Refresh Your Job for Better Job Satisfaction

Feeling bored, underappreciated, overworked, or simply feel like you’re stuck in a rut? We offer some ideas for refreshing your job.

Numerous workplace studies have shown a correlation between job satisfaction and productivity and between job satisfaction and career success. Of course, you probably don’t need a study to tell you that being happier with your day-to-day job can also make you happier when you’re not on the clock. So, when work starts feeling like a life sentence and you dread going into the office, is it time to search for greener pastures by looking for a new job?

Not necessarily! There are several things you can do to reinvigorate your career so you can stay with your current company. If you’re feeling bored, underappreciated, overworked, or simply feel like you’re stuck in a rut, reinvest in yourself and your career with the following strategies before you decide to throw in the towel.

Shift Your Mindset

Identifying that you are no longer feeling fulfilled at work is the first step in helping you change your mindset. Instead of approaching your job with thoughts like “I have to go to work” or “It’s going to be such a long, boring week”, try changing directions. It may sound a little corny, but try telling yourself “I get to go to work today” and “I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen at work this week!”

This can be easier said than done, of course, but one effective strategy is to try to remember the excitement you felt when you first landed your current job. Think about how you felt when everything was new to you. You probably asked a lot of questions and sought out ways to interact with your co-workers or colleagues, right? Do that again. Ask questions and look for ways to get involved in more than just your core set of responsibilities.

Set Goals and Challenge Yourself to Meet Those Goals

When you’re feeling bored or uninspired at work, it can be hard to remember why you are where you are in the first place. Take some time to reflect on how far you’ve come so far. Look at your accomplishments and give yourself credit for them. This simple exercise can help you recall times when you were more satisfied at work and give you the motivation to rekindle your affection for your job.  

Don’t just dwell on past accomplishments, though. Spend some time thinking about how your current role fits into the bigger picture, with both your company’s overall growth goals and your own personal goals. How can your current job help you get to where you want to go with your career? If you haven’t set specific, measurable goals for yourself, now is the time to do that. Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? Longer-term? Identify your ultimate target so you can create an action plan to get there.

Look for Opportunities to Educate Yourself

If you don’t feel your current job is challenging you enough, look for ways to challenge yourself. Seeking out cross-training opportunities in your department and in other areas of the company or pursuing advanced designations or industry certifications can keep your brain engaged and can help you think about ways to apply that knowledge in your everyday work.

You can also ask for new or additional responsibilities, volunteer to take on new projects or look for ways to improve your technical knowledge by taking courses or teaching yourself how to use new technology tools. Whatever form of education you choose, the very act of learning something new will push you outside your comfort zone which can be just what you need to banish the doldrums you’re feeling at work.

Network and Look for Ways to Be of Service to Others in Your Organization

You can also reinvigorate your career by looking for networking opportunities within your company. Whether you’re in a managerial or a rank-and-file role, you can learn from your colleagues’ experiences and opinions.

Networking can take many forms; it doesn’t have to be attending formal networking events, although there can be enormous benefits to joining industry associations or trade groups. You could schedule monthly lunch or coffee appointments with co-workers you don’t know very well, offer to help others with projects or issues, get involved in planning office events or gatherings, or offer to be a mentor for new employees.

Becoming more engaged with others in your organization and in your industry can make work feel more fun, both for you and for others.

Find Ways to Reorganize Tasks to Improve Efficiencies

Last, but certainly not least, if you are feeling overworked and overstressed, look for ways to take more control of your work responsibilities. If you have too much on your plate, explore your options. Can you delegate certain tasks to others? Can work be reassigned? Are there ways you can leverage technology to be more efficient and effective?

Using workflow management software (also called business process management software) can be invaluable in replacing paper forms, spreadsheets, emails, and manual processes with web-based automated workflows. Businesses of all sizes and in any industry can benefit from implementing customized processes, real-time dashboards, and powerful reporting tools. When you’re able to automate tasks, you can free up time for more productive work. This, in turn, can result in greater job satisfaction.

Nutrient Workflow Helps Companies Find Solutions That Can Improve Employees’ Job Satisfaction

Nobody likes to feel like their jobs are just a series of rote chores to be suffered through to earn paychecks. The good news is that you don’t have to feel that way! Before you look for a new job, assuming the grass is greener at a competitor’s company, look for ways to reinvest in yourself and in your current job first.

Nutrient Workflow helps healthcare businesses, financial firms, manufacturers, pharmaceutical organizations, education providers, construction companies, and others implement innovative solutions that can improve efficiencies, productivity, and employee job satisfaction. To learn more, contact us today to schedule a free demo online, or call us at (888) 536-9629.

Sources:

• https://www.fastcompany.com/3056260/how-to-fall-in-love-with-your-job-again

• https://www.businessinsider.com/4-ways-to-get-excited-about-work-again-2013-8

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/04/10/lost-your-spark-15-ways-to-love-your-job-again/#2b6d436b62f0

• https://www.payscale.com/career-news/2018/04/7-tips-for-getting-excited-about-your-job-again

• https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-shift-that-will-get-you-excited-about-your-job-again

• https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-best-way-to-recapture-how-excited-you-felt-when-you-started-your-job

• https://www.themuse.com/advice/37-ways-to-be-happier-at-work-asap

• http://excelle.monster.com/benefits/articles/4260-4-reasons-your-jobs-not-fun-anymore

• https://www.inc.com/samuel-edwards/examining-the-relationship-between-workplace-satisfaction-and-productivity.html

Cindy Cook DeRuyter

Cindy Cook DeRuyter is an attorney in private practice and a freelance writer in St. Paul, MN. Prior to taking her practice full-time in 2015, Cindy spent more than 19 years in Investment Adviser and Broker-Dealer compliance and operations roles for firms including RSM Wealth Management, Nuveen Investments, US Bancorp Asset Management and Thrivent Financial.