Aligning the Elements of Your Work Life

Are the elements of your work life aligned to help you become engaged with your work? I'd like to think that we could answer "yes" to this question. But, I suspect many of us would hesitate to respond in the affirmative. Although we may recognize that something is "off" in our work lives — we fail to seek needed change. It's best to take the time to formulate an effective plan. But first we have to explore the following question: What is really holding us back?

Most of us deal with troublesome work life issues that create "drag" — and there are a number of key areas that we could identify as offenders. Individually, these issues may appear tolerable — and we make do. Yet, collectively they negatively shift our view, disrupting the eco-system of our work lives. This can occur insidiously, until we awake to find that we no longer feel energized by our work. We become increasingly uncomfortable, and ever so slowly, we begin to disengage.

Identifying the sources of "drag" is a critical exercise.

We often consider "system" alignment when evaluating the health of an organization, and we can aptly borrow this perspective to gain insight into our own work lives. There are core areas which ultimately help an organization (and the individuals within it) to develop and function effectively (See this recent HBR post.) These include such topics as the organizational chart, talent utilization, task flow/processes, information distribution and decision-making ability. We can readily consider these to help identify lurking obstacles.

A quick assessment:

• Challenge the chart. Those you interact with have a direct impact on your work life — contributing to the depth and breadth of your work. Although your current organization may not prescribe that you routinely interact with certain individuals or functional areas — you may see them as necessary to elevate your work. Are you interacting with the right people? What individuals could contribute to growth?
• Wasting skills. Overall, your role should align with your strengths — and not emphasize your weaknesses. If you find that this balance doesn't currently exist, it requires at the very least, immediate pause and reflection. Are you acknowledging (and utilizing) your skill set to your work? What could be altered to facilitate this?
• Task "sink holes". I consider an incumbent (you) to be the primary job expert. Are there tasks you find to be needless or counter-productive? (For example, an obsolete report that eats time, taking away from potentially productive alternatives.) Tasks can become outdated. Don't resent them - attempt to jettison them to allow more time for positive pursuits. What tasks could you lose?
• Information gaps. Do you have the information you need to do your job well? Do you have all the pieces of the "puzzle" at your disposal? If you feel there is a void that impedes the quality of your work - identify the area of issue and attempt to find a reliable source.
  
• Eliminate "Catch 22's". Often we have the responsibility to solve a problem — but not the complete authority to do so in an effective manner. (For example adjusting a client's bill or making a key decision concerning your team's path.) Explore these areas. Who could possibly help you align the "power grid"?

Are the elements of your work life in alignment? Where does the "drag" occur? What might need to shift?

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist. She also writes The Office Blend.