Today's Lighbulbs

[qos]

I spent today at a Franklin Covey seminar ("The Power of Focus") -- and it was quite good.

Covey is all about identifying values and goals as the basis for planning and time management, and I had a "Doh!" moment over lunch.

I've always wanted to connect "important" with "meaningful" where my tasks are concerned, especially my job. But the fact is, "important" and "meaningful" are not automatically connected.

Too many of the important tasks in my life right now are not meaningful.

My job is utterly without meaning.

I work for a company that has impressed me as being sincere about its values and committed to living them. That's great, and it makes for a good place to work. But what it does is not meaningful. I love my cell phone. But supporting the business of selling cellular phones and service is not meaningful work.

I really like Jeannie, my boss. Sometimes my job is meaningful because I like and respect her and knowing that I am providing her valuable assistance can make me feel good. But it is not the kind of satisfaction which provides juice for a 40-hour work week.

On one level this is no news at all. On another, it's never been so clear to me.

Today I came to the realization that probably the only job within my company which I would find meaningful, and which would help me toward any of my other goals (besides being financially stable) would be in the Learning & Development or Training department. That's where I should be putting my attention instead of project management, which is where I've been looking because of my organizing experience. But if I want to teach, to facilitate workshops and retreats, then maybe I should seek out the opportunities in my current job to develop those skills.

And I need to remember that even though it took me two years to find a full time job after my last experience with a start-up company didn't work out, this is not the only organization I can work for.

Comments

[toesontheground.livejournal.com]

Also, now you've got that track-record and experience in your current job as a selling point. But if you can get further skills you need from where you are, then that's a fortunate opportunity to have.

[qos.livejournal.com]

Another of the good things about my current employer is that we are strongly focused right now on being "a best place to work," and that includes being proactive about career development opportunities and career pathing.

I have a "one on one" with Jeannie this morning, and I'm going to talk with her about my interest in learning & development.

My primary concern is my credentials -- but with one and a half Masters degrees already under my belt, I should have a running start. And it will also be very easy for me to meet with people in that area to find out what they're looking for, and discuss how I could get started.

[athenian-abroad.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity...what would you say makes a job meaningful?

[qos.livejournal.com]

Good question. Two levels of answer -- and probably some refinement to do, now that you've prompted me to stop and really think about what I mean.

One answer is simply a job which allows me to exercise my best talents and abilities: my creativity, my writing, my communications skills, my ability to organize complex projects, and etc.

But I want to do that within a organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on the world through something like education, spirituality, or non-profit advocacy. Or for a creative arts organization, like a theater or museum or film studio.