Q: Lately I’ve been feeling unproductive at the office and am at the point where my job feels monotonous with no meaning or purpose. Any ideas on how to get re-engaged?
—Feeling Stuck
A: We all want our work to have meaning and purpose. But when that isn’t happening, you might want to take a step back and redesign how you do your work. For instance, when was the last time you looked at your job description with a fresh pair of eyes? A few employers encourage workers to redesign their job, and they offer additional training or coaching to help you with the process. Consider sharing your thoughts with your supervisor, a mentor or human resources manager, who may have some creative ideas to support your efforts. And, there are even simpler ways to jump-start productivity and break the monotony by rethinking or rearranging job tasks to make your work more fulfilling. Try freshening your workspace by rearranging your desktop to get more organized. It can boost your spirit and even increase your efficiency and productivity. Consider seeking out new co-workers to join you for coffee or lunch. You just might find a valuable ally or mentor. Most important, we all need to balance our workday to maintain energy and concentration. Take a daily mental break. (After all, isn’t that why they invented Starbucks?) For people whose jobs don’t afford much latitude, it may help to focus on small wins, such as making face-to-face contact every week with customers or suppliers who appreciate your work. Not knowing the underlying reason for your dissatisfaction, it’s possible you may need to leave your job. However, please keep in mind, every job has its high and low moments. You may be confusing monotony with boredom, which might be resolved by doing some fulfilling volunteer work to reignite your enthusiasm and motivation. I hope you take the time to seriously consider each of your opportunities.
P.S. to Employers: It’s no surprise that companies with a reputation for strong employee engagement have been shown to be more successful. According to the article ‘Global Best Practices’ in The Financial Times (Feb. 26, 2016): “The link between employee attitudes and business performance has been known for decades. More recently, a 2012 Gallup study of 192 organizations in 49 industries, 54 countries and 1.4 million employees found …. businesses with employee engagement nearly doubled their performance outcome.” While corporate volunteering and philanthropic investments are powerful engagement tools for employees, companies also need to balance their volunteer programs with the nature of their business. That said, workplace volunteering makes sound business sense and contributes to a happy, engaged workforce.
If you have a question for Joan, send it to business@townandstyle.com. Joan Lee Berkman is a marketing and public relations consultant.