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Align Your Time With What You Want |
Work Doesn’t Have Much Meaning Anymore – Part 2
Change that in 15 minutes
by Dr. R. James Steffen
In Part 1, we saw that Jim Koerner felt work didn’t have much meaning anymore. The article went on to show how you could begin to change that feeling in just fifteen minutes by having a clearly written idea of what you really want from work. The Take-Home Value for you was increased motivation, meaning and inner fulfillment from your work. The following box was used at the end of the article:
The Critical First Step
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Write a work mission, i.e., your purpose for working,
that has as much value for you as possible. |
Problem/Challenge
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Select a title for Dr. Steffen's
new book
Choices:
I. Manage Just This Moment:
II. The Aligned Thinker:
III. Make Every Moment Count:
1. How Successful People ...
2. How Exceptional People ...
3. How Outstanding People ...
A. ... get what they really want from life
B. ... get the most from their time and life
C. ... get the most from their business and personal life
To vote for a title, select one phrase from each of the three sets above.
If you select III 1 A, you selected: Make Every Moment Count: How Successful People get what they really want from life.
In one email, you may select your first and second choice.
Please send your selections to rjsteffen@SSAinternational.com.
Your name will be entered into a drawing for a copy of the book as soon as it is published in the fall. |
Since less than 10 percent of people have a clearly written work mission, there must be some problem or challenge in writing one. What might this problem or challenge be? Suppose you took a blank piece of paper and worked at your desk until you had a clearly written work mission that had as much value as possible for you. This would probably take you longer than 15 minutes.
Let me share four considerations, and then show you how to respond to these considerations so you can create your work mission that has as much value for you as possible in just 15 minutes.
Four Critical Considerations
Consideration #1: You
Why do we begin with you? Since this is your work mission, it is critical that we start with you. What do you REALLY WANT FROM WORK? This is not an easy question to answer in just a few minutes. I have done research for about 25 years on the topic. With the help of this research and input from thousands of people, I believe you can answer this question with great depth in about five minutes. We now have 10 minutes left for the last three considerations.
Consideration #2: Your Significant Other(s)
You don’t want this work mission to be an exercise in selfishness. If the goal is to have as much value in your work purpose as possible, you should include your significant other(s). Here we have a two-fold question: Who are your significant other(s) and what do want to earn from work for them?
Consideration #3: Those You Service—Employees or Clients
An important part of creating your work mission in just 15 minutes is how you put your mission together, not just who is involved. How you ask yourself these questions is very important. The first part of this consideration is: whom do you serve at work? The answer could be your paying clients. The answer could also be those you serve in your company. Or you may serve both internal and external people. If you are a manager, you service those who report to you and the person or persons that you report to. The second part of consideration #3 is: What will you provide those you service in order to earn what you want from work for yourself and your significant other(s)?
Consideration #4: Your Organization
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The final question is: What will you provide your organization so that you can earn what you want from work for yourself and your significant others? Your answer might be the same as in consideration #3 or it could add something extra.
Learning Made Easy By Example
Most people find it easier to do something when they see or experience an example. I believe you’ll find the following example an easy guide to create your own work mission with as much value in your purpose as possible.
Suppose you are a manager in a services company. Here is how you can create your own mission for working in just 15 minutes.
Consideration #1: What Do I Really Want From Work?
The following activity has been created with input from thousands of people. Every one of these needs and wants may be good, but if you select all of them you will lose focus. By picking the 10 most important and then ranking them individually, you may get what you focus on.
Take a few minutes to do the following: First, follow direction “A,” then “B.”
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What I Need And Want From My Work To Be Very Satisfied/Delighted With My Work |
A. IMPORTANCE
Put “X” next to the 10 highest values |
B. RANK
(1-5)
1 = highest
2 = 2nd highest, etc. |
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1. Accomplishment (achievement) |
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2. Adventure (excitement) |
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3. Authority (power, control, decision-making ability) |
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4. Challenge (opportunity to overcome obstacles and produce significant results) |
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5. Creativity (opportunity to find a “better way”) |
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6. Diversity (variety, things frequently change) |
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7. Education (learn new things) |
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8. Excellence (being good at what I do) |
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9. Financial security (enough money now and in the future) |
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10. Freedom (autonomy to do things) |
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11. Fun (enjoyment of work and people with whom I work) |
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12. Meaning (opportunity to make a difference) |
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13. Progress (feeling I’m going somewhere) |
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14. Promotion (upward mobility) |
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15. Opportunity to express myself |
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16. Opportunity to grow and do new things |
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17. Opportunity to serve others (satisfied clients) |
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18. Recognition (appreciation for a job well done) |
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19. Responsibility (personal accountability) |
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20. Self-fulfillment (satisfaction) |
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21. Social interaction (working with stimulating, powerful people) |
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22. Status (image, respect of others) |
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23. Wealth (making lots of money, getting rich) |
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24. |
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25. |
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If you selected: 4. Challenge, 1.Accomplishment, 18. Recognition, 9. Financial security and 10. Freedom in that order, you would answer the next part in the following way.
