2133: Making Work Work by Dr. Jenny Brockis on Job Satisfaction

[00:00:00] Queen Carvana stood haloed by the morning sun. An army hung on her every word. My champions, I have sold my chariot on Carvana! It was a lovely SUV, an inexplicably queenly offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it! Tonight we feast! An offer you can feast on. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pickup fees may apply.

[00:00:30] This episode is brought to you by Accenture. When your advertising operations fall out of sync, everything else follows. Spotify and Accenture are working together to reinvent the rhythm of ad sales, using automation, analytics and smarter workflows to simplify campaign delivery and access better data across the business. The result? Less time spent on operations, more time connecting brands with the moments and fandoms that matter most. Learn more at Accenture.com slash Spotify.

[00:01:00] This is Optimal Work Daily. Making Work, Work by Dr. Jenny Brockis of Dr. Jenny Brockis.com It was one of those shiny blue summer days, and the glinting ocean was beckoning. Having negotiated the breaking waves to get out into the deeper water, I quickly realized there was a strong undertow, and I was being pulled out to sea.

[00:01:22] I was caught in a rip. Luckily, the story had a happy ending, and no harm was done. But how often have you found yourself being sucked into a risky situation by either not checking for potential danger or failing to notice the warning signs early enough? Being hired for a new role is exciting, and especially so when it's a job you've tried hard to get, and you're keen to create a good impression by working hard and demonstrating what you're capable of.

[00:01:48] Those honeymoon days are wonderful. You don't mind staying behind and contributing a few extra hours when asked. But if it appears you're always the one being asked, resentment can start to seep in. You may be considered a role model, a top performer, or identified as someone with quote-unquote leadership potential, which is all very nice, but frustrating if coincidentally you see others not pulling their weight and getting away with it. Dealing with Work Disenchantment

[00:02:17] Job disenchantment develops gradually and may not be apparent even to the trained eye until a pivotal moment, which may be something relatively minor, such as a social snub, a snide comment, or being called out for a mistake you weren't responsible for. It's the final straw, experienced perhaps after the promise of a new position that didn't materialize.

[00:02:37] If you're feeling frustrated and held back by the lack of opportunity or training, it's no longer enough that your pay is good, the office furniture is pretty funky, and you have access to the perks of daycare and a discounted gym membership. It's been revealed that 20-25% of people are actively seeking work elsewhere at any one time, and it's not necessarily the obvious candidates of discontent who openly voice their dislike for their job.

[00:03:02] If work has been getting you down, understanding why that's happening can lead to some ideas to rediscover your passion and purpose. Because the risk is, otherwise you'll quit. Today, tomorrow, or on March 31st, which is International Quit Your Job Day. The Hidden Figures of Disengagement 1. Overwork

[00:03:24] Diligence, efficiency, and a strong wish to succeed can lead to continuing to take on more work and pushing harder until exhaustion and burnout kick in. The first insight lost when tired is just how tired you really are, and cognitive fatigue makes it hard to see what needs to be done next, resulting in poorer decisions, a lack of attention to detail, polarized thinking, loss of critical thinking, and reduced imagination.

[00:03:49] It's been revealed that regularly working beyond 50-55 hours per week is counterproductive and not associated with any increase in productivity and performance. It's time to get better at saying no nicely to protect your mental stamina and ability to think well, and to negotiate with yourself those non-negotiables, such as getting enough sleep, taking vacations when due, and getting home on time more often. 2. Invisible Results

[00:04:17] If you can't see the results of your efforts, there's little motivation to keep trying. Look for the opportunity to discover how your contribution is making a difference, whether to a joint project, a meeting, or a challenging problem. Ask for constructive and regular feedback to help you gauge your progress. Stay curious to what might open up other opportunities for bigger, better, and more visible outcomes. If others are taking credit for work that you delivered, speak up, lean in, or create a disturbance.

[00:04:46] It's called theft, isn't it? 3. Poor Relationships All business is in the business of relationships, and it is those social bonds that create the foundation of trust, loyalty, and understanding. Start by identifying your core values, and check that the company and those you work with share similar values and beliefs. 4. Nurturing relationships matters at every level. You may be brilliant at leading a team, but are you also checking in with your peers?

[00:05:15] Do you know what they think of you? Would they stand up for you in a tricky situation? Social cohesion makes us happy. It builds contribution and collaboration, and increases your desire to stay. Doing great work starts by establishing a safety net, where the culture is about caring about each other and feeling that you belong. And 4. Celebrate Fear and Failure Fear is just one of the emotions available to us.

[00:05:41] It's normal to experience fear when in a new role, or when asked to do something you're not quite sure you're capable of delivering. It's because our brain wants to keep us safe, protected by familiar patterns and the status quo. Fear is not eliminated by promotion or recognition. Many leaders admit to sometimes feeling afraid. If they don't, look out, they could be a sociopath. What differentiates us here is the ability to challenge the fear and take action, because this is what helps to dissipate its intensity.

[00:06:10] Failure is normal too. While you may wish to avoid it, accepting it when it occurs helps to build resilience for the next time, and opens up opportunities to try something different. Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream have a famous graveyard of flavors in Vermont. For $3 admission, you can take a guided tour to see the headstones of those ice cream flavors that didn't make it. From fossil fuel, to wavy gravy and bovine divinity, celebrating failure helps everyone to feel better about making a mistake,

[00:06:38] and makes it easier to move on to what's next. Hmm, if wavy gravy ice cream isn't your first choice either, it's time to focus on identifying what does excite you, and what you feel passionate about, because this can reignite your purpose and help unlock your true potential. This is about making work, work better. It's smarter thinking by design. You just listened to the post titled,

[00:07:05] Making Work Work, by Dr. Jenny Brockis of drjennybrockes.com. Best thing that's ever happened to you financially. Go. Easy. Sold my car on Carvana. Amazing offer. Really? I hit $200 on the scratcher. Did the scratcher come to your house and hand you a check? No. How many scratchers did you hit to get that? I hit a button on Carvana.com once. Okay, that's fair. It's like the lottery, except you always win. Not like the lottery at all, actually.

[00:07:33] Exactly! Inexplicably good. Offers worth bragging about. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pickup fees may apply. This episode is brought to you by Accenture. When your advertising operations fall out of sync, everything else follows. Spotify and Accenture are working together to reinvent the rhythm of ad sales. Using automation, analytics, and smarter workflows to simplify campaign delivery and access better data across the business. The result? Less time spent on operations,

[00:08:03] more time connecting brands with the moments and fandoms that matter most. Learn more at Accenture.com slash Spotify. And thanks so much to Dr. Jenny for providing us with another great post today. As a keynote speaker, she has presented to and worked with thousands of people to empower them to cultivate their own thriving mind. What gets her out of bed in the morning is the opportunity to impact someone else's world, seeing that spark of insight in their eyes when they see what they can do for themselves.

[00:08:31] As a voracious reader and prolific writer, she continues to indulge her curiosity and has just published her fourth book, Thriving Mind, How to Cultivate a Good Life. And as a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician and best-selling author, her vision is to enable everyone to be a happy, thriving human. Her site is definitely worth checking out. She's got a lot to offer there, and you can see it all by coming by drjennybrockis.com. But I think that's gonna do it for today.

[00:08:59] I thank you for joining as always, and I hope this post gives you a little boost in your work life. So I'll be back with you again tomorrow, and that is where your optimal life awaits.