Turn The Job You Have Into A Job You Love

Job Crafting

Ever been asked to do something at work you didn’t really want to do?

Perhaps you’re weren’t sure if you could really pull it off.  Or you just didn’t want to spend your days wrapped up in this particular work.  Or maybe you thought your boss had gone completely mad!

A few years ago I found myself in exactly this situation.  I was asked to take on what most people in my organization considered an impossible task to reposition our brand with a tiny budget, a small team and a tight deadline.   And I really wasn’t that keen on spending the next year of my life on this particular project.

Unfortunately my career progression depended on me not just doing it – but doing it well.

So what can you do when the job you have, isn’t the job you want?

Using Your Strengths To Craft Your Job

Of course one of the best ways to make a job easier, more engaging and more enjoyable is to try and find ways to use your strengths – the things you like doing and that you’re good at – in your work each d

ay.

But if your job description wasn’t written with your strengths in mind and the day -to-day demands of your job have you running around like a headless chicken, just how are you meant to find time to play to your strengths?

Personally I was saved by the research of Professors Jane Dutton and Amy Wrezneuski who have discovered crafting your job by changing where you choose to spend your time and energy and how you think about it, can help you reclaim your power, motivation and relationships no matter what your job is.

In today’s episode of Chelle McQuaid TV , I’ll show you exactly how to use the  job crafting toolkit created by Dutton and her colleagues to reshape the work you dread, into work you’ll actually love because it draws on your strengths.

Not only did the approaches I discovered mean my team and I were actually able to deliver the project on time, on budget and exceed every measure set for us, but it made the work I dreaded far more engaging and enjoyable and wound up getting me promoted the job I dreamed of.

How Can You Craft A Job You Love

Take a few minutes to note done all the tasks required in your job.  Now divide them into those you enjoy and those you feel drained by.  The ones you enjoy are usually are good indication of where your strengths lie.

Think about what you could do to grow those things you enjoy doing just a little more in your day.  Remember for me even 11 minutes a day shifted the way I felt and performed.  This might involve changing the type and number of tasks you undertake.  It might mean thinking about who you spend your time with.  It might mean thinking about how you think about some elements of your work.

Then experiment with what’s possible.  Move past your own expectations of how you “should’ spend your time and find small moments – even if it’s at lunch time or just before your day starts – to use your strengths and shine.  It’s likely everything else in your day will go better because you did.

If you want more help to develop your strengths grab my free video training series.  I also recommend the step-by-step video on job crafting,

What would you change to craft the job you have into  a job you love?  If you’d like a little help with more practical, tested approaches to play with just ask below!

- See more at: http://www.michellemcquaid.com/job-crafting/

Unleash Your Best Performance

Unleash Your Best Performance

When was the last time you were really performing at your best at work?  Today?  Last week?  Last month?  Last year? 
You know those moments when you feel like you’re in the zone and everything is coming together.  You lose all track of time.  You might not feel anything much in the moment, but afterwards you have that real sense of satisfaction of having done something well. 
Great ideas are flying.  You’re getting the right people on board.  Solid plans are being executed.  And exceptional results are materializing. 
Don’t you think it would be handy if you create more of these moments – just when you most need it?  Then keep reading! 

The Secret To Your Best Performances

Professor Mike Csikszentmihalyi from Claremont University has found that when we’re able to strike the right balance between our skills and the challenges we’re undertaking we become so absorbed and involved in that moment that enter the state he calls “flow”. 
Now if the task is too easy, the we risk slipping into boredom,  If it’s too hard, we draft towards anxiety.  But when the level of challenge for our strengths is “just right” we hit the goldilocks moment of flow where our sense of engagement is at its very best. 
In today’s episode of Chelle McQuaid TV , I’ll show you how to create moments of flow to unleash your best performances.

click to watch video 

How Can You Unleash Your Best Performances More Often?

Now this might surprise you but Csikszentmihalyi’s research has found that work is an ideal place to create flow experiences because we’re often finding our strengths are being stretched by the challenges presented to us.

Chances are you already experience flow sometimes in your work.  So start to pay attention to the moments where you’re feeling really engaged and energized and give yourself permission to spend more time performing at your best.  It’s good for you and for your business.

As you approach different tasks think about:

• the goal you’re trying to achieve
• which strengths you can draw on to get the job done. – try to match your strengths to the task
• seeking feedback on how you’re doing.

This will help you continue to match and stretch your strengths to the tasks you’re undertaking so you’re consistently performing at your best.

In his book Flow, Csikszentmihalyi suggests different ways you can perform at your best from work, to play and in your relationships..  You can watch a video of Csikszentmihalyi sharing his work on peak performances here.

What are your favorite flow activities?  If you’d like a little help with more practical, tested approaches to play with just ask below!

- See more at: http://www.michellemcquaid.com

What’s Your Greatest Strength?

Have you discovered your strengths – the things you like doing and that you’re good at – only to wonder what on earth you do next? 

If you’re lucky enough to work for one of the growing list of organizations now encouraging their people to use their strengths, chances are you’ve been asked to complete a survey of some kind to help you identify what you do best.  It might have been the free VIA Survey, the Gallup StrengthFinder or Realize.

The challenge for most of us then comes in trying to figure out just how do we go about using our strengths to make it easier to achieve our goals, lower our levels of stress and improve our well-being. 

Luckily scientists have recently discovered a formula to guide us.  Want to know what it is? - 
See more at: http://www.michellemcquaid.com/greatest-strength/