Directions: Complete the following. You do not need to have five things in each class as it relates to what you really want from work for yourself.
From my work, I want to gain the following for myself:
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Item |
Explained |
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1. Challenge |
My best days are when I can overcome an important challenge. |
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2. Accomplishment |
This is when I feel life is worthwhile—inner fulfillment at its fullest. |
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3. Recognition |
When my customers (those I serve) are very satisfied—I like it. |
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4. Financial security |
I need this to do all the things I want for myself and others. |
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5. Freedom |
When I feel I’m not free to do what I really want, I don’t feel inner fulfillment. |
Consideration #2: My Significant Others
Directions: From my work, I will provide the following for my significant other(s):
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Significant Other(s) |
What I will provide |
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1. My life partner |
She/he deserves the best—and I want to provide it. |
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2. My kids |
Again the best—giving to them is like receiving. |
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3. My parents |
To help make their golden years truly golden—I owe them a lot. |
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4. My three charities |
To contribute to my church, my community and the poor of the world |
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5. My family |
To have the ability to travel together regularly |
Consideration #3: Those I Serve
Directions: In order to give my significant others and myself the things I want from work, I will provide my clients (those I serve both internally and externally) with the following:
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Clients I serve |
What I will provide |
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1. Those who pay the bills |
Read their needs and make them very satisfied so they come back. |
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2. My direct reports |
Helping them succeed is helping me and our organization. |
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3. My boss |
He gives me freedom—I want to earn it daily—and succeed for him. |
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4. My colleagues |
They help me—I want them to look good in return. |
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5. |
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Consideration #4: My Organization
Directions: In order to give my significant other(s) and myself the things I want from work, I will provide my organization with the following from my work:
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Organization |
What I will provide |
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My division |
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When you follow this model, you will have a well-written work mission with as much value as possible in a very short time. When you do this, you will have a win on many levels.
Win #1—Consideration #1—You
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When you have written your work-related mission using this model, you will have a much better chance of getting what you really want for two reasons. First, you know what you really want. Many do not. Second, you can align all your actions to your clear mission. This will give each action more meaning, which will give your life as a whole more meaning, motivation and inner fulfillment.
Win #2—Consideration #2—Your Significant Other(s)
Your mission is not a selfish “I want.” You have taken into consideration those important to you. This provides two positive outcomes: justice to those you love and increased meaning from your work because you are also working for them.
Win #3—Considerations #3 and #4
The flow of the questions shows how you are going to earn what you want for yourself and your significant other(s) by specifying what you will provide those you serve and your company. This makes it easier to provide for those you serve and your company. You are not working just to make money. You can see how what you are doing, even if it is very difficult, is related to what you want for yourself and your significant other(s).
A Provocative Thought
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If you receive only pay and no meaning from work,
you are certainly underpaid. |
15-Second Summary—Your Take-Home Value
Problem/Challenge from Part 1
Work does not have much meaning anymore.
Solution
Create a clear, written work mission, i.e., your purpose for working, that has as much value for you as possible.
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To receive immediate help
in creating your own huge, value-filled work mission in just 15 minutes, go to SSAinternational.com/atinow.htm.
When you arrive at your personal home page, do Step 2A to create your work-filled mission.
Do Step 1A, and your Virtual Personal Coach will do an assessment of how you presently use your time and then create a plan for your immediate improvement.
The site is free for the first 14 days. |
Problem/Challenge: Part 2
It is difficult to create a clearly written work mission. Less than 10 percent of working people have one.
Solution
Answering these four questions will give you a clear, written work mission that has as much value for you as possible:
1. Self
WHAT DO I REALLY WANT from work?
2. Significant Other(s)
Who are my significant other(s) and what do I want from work for them?
3. Those I Serve at Work
Whom do I serve—internally and externally—at work? What will I provide them in order to earn what I want for my significant other(s) and myself from work?
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4. My Company
What will I provide my company in order to earn what I want for my significant other(s) and myself from work?
Results You Can Expect
Within a very short time, you will create a value-filled work mission. Aligning every work action to your value-filled mission will help you optimize your motivation, meaning and inner fulfillment from work.
Future Challenges
If your work mission contains WHAT YOU REALLY WANT FROM WORK, how do you stay focused on it? There are some very simple tools that can be used to stay focused and increase both your accomplishment and satisfaction at work. Watch for How to stay focused on WHAT YOU REALLY WANT at work in a future issue of PSJ.
Questions
If you have questions about this article or how to get more from your time and your life, email me at rjsteffen@SSAinternational.com, I will answer you.
The material for this article comes from Dr. R. James Steffen’s new book: Make Every Moment Count; How to get the most from your business and personal life and make both a celebration.
To read a few chapters or more articles, go to SSAinternational.com.
The insights for this article and Dr. Steffen’s new book come from his work with 140 Fortune 500 Companies to help their employees get the most from their business and personal lives.
He is available for seminars and workshops on this material at 203-740-8400 or rjsteffen@SSAinternational.com.
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