This approach involves putting yourself into situations where you can do stimulating work. It may then involve going through the stages of doing solid work, satisfying work and stimulating work.
This is an approach that can be used when helping people to shape their future careers. It is one that I used with a sales director who was wondering about exploring opportunities in other companies.
The person was adrenaline driven. They loved to do things they felt passionately about, set specific goals and work to achieve their picture of success.
They also enjoyed being a trusted advisor to pacesetting customers who were leaders in their fields. They could then provide services that helped these customers to tackle challenges and achieve future success.
Bearing this in mind, we explored whether it was possible to do more of these things in their present company. This led to them redefining the roles in their team.
They did this in a way that enabled people: a) to play to their strengths; b) to achieve the team’s picture of success. This also released them to do what they did best.
The sales director is still with the company. They are doing stimulating work that creates wins for the company, wins for the customers and wins for themselves and their colleagues.
Imagine that you want to follow elements of this approach. The first step is to clarify the kinds of work that you find stimulating. Different people give different answers when exploring this theme. Here are some of the things they mention.
The Situations Where I Do
Stimulating Work Are When I Am:
Teaching motivated students … Helping dyslexic children … Solving specific technical problems … Helping people to overcome pain … Managing certain kinds of crises … Giving keynote speeches … Leading pioneering teams.
Imagine that you have identified and put yourself into a situation where you can do such stimulating work. Bearing this in mind, you may then focus on going through the following stages.
Solid Work
This involves doing the solid work that will provide the platform for doing the satisfying and stimulating work. The kinds of solid work will depend on your chosen activity. Whatever you work you do, however, it may involve aiming:
To plan ahead … To clarify your strategy … To translate this into a clear action plan … To put in place the right structure … To organise the resources to do the job … To do the practical things required to set things up to succeed.
The athlete prepares themselves properly – both physically and psychologically. The actor learns their lines, rehearses and is ready to go on stage. The leader makes sure their team will be following the right strategy with the right people in the right way.
You will do the solid work in your own way. This may then lead to the next stage.
Satisfying Work
Many people focus on doing enjoyable and effective work that will help them to achieve their goals. This gives them a sense of satisfaction on the way towards doing stimulating work.
Different people will obviously do different kinds of satisfying work. Here are some of the things that people may mention when focusing on this topic.
The Kinds Of Work I
Find Satisfying To Do Are:
Working with my hands … Making furniture … Helping certain kinds of clients … Working in Accident & Emergency … Simplifying information … Facilitating workshops … Reaching a personal goal.
Many people enjoy doing satisfying work. Sometimes they continue doing this for a long time. Sometimes it is a precursor to moving on to the next stage.
Stimulating Work
A person may get the point where they want to feel more alive. They may have a good job and a good salary, but they want to recapture the joy they used to feel in their work.
How to take this step? One approach is for them to build on their strengths and focus on the specific activities that give them positive energy. They can then pursue the following themes.
Stimulation
They can find or create a stimulating project that will benefit certain stakeholders. They can then make clear contracts with these people about the agreed picture of success.
Strategies That Work
They can follow the strategies that will give them the greatest chance of success. They get some early wins and keep people informed about their progress towards achieving the goals.
Success
They can do superb work, find solutions to challenges and keep improving. They can do their best deliver the goods and achieve the agreed picture of success.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you can follow elements of this approach? How can you do this in your own way?
What may be the specific situation? How can you do the solid work and satisfying work? How can you then do the stimulating work? What will be the benefits of taking these steps?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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