Job Satisfaction: Ways of satisfying yourself on the job

Understanding your Worth

Spending a life time at a company that realizes your worth is asking for something impossible under the sun. No company is a fairy tale organization allowing your absolute creativity to come afore with your kind o colleagues. Going to the office has two reasons. You either work for the money or the salary that you get from it, or simply work for the sheer love of it.

According to your gifted talents, once you land up with the job of your liking, there are lots of things that you have to counter attack each day. Bosses have this huge tag of being the tyrants that they are. Like it or not they are the same everywhere. It is perhaps the fact that they were dealt with their bosses who believed in being hard task master. And so the legacy goes on. Since a lot of us spend most of the times in our lives at the office, its important to learn the means of survival out there.

Almost all of us have to learn the subject of office politics where ever we go. Despite the many quality certifications that your organization might hold, it is true that most places have the same injustices or wrong doings like the one that you might have just quit. Its easy for the employer to say that we are assessed at a certain SEI CMM level, but the inside story to maintaining that level is quite different altogether. The thumb rule to working or rather I would put it as surviving in any organization is to first have clarity in your role. If possible it’s best to keep a copy, a soft copy in your system, so that any deviation, or any breech of contracts that seniors commit under the garb of hierarchy is immediately known to you, way in advance.

Modes of survival

This would also help you gain insight into the nuances of your type of job. Keep back ups for almost everything and not even for a moment make anyone take you for granted. In a company where I worked, it was common practice for us to get our gate passes processed through our administration department. I went and completed all the procedures required. I was later given a card with the photograph that I had supplied. The strange part was that the card was already laminated with someone forging my signatures.

When I raised an alarm about the issue, I was given to understand that as per the procedures and quality measures, the processing of this card had to be done in a stipulated time so the admin guys did not deem it fit to "trouble" me with my own signatures. I was quite dumb founded and after a small discussion of understanding why such an incident had taken place, the guy just turned red in the face and told me to mind my own business, and that he was simply being a friend in helping me out in this task.

The point is that for many of us who are known to be great with our interpersonal skills its difficult to make the people handling pivotal departments understand that procedures cannot be mended as per the relationship one might have with his/her colleagues. Of course I was adamant on having the card made as per the rules and the result of this is that until date I think I must be one of those few queer people to hold two gate passes.

Steps to achieving job satisfaction
Amongst our seniors, especially the older generation, its important to note that because our methods of learning change from time to time, the oldies are threatened by either our knowledge or either our quick camaraderie in gelling with different people, making us popular. Being satisfied in your job also means to spread cheer amongst people who further feel comfortable in your company. It’s a part of surviving really.

You don’t need a person handling PR to tell you that. You need people to know you so that in times of your need you can have easy access to them. Try and remember people according to their departments. Speak to the lowest rung of personnel in your department. Its quite likely that the lowest on the ladder is actually the most powerful. What I generally do is make a forward list.

Depending on the general liking of the person, I take some time off, from my working schedule to send them across pleasing forwards that put a smile to their face. Of course this is a long shot, but if you realize monotony gets to every field of work. A forward may mean either an instruction, or a joke that makes their day lighter.

The person at the receiving end will forever remember you and in times of need he/she does not feel that you are remembering them only at the time of your need. While no job is satisfying, you can drive yourself through this path in a manner that becomes satisfying for you. Its like you are passing through a path which is green and has many routes for you to branch out, it’s your own unique method of making this journey as memorable as possible.

Take things as they come, work on deadlines, but maintain your distance with those whom you dislike. Don’t let them know your displeasure, but when required definitely give them your piece of mind. Work towards your achievements, a successful person is either looked upon or is envied. Avoid getting into unnecessary arguments, especially when you feel that you are not clear about certain facts.

Once you start climbing the ladder, you are likely to face many situations where you feel your remuneration may not be what you expected.