H O W T O L O V E T H E J O B Y O U H A T E :^)
10.Don’t complain about your workload, job activities, boss, or coworkers. Dwelling on your problems will only make you more unhappy.
11.Praise others’ work. You’ll make the people you laud and yourself feel good.
12.Make friends with positive people. Avoid perpetual naysayers.
13.Don’t participate in mean-spirited gossip.
14.Add the simple phrase, “Thank you,” to your everyday vocabulary. A little appreciation can go a long way.
Strategy 9: Don’t Confuse Your Job with Your Life
You might not like your job, but it doesn’t have to ruin your life. Even if you aren’t free to leave, you can always find ways to improve your situation.
Sometimes, the only thing you can really change is your attitude. You might have to work hard, on occasion, to maintain a sense of humor. But have some fun, even if you don’t always feel like laughing. By lightening things up, you make your workday more enjoyable. And when the 9-to-5 part of your life goes more smoothly, it tends to make your nightlife better, too.
Every negative has a potential positive:
■If you’re bored with your job, you’ll have more energy and enthusiasm for the things you do after work, including hobbies, family outings, and community activities.
■If you don’t like the people you work with, it’ll make you more appreciative of the time you spend with others.
■If office politics are down-and-dirty, what better time to develop some political savvy? You might not like the struggle, but at least you can find something positive in it for you.
127
:^) C H A P T E R 6
Strategy 10: Have a Plan to Get Out
If you hate your job, you should develop a blueprint for leaving, even if you can’t implement it immediately. When you know you’re actively engaged in creating alternatives, you can put your current situation into a larger context that makes it more tolerable.
“It helps to know that even though you aren’t happy now, you won’t have to be unhappy forever,” says Laurie Anderson. “It’s just a question of negotiating the timing.”
How to Love the Job You Hate
Thought-Starter Worksheet
1.What do you hate most about your job?
2.Do you hate your company’s management practices?
3.If so, how would you like to see them changed?
4.Is there any way you can influence management policies more?
128
H O W T O L O V E T H E J O B Y O U H A T E :^)
5.Do you hate your boss? If so, why?
6.What can you do to improve that relationship?
7.Have you tried to understand your boss’s point of view?
8.If you and your boss are destined not to get along, how much does this affect your peace of mind on a day-to-day basis?
9.Is there another department or division you can transfer to?
10.Do you have enough information and contacts throughout the company to transfer into another area?
11.Is your upward mobility stymied?
12.Are there any skills, experiences, or horizontal moves you can obtain to get unstuck?
(continues)
129
:^) C H A P T E R 6
(continued)
13.How do you feel about your co-workers?
14.Can you honestly say that you’ve made a concerted effort to get along with the people you work with—even if you don’t like them?
15.Do you consider yourself a competitive person?
16.Does your ambition ever get in the way of cooperation (be honest)?
17.Are you bored with your job responsibilities? If so, can you identify or initiate new activities that’d be more stimulating?
18.Is your paycheck the problem?
19.Can you negotiate bonuses or variable-rate increases based on your performance?
20.Can you think of any other ways to make your work day and/or environment more satisfying?
130
H O W T O L O V E T H E J O B Y O U H A T E :^)
21.If you’re committed to staying in a job you dislike, how hard are you really trying to make it better?
22.Have you gotten used to being miserable?
23.Can you try harder to be happy?
131
CHAPTER 7
Layoff Survivors’ Dilemma: Put Up or Shut Up
Wherein our hero asks “What in the world am I doing here?”
—Laurence G. Boldt, Zen and the Art of Making a Living
When his employer decided to downsize its workforce (yet again), a purchasing agent was given five minutes to say
“yea” or “nay” to doubling his workload and keeping his job. With a ton of debts and two small children at home depending on him, he didn’t see much of a choice—just one gigantic burden. So instead of walking out the door with the rest of his co-workers, the purchasing agent reluctantly replied “yes.” He doesn’t feel the least bit grateful for the opportunity to keep his position. On the contrary, he’s frustrated, mad, and resentful about being forced to do twice the work for the same amount of money.
The marketing director for a television station feels the same way. She lost half her staff to layoffs, and her workload tripled overnight. Although she doesn’t feel she has the luxury to quit, she doesn’t have the heart to do the work, either.
It doesn’t help that both these professionals also feel they no longer have a voice in what happens in their departments. Such an outlook can wreak havoc on your motivation. A once-energetic and enthusiastic manager can easily become the classic employee who shows up to collect a paycheck but doesn’t want to do the work.
133