WORK

Feeling Engaged and Excited About Your Work is Up to You

Expecting each hour of the day to return psychic dividends isn’t realistic

“I want to feel engaged at work — like I’m part of the team, the company, the big picture.”

It’s a common mindset expressed by many newly-minted graduates entering the job market for the first time. At first glance, it seems like a commendable, even admirable attitude — one that would serve both employee and employer to advantage.

But consider this: How smart is it to accept a job that occasionally exposes you to tasks you don’t necessarily like or can’t get excited about — and then expect your employer to re-frame your attitude by offering physical, social, or intellectual involvement to offset the elements of your work you find tedious or boring?

It’s not only unreasonable, it’s unrealistic. And since we’re not pulling any punches here, it’s also immature and reeks of the deadliest of career killers: Entitlement.

Entitlement keeps you from becoming outstanding

The entitled employee thinks they’ve already demonstrated their superior standing and, therefore, deserves to be excluded from the monotonous, unpleasant, or boring.

Why the underlying and inflated sense of superiority?

It might be an unrealistic assessment of educational credentials, an upper social or economic standing, or expected preference due to familial associations. In effect, the entitled employee is saying, “Don’t you know who I am? I’ve always received the best treatment, and I don’t plan on things changing.”

And with that, there’s usually the inferred message that reflects the recently coined adage, “If I don’t like the way I’m treated, I’ll vote with my feet,” implying if I don’t like it, I’ll leave.

And where will you go?

Be careful how you answer that question. Having an open door to run back to when things don’t turn out exactly the way you want them to is an easy out. Giving your employer an ultimatum — or simply walking away — because you don’t have to make money to keep a roof over your head isn’t personal leverage. It’s a display of immaturity.

And it comes at a huge price.

That kind of attitude will never teach you how to take responsibility for yourself. You’ll never be motivated to push through the hard stuff and succeed despite the obstacles and roadblocks. You’ll never force yourself to do the unpleasant, the uncomfortable, or the disagreeable, which — by the way — are challenges typically encountered on the road to success.

Overcoming difficulty and adversity can be difficult

But meeting it head-on can hone you into a dependable and self-reliant individual that others can count on.

“Life is difficult.” — M. Scott Peck

And it’s been that way for a very long time.

Here’s the point: Deciding when to bite the bullet and push forward through adversity — whether personal or professional — is a personal choice. The decision comes from weighing the pros and cons of making the sacrifice, putting in the time, and doing the work without complaining or waving the flag of victimization.

Granted, there may be times and circumstances when you should walk away, especially when you’re asked to partake in illegal, immoral, or unethical activities.

But if quitting is always the “go-to” default when faced with personal or professional challenges, you’re hurting your career and your ultimate level of success in the long-term.

Engagement is an emotional response

It’s deriving a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, and purpose from what you do. It’s the feedback mechanism that says, “This is worth my time — I’m in the moment and fully occupied with what I’m doing.” And ironically, it comes from viewing the work you do with a long-term perspective.

Expecting each hour of the day to return psychic dividends isn’t realistic.

There’s always some amount of menial grunt-work that has to be done. Whether it’s administrative, clerical, or budgetary, it’s part of the job. So is obeying the rules, following the guidelines, and adhering to approved procedures — all of which create a foundation of consistency and congruency in an increasingly diverse workplace.

The Bottom Line

Architects can design buildings to be user-friendly. Companies can adopt positive cultural policies and influence the environment with strategies and programs designed to reduce the friction between the demands of work and the big-picture needs of life.

But the process of engaging with your work is up to you. The real definition of engagement means commitment — not a popular word for a lot of people. But it’s an absolute reality in the world of work.

© 2021 Roger Reid. All Rights Reserved.

Roger A. Reid, Ph.D. is the host of Success Point 360 Podcast and author of Better Mondays.

Roger A. Reid, Ph.D. is the author of Better Mondays and Speak Up, and host of Success Point 360 Podcast. A certified NLP trainer with degrees in engineering and business, Roger offer tips and strategies for achieving higher levels of career success and personal fulfillment in the real world.