and help people before they can ask, show genuine interest and concern wherever possible, praise small achievements and before you know it, you would have created a positive circle of trust at your work place.

Realistic expectations

Managing expectations is crucial to avoid feeling frustrated about work. Everyone gets hired for their skills and abilities. So if you expect perks, just work towards it with full vigour. Ask yourself if you are doing enough. It is fine to have high expectations, but then enhancing productivity and contribution is the key. Speaking to your seniors about your expectations will help you gain clarity about your career graph and future.

The only way to climb up the success ladder is by opening up to new experiences. In fact, people who don’t shy away from new experiences take on fresh responsibilities and dive deep into work, almost always turn richer in terms of expertise and rise higher and faster in their careers.

Some of your co-workers may frown upon that fact that you genuinely enjoy your work, put in more time and effort or go out of your way to succeed. It is better to ignore unsupportive colleagues.

The fine balance

One must learn to demarcate the personal and the professional spheres of life. Too much distraction loved ones, social media or household tensions may make you feel that work is a chore. Although you cannot fully insulate the two, compartmentalising is the key. As Sheryl Sandberg said in her bestselling book Lean In, there is no such thing as work-life balance left today. All you have is work and life and there’s no balancing the two! However, there must be some sanctity of the workplace, which provides you a means to enjoy the other part of life.

One can also train the mind to enjoy work. It is not possible to make all work enjoyable. However, you can inject fun elements to your regular work day. Working with passion and enjoying it definitely leads to a better personal life because you are less stressed out.

Thanks for reading!!