The Oft-Asked Question
Aug. 2nd, 2006 12:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
liralenDuring the BBQ, the question people asked me the most was, "How is it going off to work when he gets to stay home?"
And, then, I'd answer, "Uhm. I don't know, yet, we've been on vacation."
Now... well, now I can answer.
It feels fine. I mean... hmm... there's this book, Be Happy at Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, And Why by Joanne Gordon and, in it, she says that from all the hundreds of interviews she did to end up with the final 100 she found three very specific things that made the women happy with their jobs. The three things were process, purpose, and people, and that different women derived different amounts of satisfaction from each of the three legs; however, if one of the legs is entirely missing, well...
The people component, for me, was, I think what was making me unhappy before my vacation. The main idea is that I really need to like, or if I don't like them I need to at least respect the people I work with to be happy. I realized, in the last couple of days, that I really do like and respect most of the folks I work with. There really is only one, maybe two, folks that I don't like or respect, and those were the folks that were making me the most unhappy. But I can manage that, and manage my contact with those folks, now that I know how important it is.
I also love the doing, the "process" part of the package, when I'm really writing, communicating, setting expectations, clarifying what really needs to be done, or getting good documentation or training out to the folks that need it, it's deeply satisfying. And being able to help everyone understand how to do what they need to do, that's all the purpose I need.
So, really, I'm pretty happy with my job in a way I hadn't really understood, before. So it's been good to get back and get into the harness and gradually feel the magnitude of traction I can get when I'm pulling for all I'm worth. That's what I am still addicted to, I think, even with all these cool fireworks going off over other stuff I'd love. :-)
And, then, I'd answer, "Uhm. I don't know, yet, we've been on vacation."
Now... well, now I can answer.
It feels fine. I mean... hmm... there's this book, Be Happy at Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, And Why by Joanne Gordon and, in it, she says that from all the hundreds of interviews she did to end up with the final 100 she found three very specific things that made the women happy with their jobs. The three things were process, purpose, and people, and that different women derived different amounts of satisfaction from each of the three legs; however, if one of the legs is entirely missing, well...
The people component, for me, was, I think what was making me unhappy before my vacation. The main idea is that I really need to like, or if I don't like them I need to at least respect the people I work with to be happy. I realized, in the last couple of days, that I really do like and respect most of the folks I work with. There really is only one, maybe two, folks that I don't like or respect, and those were the folks that were making me the most unhappy. But I can manage that, and manage my contact with those folks, now that I know how important it is.
I also love the doing, the "process" part of the package, when I'm really writing, communicating, setting expectations, clarifying what really needs to be done, or getting good documentation or training out to the folks that need it, it's deeply satisfying. And being able to help everyone understand how to do what they need to do, that's all the purpose I need.
So, really, I'm pretty happy with my job in a way I hadn't really understood, before. So it's been good to get back and get into the harness and gradually feel the magnitude of traction I can get when I'm pulling for all I'm worth. That's what I am still addicted to, I think, even with all these cool fireworks going off over other stuff I'd love. :-)
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