So many people–some studies put the number as high as 50%–are not happy in their current their job. Almost all of these, I reckon, believe that their job is cast in concrete, that it can’t be changed. In fact that’s not true, for the vast majority of jobs.
Are you looking for new ways to help your employees boost their level of engagement and motivation in their work? Here’s a new process (and accompanying tool) you may want to check out. It’s called “Job Crafting.” What it enables your employees to do is take a fresh look at their job duties and priorities and better align them with their:
- Motives – outcomes they would like to obtain (for them and for others) from their work
- Strengths – their natural skills, attributes, talents, etc.
- Passions – activities and areas of their job that they most enjoy or find the most interesting
Information on the Job Crafting methodology is available at the University of Michigan’s Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship. You can even download a preview copy of the exercise. It was reported in a recent issue of Time Magazine.
What I like about this approach (and others like it) is:
- It empowers the employee to take accountability for rendering his or her job more satisfying.
- The outcome will usually lead to greater job motivation for that employee, simply as a result of looking at his/her job in a new light.
- The manager can play a coaching role helping the employee work through the process.
Most managers with whom I work feel challenged to come up with new ways to make work more engaging and motivating for their staff, ways that don’t require spending more money.
If you are in this group, take a look at Job Crafting.
© 2009, Ian Cook. All rights reserved.
About Ian Cook
Ian is an experienced presenter, group facilitator and executive coach. Through his keynote presentations, highly interactive workshops, and custom-designed team-building practice, he helps his clients leverage their investment in their managers and teams. 
