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Sometimes we need something drastic to wake us up from a mundane routine. Sometimes we just need something subtle. Consider these exercises to make your work day more enjoyable and your job more challenging.
It’s easy to view your boss, even if he or she is a great person, as a task master or drill sergeant. It’s easy to criticize with statements like, “He doesn't know what he’s doing” or “She’s a terrible leader.” It’s also easy to forget that your boss has a job to do and he or she is being relied upon to get it done, just like you’re being relied upon to get your job done.
So instead of resisting your boss’s efforts and criticizing what gets done and what doesn't, make it your goal to make your boss look like your company’s most amazing employee. Make your boss popular by making his or her division the highest performing. Make his or her team the most cohesive. Make his or her bosses take notice.
If your boss gets a raise, you’ve done your job.
This might seem obvious, or like a thinly-veiled, passive-aggressive dig at your job performance. But it’s not. It’s a challenge.
Go into work with the mentality that you won’t waste a single minute on unproductive or unbillable time. When people do this, they become amazed by the bad habits they’ve picked up along the way. They discover that they’ve not been as “hard working” as they once thought.
From constantly picking up your phone, obsessively checking your email, and catching up on this hour’s headlines to shooting the breeze with colleagues, taking long lunches, or staring off into space, time-wasting doesn’t just make a company unproductive. It makes employees less satisfied with their workday.
So cut out waste, at least for a day. Put post-in notes out to remind you to reject the temptation to be distracted. Put your phone in a drawer. Pass on getting the extra cup of coffee in the break room. You might become somewhat ashamed of what you discover, but that’s not a big deal. You can work on better habits. Hopefully, you will experience a more satisfying work day.
These changes are subtle. They don't require advanced degrees or longer work days. They don't even require you to like your job. They simply give you fresh eyes...a renewed glimpse at your workplace. And if you do it well, you may find that your perspective - and your relationship with your boss - gets better.