CLARIFY JOB OBJECTIVES TO IMPROVE WORK

New Straits Times, Tuesday, September 10, 1996.
By Mildred L. Culp

      If you know what your company expects you to accomplish, you'll do better on the job and, presumably, increase your job satisfaction. (If satisfaction doesn't go up, you may need to look elsewhere in the company or leave).

      A United States poll cited in Human Resource Executive covering 657 working adults discovered some surprising news - that 49 per cent weren't just satisfied but "very satisfied" with their work situations. Who are these "very satisfied" people? Less than 70 per cent are 50 or older; 57 per cent earn at least US$40,000 (about RM100,000); 57 per cent have undergraduate degree, while 46 per cent have less than a college education (some haven't even attended high school); approximately 30 per cent or younger; and 35 per cent don't earn more that UD$25,000.

      Clearly, you don't have to be a mature, degreed, highly-paid worker to be very happy on the job. If you aren't happy, how can you increase your level of satisfaction? Check your attitude. Don't use a weak educational background as an excuse not to turn your situation at work around. If you sincerely believe that lack of education is holding you back, get off your duff and get the education you need.

      Don't delude yourself into thinking that you're being held back by legions of baby boomers holding fast to their jobs. Sometimes else is holding you back. Remember, 30 per cent of the satisfied people surveyed haven't passed the aged of 30. You're not well-paid? So aren't lots of people with job satisfaction. Some earn less than US$25,000. Use excuses to keep yourself from achieving job satisfaction and, I guarantee you, you'll never know what it is.

      Take action. Make your job objectives parallel to those of your organization. Clarify what your company wants, and how it wants you to meet those objectives. Company objectives may have changed since you were brought on board, and if you don't do some research, every day you may be contradicting what the company wants, which means that you'll be at odds with the people around you. How likely will you achieve job satisfaction that way?

      Analyze your role in the organization. Write down what you've accomplished since you you've been there. You may have coordinated several projects to completion on deadline or oriented employees to their jobs. What have you done in your private workplace since the company first started paying you? What would it have lost on if you hadn't been there? Thinking in terms of bullet points, let your ideas simmer for at least a week.

      If you're stumped for information, ask some coworkers how you've helped them meet their objectives. You may have been doing an excellent job supporting people, which can give the illusion that everyone but you have been accomplishing something.

      Next, priorities the results you've achieved. Think in terms of what your supervisor would want to see. Word processes these results onto a single sheet of paper. Get your boss' attention, even if your communication to date has been poor. Tell him that you're re-evaluating your situation and want to make certain that you're achieving the result he wants and working towards increased results. If for some reason you absolutely can't talk about this with him, either because he's on his way out or he hasn't clue, take your one-sheet to an informed person in human resources or someone more senior than you in the organization who is sympathetic. That person will admire your industry!

      Your one-sheet becomes a conversation opener. It helps you and the company saw where your job is headed and what contribution you're making. Give the person a chance to read it. After you're given the person time to think about what you're written, interview him for specific information about what the company needs you to do. If he tells you to keep doing what you've been doing and you don't think that the tactic will increase your satisfaction, decide where the problem lies.

      Do you:
*    Dislike the kind of work you're doing or fail to see its value in meeting your long-term objectives?
*    Have personal problems blocking your happiness at work?
*    Feel uncomfortable about the company's direction or position in the marketplace?
*    Keep having conflicts with co-workers?

      Knowing where you're headed at work should make it easier to priorities your tasks and meet expectations. Meeting expectations will increase your sense of well-being. If it doesn't, you may have changed since you joined the company, the company may have changed, or you may take the job you have just to get some experience or to get by. Again, don't let feelings of inadequacy caused by a low salary or little education hold you back. Job satisfaction is a highly personal matter. Only you can create a way to achieve it.