Crafting your recipe for GREAT work (that works for you!)
We all have different motivations and mindsets for working. But we all work because work provides us with something we need (or want). Some work to pursue their crazy passions, others work for professional prestige. Some work for cash money, others work to feel as if they are contributing to something larger than themselves #millennial #idealist #me.
But how many of us have really taken the time to reflect and understand what our motivations for work are? How many of us have taken the time to build our recipe for GREAT work? (not me… until recently)
Building clarity on who and what makes you feel energized is the first step to cultivate work that really works for you. A clearer understanding of your recipe for fulfilling work will help you opt-out of the many distractions life throws our way, and enable you to focus on the 1% of people, organisations and opportunities that align with your strengths, vision, and values.
Before we get into the action, let’s take a quick look at some of the research #theboffins
Understanding our mindsets
At the heart of our recipe is an understanding of our mindset to work. In essence, why do I work? Amy Wrzesniewski (a Yale Prof’) talks about three different orientations people view their work:
- A job: a necessity that’s not a major positive in our lives (think paycheck to fund life outside of work)
- A career: something to “win” or “advance” (think prestige and social status)
- A calling: a source of enjoyment and fulfillment where you’re doing socially useful work (think self-expression and meaning)
The point is not to say that one orientation is better than the other (and these are not exclusive categories), but for us to build a better understanding of our current orientation and how this affects our motivation and satisfaction with our work.
Understanding our motivations
Related to this, our recipe requires an understanding of our motivations. In essence, what motivates me to do great work? One real motivator for most is money, and money obviously matters. But how much does it matter for you?
All the research tells us that money is important, but it is far from the number 1 motivator. Daniel Pink in his book Drive points to 3 key areas that lead to enhanced performance and personal satisfaction:
- Autonomy: the desire to be self-directed
- Mastery: the urge to keep improving at something that’s important to us
- Purpose: the sense that what we do produces something transcendent or serves something meaningful beyond ourselves
Psychology Today also talk about 3 factors that are the building blocks of motivation:
- Security: getting paid “enough” and feeling secure in our job
- Identity: feeling proud about working for a company or team and getting recognised for our efforts
- Stimulation: working on exciting projects and learning new skills in new domains
Whilst all of these are probably present to some degree for you, the important question is which of these play the largest role in your recipe for fulfilling work?
Building your recipe for work that works for you
Enough of the small talk. Let’s get down to business.
Inspired by the book “How to Find Fulfilling Work”, I want to share an exercise that will help you get clearer on your recipe for fulfilling work. You don’t have to be actively looking for a change, and you might already be very happy with your current work. The only requirement is that you are seeking to build a better understanding of yourself (the good and the bad).
To build our recipe we must use a little imagination and create some space for a little reflection.
“ Study the past if you would define the future.” Confucius
Now we are all fired up with a bit of Confucius, let’s get the ball rolling!
Step 1: Re-imaging our work
Have you noticed that our job descriptions are focused on the hard (boring) stuff — responsibilities and qualifications — rather than around talents and individual traits?
Similarly, our career searches are often driven by salary, sector, size of company, function, and responsibilities in the role. But are these the things which really drive your satisfaction and success in a role?
Let’s have a bit of fun and turn the idea of a standard job search upside down! Let’s imagine that instead of companies advertising career openings on job boards, people publicly advertised their what they were looking for.
And instead of people advertising what sector, function and responsibilities they were looking for, let’s imagine that we only shared the stuff that really drives our fulfillment… Let’s imagine that we only shared our unique recipe of what makes work GREAT (this sounds like one messed up cooking school).
Step 2: Reflecting on what tastes good (for you)
Now we have re-imaged the world, it’s time to find a quiet spot armed with a pen and some paper (ideally writing paper vs baking paper). Take your time to answer the below questions. Remember, our recipe is never going to be perfect, and do not worry if nothing insightful comes right away. Just start writing whatever comes into your mind without editing or judgment #easiersaidthandone.
My mindset and motivations
- Why do I work? What defines worthwhile or interesting work for me? What do growth, fulfillment, money have to do with it?
- What motivates me to do my best work? What role do learning, recognition, meaning play?
My best work
- When am I at my best? How do I show up? What I am doing? Who am I with?
- What really energises me? When did I come home from work bursting with exciting stories? When was I most looking forward to a day at work?
My Talents
- What are my strengths? What comes naturally to me? What are my superpowers?
- What are my personal qualities? What do people say about me?
My interests
- What am I curious about? What do I naturally seek to learn more about?
- What are my passions? What do I love?
My values
- What do I really value in life?
- What causes do I believe in?
What else is really important to me (things like location, travel, $$$ etc)?
Step 3: Identifying your hero ingredients
Once you have some of this on paper (in a very messy way), the next step is to reflect on your answers. What are the key themes? What came up time and time again? What really drives your fulfillment in your career?
After a walk and some thought, for me it came down to three broad areas:
1. The people I work with: For me, and for most, it is my manager who has the number one impact on my growth and satisfaction.
2. The skills I am using every day: For me, it is less of a factor of what “activities” I am completing, and more about the playing to my strengths and growing my skills on a daily basis.
3. The values of the organisation: Last but not least, I want to see a strong alignment between my organisation values and my own personal values.
Based on your themes (or using the above) write down the specific details of what really matters for you. This could be as a poster sketch or a word document — whatever works for you.
Step 4: Getting others to taste your recipe
We are not alone in our journey. Now that you are (hopefully) a little clearer on your recipe for fulfilling work, a next step is to share this with others to get inspiration, feedback or advice.
One option is to make a list of ~10 people you know from different walks of life who have a range of job/careers/callings and share your recipe. Ask them to recommend specific work that might fit with what you have written.
Another option and something I did is to share this with potential employers as a way to better understand if your values are aligned. Some organisations genuinely didn’t see the purpose of me sharing such a document, and others loved it. For me, this has become a valuable tool that helps me assess and evaluate my different opportunities.
Step 5: Keep refining your cooking!
This is just the start and your recipe will continue to evolve. But for now: Don’t forget to lick the bowl! What did you learn about yourself? What work did people recommend for you? How can this help you refine your work? Are there any opportunities you could start to explore?
As someone who is constantly getting excited/distracted about different opportunities, I have found my recipe a powerful tool that helps me cultivate opportunities and enable my growth.
My (current) recipe is below. I plan to tweak it and pass it down for generations to come! How clear are you on your recipe for fulfillment and success?
#Lesson 6: We must do the work to get clear on what works for us! Only then can we cultivate opportunities that enable us to be at our best.
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