By John Worne
It is in the nature of a Specialist-Generalist’s job, that at least some of what you do you’re not great at; and actually don’t enjoy. That’s the price we pay for variety – which is after all the ‘spice of life’.
But some weeks the mix of what you enjoy and what brings you down is all wrong. So it’s a wise investment for any Specialist-Generalist to really analyse – down to the ‘micro-tasks’ – what it is you really enjoy doing. For me (surprise, surprise) it’s writing. If I’ve had a draining day, a quick bit of writing or editing perks me up. For other people it’s workshops or team interaction. Some people like to plan, others like to chat. And all of these can be easily harnessed to the organisation’s need and purpose.
Nobody gets to do what they enjoy all the time at work – but knowing what you really enjoy (and also exactly what drains your batteries) means you can make sure to add a bit of it to every day – while you get the stuff you have to do done.
Here’s what the HBR has to say:
December 21, 2017
Craft Your Job to Make It More Satisfying
If you sit down to complete a task and think “Not this again,” you’re not alone. Most U.S. workers don’t feel fully satisfied with their jobs. Maybe your passions and priorities have changed, or you feel stuck doing the same things over and over. Whatever the reason, you can rediscover a sense of purpose at work through job crafting, or tweaking parts of your job to provide more satisfaction. For example, if you love interacting with people and feel lonely, you may be able to find ways to partner with others on projects. Or you might look for opportunities to incorporate a new skill into your current role. Even small adjustments can make your responsibilities feel more meaningful, motivating you to bring your highest level of initiative and commitment to work.
The Specialist-Generalist 