WorkLife Nation webisode: Creating the soul work you love

A fire was lit under me a few days ago when I read social media expert Chris Brogan’s blog post, Soul of a New Business (he co-authored Trust Agents). It was like the sky opened up and rained the kind of wisdom that I think big business sometimes has a hard time understanding: you’re dealing with humans. There’s a soul or essence within those people (clients, customers) that may or may not resonate with your business or brand. I think the same concept can be applied when looking at the “soul” of your career or work. Creating the soul work you love.

The latest figures from the Conference Board suggest that we’re not really doing that. In its most recent survey, only 45% of Americans were satisfied with their jobs.

Redefining your career, business or personal success in a chaotic world

2009 brought a world to its knees. Financial giants and normal folk were thrown into the swirling chaotic waters of economic turmoil. But chaos offers an exquisite opportunity for growth and discovery of new models of success.

Just as the big banks have to restructure and adhere to new regulations in order to be successful, the rest of the world (yours truly included) have to adapt to the changing times, and perhaps discover and define new success models. Here at WorkLife Nation I’m devoting Mondays to tapping into that “success” wisdom from others. And a wisdom-filled tome from Seth Godin seems like a great way to start. More on that in just a bit.

Redefining Success

In a 24/7 world, all entities, organizations, businesses, and workers are forced to look in the mirror and contemplate what success is. What does success look like to you, your gut? Not just on paper, but in terms of morality, mission, personal values and for some commitment to community; something much bigger than themselves. Success is not stationary anymore, it’s fluid. The career ladder is now a lattice, and business is now global with no cultural boundaries.

Workforce Reinvention: success, serenity and significance in 2010

The traditional workplace model has entered into an evolutionary spiral. A workforce reinvention is taking place across generational boundaries, in fact across career trajectories for many people worldwide. Among the numerous reasons:

• Career reinvention due to unemployment
• Career reinvention fueled by a desire for more joyful work
• Re-entering the workforce because 401-k’s have been clobbered
• Re-entering the workforce after motherhood
• The desire to be an entrepreneur
• The need and/or desire for a better work life fit
• A strong desire to give back and make a difference
• The undying relentless quest to merge passion, profit, and purpose
  

It’s the last one that generally falls to the bottom of the barrel because it seems the most difficult to acquire. The underlying thread of this blog over the last 3 years has been that quest for more meaningful work, thus the tag line (which is about 2 years old); success, serenity & significance 24/7. What a world we would be living in if “vocation” was king. Meaningful heartfelt work fueled by those three “’s” words. But that’s a journey – not a destination. You can learn more about this in my webisode, Work Life Post-9/11, We’re a Work Life Nation.

“High Anxiety” as workplace stress soars

Employees are putting in longer work hours, have lousy so-called “work life balance” and have amassed a bundle of fear about losing their jobs. It’s created a stressed-out workforce. That’s the work life landscape in a nutshell, according to a number of recent reports, including a joint survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide and the National Business Group on Health. The anxious tone in the workplace is courtesy the recession. Stay tuned through the end of this post, for some relief.

Staying@Work Report

The 2009/2010 Staying@Work report found that despite the recession, while many companies have not slashed employee health and productivity programs, they have not dealt specifically with those aforementioned stress factors. Here’s a snapshot of employers who were surveyed.

• 78% of employers said excessive work hours was a leading stress monger, but just 21% say they are addressing it.

• 68% of employers cited lack of work/life balance as stress producer, but only 38% say they are taking action to combat it.

• 67% of employers said employees’ fear of job loss lead to an uptick in stress, but only 41% of employers say they are taking steps to deal with that concern.

Top Ten Work Life Culture Stories of 2009

The work life terrain of 2009 was like riding a jeep through the Sahara Desert and running into an oasis. Problem is we don’t know if that well, will spring eternal in leading to real progress toward a healthier work life culture.

We began with President Obama’s post-election celebratory Hawaiian vacation  - work life integration – beachside. He and First Lady Michelle made working families a top priority upon their entry to the White House. There were some good moments; but will they take root?

Recession,  a new American president, record high unemployment, women now at half the workforce and health care reform.  An instant visual for a year that thrust the concept of work life balance into the headlines, while dismantling the very idea that such a dynamic even exists.

With layoffs abound, women picked up numbers in the workforce, careers were contemplated, workplace conditions questioned, and the intersection of the working and living experience was put under a microscope. Here are the stories that WorkLifeNation.com considers some of the more influential work life stories of 2009.

Work Life Wish: Genderless respect and trust in the workplace

After being passed over twice for a promotion, a friend wrote a detailed missive to her boss which extolled the value of her skills and contribution. Demonstrating her worth consequently paid off with a promotion and a better work life experience. It gave her peace of mind, reduced her work life stress and gave her the confidence to buy that new car she needed.

In a shaky job market, it was a courageous move. But it was less about the promotion for her, than it was about respect. Prior attempts for promotion fell on deaf ears. They were were quelled with “we’ll consider it” or were dismissed with a “you’re fortunate to be working” attitude. Not a great way to foster respect, trust or boost morale in the workplace.

Climate of Respect and Trust at Work

In a recent study by the Families and Work Institute, The State of Health in the American Workplace: Does having an effective workplace matter? a “Climate of respect and trust” is one of six criteria of effective workplaces. FWI lists the elements which make up that particular”climate” from the employees point of view.

1. I trust what our managers say.
2. My managers deal ethically with employees and clients.
3. My managers seek new information and ideas from employees.