I’ve suddenly found myself in a strange new work situation—WFH. Working from home.
Maybe you’re in the same situation. Maybe you’re laid off, waiting for a re-hire. Or maybe you’re just thinking about looking for a new job.
I think I miss going to work at the library. I’m pretty sure I liked my job the way it was pre-quarantine.
But now is a good time to reflect on my regular day-to-day routine: have I been missing out on opportunities to make my job even better?
It’s hard to imagine now, but most of us will eventually go back to work! And it will ‘look different’. There WILL be new challenges, hiccups, and the unfortunate shitshows.
But—this is important—there will also be…Shiny New Opportunities.
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, authors of Designing Your Work Life, love Shiny New Opportunities. But they also note that 68% of American workers are disengaged from their work.
That means those folks ‘don’t go to work with a smile on their face’.
If you’re one of the 68% (or even someone like me who’s pretty comfy at her job), it’s time to think about new Shiny New Opportunities!
If you’re ready to look for the SNOs, I’ve got tips for making some back-to-work sparkle.
Be interested and interesting
Get curious, say Burnett and Evans. Venture outside your department (or industry!), and start asking questions.
You probably work with (or know) some interesting people, and and this is a good opportunity to find out what their jobs are really like and how they got there.
Curiosity is attractive, too. Burnett and Evans even say it’s ‘sexy’.
Rowrrrr!
If you’re asking questions, you’ll come across as interesting, have more opportunities to tell people your story, and be in a position to ask for help if you need it.
Right now, because I’m a Disaster Service Worker, I’m on a stretch assignment working waaaay outside my comfort zone in a social services role. I’m working with folks who are in other county departments and I’m learning new skills and making new friends.
If I ever find myself stagnant in my current position (salary- or otherwise), I might be able to tap into this new network to transfer to a new position. I’d also feel comfortable asking any of my new friends for help on a project.
While I didn’t choose to become a DSW, I did choose to take this assignment, and this is one of the reasons why.
Think about it: it’s easier to approach people you already know and offer to take them out to coffee or go for a walk together, than if you had to approach a total stranger.
And, if you ever find yourself in a position of potentially switching departments, you’ll have some allies.
Who knows? If you’ve told your story to the right person, they might even offer you a job!
Accept or reframe your problem
Let’s reflect on the problems you face at work.
Are they ‘gravity problems’? Unfair facts of life? Things that truly cannot be fixed?
If so, don’t waste your precious energy fighting gravity! Accept your reality, Burnett and Evans say.
And then look for other ways to get what you want.
You could channel your inner soap opera villainess to look for a workaround or an alternate plan.
Or, as Burnett and Evans recommend, you could ‘reframe’ your problem. A reframe is fancy designer lingo for re-defining the problem.
Here’s a gravity problem example: I want to be a full-time artist but it won’t pay the bills.
Here’s the reframe: How do I find ways to do as much art as I can and still pay the bills?
Here’s a solution: I will reduce my expenses and then decrease my hours at my regular job, so I will have more time and money to pursue what I love.
Or maybe your problems are ‘anchor problems’?
These problems exist because you’ve got a solution that is impossible.
For example, if you think the only way to be happy at work is get promoted to a specific position that will unlikely be open for a long time, it’s time to take another look at the problem. Maybe you’re just flippin’ bored! Look for an available position where you can learn some new skills instead.
Redesign your problems to get what you want!
Be a boss
I think a lot about escaping the rat race, ‘retiring’ , spending more time supporting my family in different ways, and doing the things I love.
I used to lament that if only I didn’t have to give so much to my job, I could be investing in my family and the things I love doing.
But guess what? It’s not my job that’s holding me back. IT’S ME. That’s right: I’m the boss of me.
Burnett and Evans are right: I’m in charge of my problems, of asking questions, of looking for ways I can learn new things.
I could choose to wait until retirement to do all the things I want to do. But I’m choosing NOW to get started in tiny ways: writing, saving money, looking for new opportunities.
Now, what would you change if you were boss? Wait—you ARE the boss!
So, think about what you want, and design for that by taking tiny steps NOW.
Time to edit!
There are so many good ideas and examples in Designing Your Work Life. But my main takeaway is that if you’re ready to re-engage at work, start looking for Shiny New Opportunities. Just try something, Sparkles. ANYTHING!
Here are some ideas:
- Get curious: Ask a coworker about work and life. A lot of them have side hustles and other interests outside of their ‘real’ jobs.
- Accept a problem that you will never solve.
- Ask yourself: What will I learn today? Or: What will I teach today?
- Be a boss—your own badass boss—and make one tiny change that puts YOU in charge.
Happy editing!
Erica
