At the end of a year, it is natural to reflect on the past twelve months and think about accomplishments vs. goals. At Corporate Path Leadership, we hear similar stories of new hope and vision for the upcoming year – and often time that hope accompanies thoughts of a new job or career.
Does this inner voice sound familiar? “This will be the year to find something better. This will be the year to find something more meaningful and aligned to our true passion.”
But what if we are seeking a path that may not readily exist? Of course, there are better and worse cultures and companies out in the world, but by changing jobs we could find ourselves in a same situation but different company name.
Perhaps it is our attitude toward work and companies that needs more assessment and reflection?
John Coleman wrote an article for Harvard Business Review challenged readers to think differently about their current work to find meaning in it. He asserted that investing in positive relationships at work, making your work a craft and reminding yourself about why you work in the first place are all good pivot points to finding meaning in your current job. However, the most important piece of advice that jumped out to us at Corporate Path Leadership, was linking your current role/job to service.
“Teachers can see every day the young lives they are shaping – and visualize the lasting impact they may have on the young lives they touch. Corporate accountants can connect themselves mentally to the larger work of their organizations and take pride and purpose in the customers they help. Who do you serve? Connecting our day-to-day jobs – consciously and concretely – to those we’re ultimately serving makes completing that work more purposeful.”
-- John ColemanConsider this a personal challenge for your existing job/career in 2018. Think about who you serve and how you make their lives better. Now think about the specific things that you can do to be more effective at bringing satisfaction to those people, teams, clients, etc. How can you slightly alter your thinking about your work in such a way to be more aligned to those positive outcomes for both you and your stakeholders? It is a subtle – but meaningful – shift in approach and one that can make a big difference.
Instead of throwing in the towel for your existing position for 2018, how about throwing a change of work perspective. You may find the investment more rewarding and change significantly less daunting in the twelve months ahead.