6 tips to putting the joy back in your job

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Is it possible to make work enjoyable and inspiring when you dread office hours? Michael Gullan of G&G Advocacy, an e-learning consultancy, shares a simple strategy for finding happiness – and success – in your career.

“There are ways to achieve greater job satisfaction that don’t involve resigning,” said Gullan, “just a little reflection, self-evaluation, and a few small changes can help employees show up happy and engaged and ready to succeed at work.”

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What do you dislike about your job?

Take time to identify the things you don’t enjoy about work. Is it your colleagues, a toxic company culture, are you in over your head, or is the role simply uninspiring and boring?

Once you understand the exact causes of your discontent, as opposed to believing that everything about your job sucks, you’ll be in a better position to take specific corrective action. For example, if you’re not performing as well as you’d like to, level up your skills by participating in the organisation’s eLearning programme. If your colleagues are negative or the culture is toxic, take back your power by strengthening your people skills and resilience.

“Remember, we learn more about ourselves from difficult situations than easy ones,” said Gullan. “That unreasonable boss or customer can be your greatest teacher.”

Which tasks excite and energise you?

“It’s rare that every aspect of an employee’s job leaves them feeling unfulfilled. The key is to identify what tasks are energizing and do more of them,” said Gullan.

While going about your day, take stock of the tasks that fill you up. Talk to your colleagues and team leaders to figure out how you can do more of the uplifting tasks. Remember, every job, no matter the industry or level of seniority, has a mix of stimulating and tedious aspects to it, so it’s up to you to proactively put your hand up for more of what makes you happy and put your head down and get through the uninspiring tasks.

What are your strengths?

List your unique skills and strengths and craft your job to utilise your strengths more proactively. Your manager might initially be hesitant to restructure your responsibilities. In time, they’ll notice your improved performance, positivity, and engagement and may be open to assigning you more opportunities to shine. Remember, managers want their teams to excel as it makes them look good too.

“It’s up to the employee to proactively make their work more meaningful and satisfying,” said Gullan.

What can you improve?

Depending on the role and industry, almost every employee should continually look for ways to learn more, enhance their skills, and grow as people. Take an objective look at your weaknesses. Nobody’s perfect, and everybody has room to learn and grow.

Once you know your growth opportunities, plan to upskill or reskill yourself via the organisation’s Learning and Development programmes, or courses outside your company. When people learn new information and skills, they’re automatically more motivated and engaged.

“Employees who adopt a growth mindset are committed to enhancing their skills and performance. This should be an ongoing, proactive pursuit by the employee,” said Gullan.

Which colleagues bring you down?

“Supporting colleagues going through a tough time at work may seem like the right thing to do, but don’t allow their negativity to affect you,” said Gullan.

Identify pessimistic colleagues, and rather than commiserating with them, get out of their way so they’re empowered to overcome their work challenges. Gravitate to positive and uplifting relationships and observe those colleagues who inspire you to be a better version of yourself.

Will the grass be greener?

Before seriously considering a job move, be sure that similar problems do not follow you to your next job. Also, ensure you’re not running away from challenges you should face and overcome.

“Sometimes difficult work challenges are bridges to the life and career employees aspire to,” said Gullan. Gullan suggests breaking challenges down into small, achievable steps and taking time to acknowledge each accomplishment. Nobody can change everything immediately, but you can make small improvements that, over time, add up to significant achievements.

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Do it now. Do it scared. Do it anyway.

In addition to taking all the proactive steps to find joy in your job, such as identifying the tasks that cause you discontent, polishing your strengths, avoiding draining colleagues, and sharpening your skills and knowledge, Gullan suggests the “Do it now. Do it scared. Do it anyway.” This mantra helped him and his team at G&G Advocacy grow their organisation into leaders in their field. It fosters a philosophy of proactivity, personal accountability, and growth.

Do it now: Don’t avoid difficult or boring actions hoping they’ll resolve themselves, go away, or until the pressure becomes too much. Get the complex and tedious tasks over and done with. “If you can get it done in two minutes, do it now," added Gullan.

Do it scared: Don’t let fear get in the way of achieving your goals. Courage is taking action despite being afraid. “When you prioritise action over fear, there’s nothing you can’t achieve.”

Do it anyway: Excuses such as: Too tired. Too difficult. No time will get in the way of your success. When you “Do it anyway,” you’ll breakthrough boundaries you never imagined possible. “Remember there are no mistakes, only learning opportunities,” concluded Gullan.