By JOE FRODSHAM Special to the Daily Press
A recent study sponsored by the Society of Human Resource management showed that up to 80 percent of employed adults are somewhat to totally dissatisfied with their job and career.
As someone who has helped people shape their careers over the last decade, the study supports my own observation that most adults are in the midst of a mediocre career — with some ups and some downs. During the down times, many deal with their career angst by looking outside their company, often uprooting their families and moving to a more promising job and company. Inevitably the issues they were escaping in their previous company re-emerge in their new one. At one point most people feel trapped, knowing that if they leave their company they are walking away from financial security (401k, pensions and the like) and friendships. They become unwilling to move into the uncertainty of a new career and or company. So they put in their time, often treating their job as a nine-to-five necessity and going through the motions until retirement.
Given that the majority of our productive hours are spent in the workplace, a mediocre career leads to a mediocre life. Nobody wins as people are robbed of the career happiness and fulfillment that they seek, and employers are left with a less engaged, less productive, and less resilient company. It’s clear that employees and companies need a different way to look at careers.
In our book,“Make it Work: Navigate Your Career Without Leaving Your Organization,” we introduce a powerful concept that is helping thousands of people re-engage and find sustained success in their company. This concept is called “passionate core” or “core needs.” Simply put, each of us has two or three unique needs that have to be met in our job. Those core needs are really the source of our motivation. When those core needs are being met we have exponentially more mental and physical energy. When the core needs are not being met, we go through the motions, not really satisfied with our work regardless of the money or recognition that our company throws our way.
Given that everyone’s core needs are different, uncovering them requires some introspection. By introspection we’re not talking about delving into childhood experiences or taking a pilgrimage to Tibet. What we do mean is that you need to uncover the needs that your passions are helping fulfill. Let me explain.
Each of us have some activities we are passionate about. Whether it be sailing, chess, golf, movies, reading, playing with your children, swimming, jogging or cross stick, we love doing it. You know it is a passion if you think about the activity a lot, and you use your discretionary time and money to pursue the activity. You may even dream of making a living through your passion, but instead find yourself “stuck” in your job and company.
Now here is the critical yet largely unknown truth — you are passionate about certain activities because the activities are helping you fulfill your unique core needs. For example, your passion for travel, fixing old cars and skiing may be fulfilling core needs you have for challenge and experimentation. And another’s passion for gardening, reading and cooking may be fulfilling core needs they have for learning, and experiencing new tastes and textures. Once you know what your core needs are, you gain incredible insight into what makes you tick — the source of your motivation. And, you will know what needs must be met in your work to be fully engaged.
You can uncover your unique core needs by listing the activities you are passionate about, and for each one asking yourself: What does this activity do for me personally? In completing this exercise you will notice that each of your passions are meeting a couple of the same core needs.
This exercise may reveal that the accountant’s engagement in local politics and international travel is fulfilling their core needs for self-expression, and understanding different perspectives. The manager with a passion for playing basketball and baseball, and volunteering as a youth councilor, is fulfilling their core need to challenge and stretch them self and others.And the school teacher who is constantly fixing old cars and completing crossword puzzles is fulfilling their core need to solve problems. In each case, discovering their core needs provides powerful self-awareness, and greater flexibility when finding and shaping roles in their company. For the accountant it is easier to find and shape a role that allows for self-expression and exposure to different people in her current company than a role solely focused on politics and international travel. Similarly, the manager and school teacher will better be able to find and shape roles in their organizations that fulfill their core needs.
Looking at my own life, at times I have been passionate about carpentry, writing and painting. Each of those activities was fulfilling a common need to create something that lasts. When finding a way to make a living, if I simply looked at what I was passionate about at a given time, I might have felt I needed to build homes, write mystery novels or paint murals to get excited about going to work. However, understanding the underlying need allowed me to choose from a wider variety of work options, ultimately finding roles in my company where I was successful and engaged while creating something that lasts — new programs and processes. And, knowing my core needs ensures that I can always be in a job that I find motivating. This is great for me and the company.
Do you know anyone who has been engaged and successful in their company for years on end? Those people are rare, but if you do know one take a few minutes and ask them about their approach to their career and work. You will notice that they have unique clarity on what their needs are. They probably won’t call them “passionate core needs” but it is the same thing.You’ll see that uncovering your core needs is requisite to knowing yourself, and taking control of your career and life. (Joe Frodsham has had a successful career as an employee and leader in organizations. He is originally from western Canada and received his bachelors and masters degrees from Brigham Young University. He is vice president of Talent for Tenet Healthcare living and working in Dallas. For more information, visit www.careerswork.com.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 22, 2006. Read the original PDF.