Last week I was at an event center attending a dinner with entertainment. I recognized the manager in charge (Laura), and we started to chat. She recently joined the venue, so I am still getting to know her.
But she always seems to be smiling and happy.
So, I decided to say something. “You always seem so happy!”
And she said, “Well, I have a J.O.B.”
I was a bit perplexed as obviously it was her job to manage the venue. She could tell by the look on my face that I wasn’t getting it and then said, “You know, a “Jump Out of Bed”. J.O.B.
Wow! That was a first for me.
She told me she loves what she does! She is the Director of Member Services, which in more current lingo is “User Experience” or UX.
In her position she works long hours, especially when there are multiple weekend events, as is the case during the holidays. But it doesn’t seem to faze her. She told me that she really found her calling and was especially excited at the new place she was working. As an aside, during our conversation I assumed she was an extrovert. She told me she is actually an introvert and loves helping other people.
How many of us can say we have a J.O.B.?
Judging from all the posts and commentary I see on social media, many people have a fixed mindset and aren’t getting satisfaction from their work position. And whose fault or responsibility is that? Hey, occasionally we might have a bad manager or supervisor, but we’re not making it better by complaining.
I suspect that if all of us were honest with ourselves, we would admit that our satisfaction or dissatisfaction with our job has to do with our own attitude or that we are not doing something that we like to do.
Whether you are early in your career, or further along and considering making a change, have you thought about what a J.O.B. would be like for you? What would you “jump out of bed” to do every day?
If you’re a business owner, that self-discussion may take a different approach. I was speaking with a business owner yesterday who told me she loves some of what she does. After many years of exhaustion, she realized that to make her company more successful she actually needed to hire a COO (Chief Operating Officer) to do those things she’s not good at (and doesn’t like) so she can focus on what she is good at.
How about you? What would it take for you to have a J.O.B.? Is it a new position at your current organization, a new organization, or is all you need to do is change your mindset?
Onward and upward,
Executive Coaching and Consulting for business CEOs, Owners and Presidents
If you are looking to grow your business or amplify your personal leadership skills, I would love to have a conversation with you. You can email me at karen@karencaplan.com for a no obligation conversation.
