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Root of work satisfaction!

You are constantly hunting for dream work. Despite slogging it out, elevations are elusive. Others judge you for how you are doing at work. Often your version of how you are doing and that of others responsible for you tends to be different.

The reason is conflicting goals driven by factors beyond your decision circle. Broad goals are defined at the top of the hierarchy.

In the absence of adequate simplicity, the expectations at different levels begin to dilute. Goals are collective organizational responsibility. When they flow top-down, organizations do a poor job of breaking those down into smaller actionable tasks.

Emphasis on turning those into simple organizational priorities for everyone striving to achieve those is critical. Organizations are layered with growing experience and expertise going bottom up.

Taking the maturity of such a structure into account is paramount when articulating goals. In the absence of an understanding of goals at an emotional level, the belief in the organizational cause goes missing quickly.

Then you find yourself working on something you don't quite understand, and you begin dragging your feet. That is where satisfaction with the work you do begins to disappear.

The trick is to engage. Clarify. Ask for reasons for why something is being done. Relentlessly. Honestly.

They say you risk earning a bad reputation for being too inquisitive, indulging in something beyond the call of duty.

That is fear-mongering from standers-by. Ignore the noise. Find out why you are part of the organization and how you can help. Until you understand and internalize. You will be valued for asking about your responsibility. 

Asking clarifies where you best contribution likely emerges! You will understand where and who values you and helps you align with it. 

Often, walking away looks simpler than asking. That's a trap! Engagement is at the root of work satisfaction. 


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