Do You Really Love Your Job?

Is it really that important? Do you really need to love what you do, or is it just a job? Well we think you can, and you should. How many times have you started January thinking "I must get a new job this year"?

In fact, it might surprise you to learn that I've been thinking just that myself for the past couple of weeks. I do love my job. I love the autonomy and being creative, and most of all the flexibility it gives me to spend time with my son, but boy do I miss people! This hit home for me whilst I was surrounded by family and friends over the Christmas break and then suddenly my husband went back to work, my son back to school and once again I was on my own all day. I'm definitely an extravert according to the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) I get my energy from external sources, the people around me and I love a good chat, but these are few and far between in the life of a self-employed, home worker.

This reminded me about the Flourish at Work assessment tool that the fab head honchos at Practically Positive have developed. The academic research behind the tool was conducted using people who love what they do, then we developed and tested an original model focusing on the experience of employee engagement at an individual level.

It shows that for individuals to flourish, they need to feel a combination of six things: Valuable, Autonomous, Challenged, Passionate, Safe and Connected. Using the results from comprehensive survey data and the brilliant minds at London Metropolitan University, a validated Flourishing at Work assessment tool was born.

The results of this assessment are different. They don't just tell you what you are as a snapshot, they offer practical advice and suggestions on how you can change and improve each of the feelings. Here are a selection of suggestions for each of the feelings for you to give a try:

Challenged: How many different sorts of tasks did you do at work last week? What would next week look like if you added one more for extra variety? And what would you most like it to be? If your number is too high and you're spreading yourself too thin, think about delegating just one thing for next week so you can do one of your existing tasks even better.

Feeling Safe: What's the thing that causes you most anxiety at work? Who else do you know (inside or outside of work) that has strengths in this area and could help or mentor you? You may be surprised how happy people are to share their expertise and it will help you feel more supported.

Feeling Passionate: When something gets you down (as it inevitably will because that's how life works), practice optimism by pushing yourself to think of it as a one-off, specific event. Ask yourself what you've learnt from the situation and what the optimistic view of next time looks like.

Feeling Autonomous: It's sometimes hard to build confidence from within, so ask someone you trust what they think your top achievements are and what they think that says about you as a person. It sounds cheesy but a true friend won't mind doing it, and then you can do the same for them (which will feel nice for you too).

Feeling Valuable: What do you want to be renowned for? Demonstrating expertise is a key enabler in feeling valuable so make sure you're getting the chance to use your strengths. Write down 3 small actions (conversations, projects, meetings) that you can do in the next fortnight that will enable you to do the things that you get really energised by more often.

Feeling Connected: Are there times when you are too connected? It might sound odd, but it is quite common for people to love their teams and colleagues but not get enough of the other feelings. Take a look at the rest of your report - with the boost from the connections you have, where can you focus your efforts to get a different aspect of flourishing?

Now aren't they great practical tips that you can actually use? I couldn't agree more. That's why I'm using the results of my assessment and putting a plan of action in place to try and improve my scores.

If you'd like to know more about the Flourish at Work tool, for either companies or individuals, please get in touch at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Employee engagement