t: f · 2015-02-06 · t: 03 7966 8388 f: 03 7955 3355 do what you love your ultimate career &...
TRANSCRIPT
T: 03 7966 8388 F: 03 7955 3355
Do what you love
YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER& TALENT RESOURCE
LIFE’S LESSONSBig questions that you should ask yourself
Pg 10
ROCK’IN LAWYER Juggling two jobs and loving them both
Pg 08
NEW-AGE NIGHTMAREWhy finding a job you love is imperative
Pg 04
I want bothCan you be happy in work and in life?
Pg 03
LOVING YOUR ROLE
SatURdaY 7 FEbRUaRY 2015
Chief Feelgood OfficerSwana Thia
What’S bEYONd YOUR jOb dEScRIptION?paGES 6-7
mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 20152
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QUotES
By TARA [email protected]
FINDING a sense of purpose in our job is an imperative element of work satisfac-tion.
Think about it. If you do not feel that the work you do is significant in any way, would you think that your job is personally rewarding?
Doing work that “gives back” in some way can make us feel competent in our work and this can be personally reward-ing.
But how does one go about finding significance in their job?
Work, Work, Work!One plain and simple way to do it is
by putting more effort into your work. Going to work just to fulfill the required amount of time at the office won’t give you the progress you need to develop your skills and find out what aspects of your work you like.
Working harder can also help you pro-duce a higher quality output.
This will not only impress your col-leagues and superiors, showing them that you can handle issues responsibly, but it will also leave you feeling accom-plished and ultimately, satisfied!
Take Pride in WhaT You do
Being proud of your job definitely means you’re happy with it. Take time to explore the parts of your job that you think is the most rewarding, both personally and for the organisation you work for.
Learn to be proud and take credit for the work that you contribute.
MarrY Your Passion WiTh Your Job
Think of at least three activities you love doing and are good at that do not necessarily have to be work-related.
Figure out specific skills needed for you to do those activities that could be related to a work setting.
This can help you apply those skills that you’ve more or less mastered to your job.
ConClusionBeing satisfied with your job does not
only benefit the organisation you work for, but also your well-being.
When you have a job that you look forward to in the mornings, it makes you look at things in a more positive, upbeat way.
“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” – Aristotle
“Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home… it’s your responsibility to change it.” – Chuck Palahniuk
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
“Making money isn’t hard in itself, what’s hard is to earn it doing something worth devoting your life to.” – Carlos Ruiz Zafón
“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.” – Mahatma Gandhi
WHEN I was working in health economics, we used the measure “quality-adjusted life years” to help understand the impact of dif-ferent treatment regimes or health interventions (e.g. minimally invasive surgery, vaccinations, access to clean drinking water).
Someone living in poor health would have a lower quality of life than someone in near perfect health and so assigned a lower number. Seems to me that our choice of work can also be ranked in terms of impact on quality of life (this Eureka! moment just took place in my office – no knowledge is ever lost!).
That (not impossible) mission to find work that goes beyond a mere job description struck a chord with several of our contribu-tors – as everyone brought to the table different points of view and key takeaway messages.
For everyone who may feel a little jaded about prospects out there, Joseph Tan (and I totally agree with him on this point!) assures us that finding satisfaction at work and in life can occur simultaneously. He offers us some practical points on how to start, and how to make this happen.
Marshall Goldsmith makes a valid juxtaposition of work life in the 1980s and today – saying that our working conditions make it almost essential to love the work we do as there really isn’t any time to find that fulfilment or happiness after office hours (as used to be the case).
And even if you are committed to finding a job that is aligned with your passion, Lee Hwai Tah says perhaps some people sim-ply do not know what their passion’s sweet spot is – and goes on to share how we might discover that.
In quick succession, we have more probing questions one might ask – by Stephanie Kee trying to find herself, and her per-fect job; and by Bernard Marr in trying to assess if you are a good fit for an organisation you are interviewing with. Thomas Chan shares the outcome of some difficult questions he asked himself on his road to personal development.
While you ponder how to make it happen, we thought we would also share the stories of real people who have already achieved that balance of fulfilment from both work and life; a gentleman who has spent his entire work life devoted to one company, a school teacher who has gone over and beyond in her role, an accounting and finance graduate who now spends her days teaching children the building blocks of science and tech-nology, and last but not least a baker who turned her passion into a profitable business. Thrown in for good measure, Sarah Tan also features a lawyer who is a rocker by night.
Our featured baker might enjoy this – in our last story, Millie Ong presents her essential ingredients for job satisfaction.
The final verdict? Yes we CAN find work we love. I have.
Have a fantastic weekend all!
KAREN NEOHEditorleaderonomics.com
QUality-aDJUStED liFE yEarS
FiNDiNg MEaNiNg iN yoUr Work
What is...?
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mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 2015 3
HAPPINESS AT WORK AND IN LIFECAN I HAvE bOTH?
By JOSEPH [email protected]
IN my father’s generation, words like “engagement” and “aspiration” were foreign because the overriding moti-vation for turning up at work was to “make a living”.
However, in today’s generation – “living” is no longer an issue and concern because the workforce of today generally have enough to eat and their basic necessities are met (largely due to their parents’ hard work).
In fact, if these privileged ones were to lose their job today, there is no need to be alarmed because there is a parenting-safety net which catches them should they ever become destitute.
While the generation of yesteryear is happy to have a job that makes ends meet, the generation of today is looking for a job that meets their end. To them, it is not a question of either or, rather it is a question of ‘can I have this and that?’
You can almost feel this hunger to pro-gress as high as you can, as fast as you can. It is not just about getting to where you want to but how to get there faster, and stay personally motivated at the same time.
In other words, ‘I want to have a happy job, a happy life (and for those who are married – a happy spouse as well)’ – all at the same time!
Here is the all-important question: Can I have both a happy job and a happy life as well?
The Quick Answer is “no”The single goal of any company is profit-
ability and every job that is offered in the organisation has that one aim as well – every employee is to perform at his or her best for the sake of the company’s vision.
If you want a life, it is imperative you do a good job, first.
A satisfying life is gained when one is able to lock in the “flying hours” – you have to prove your worth by sheer grit and determination.
As one CEO (chief executive officer) puts it, “When I am look-ing to promote someone, I am looking for some-one who is already acting like a man-ager but not paid like one yet.”
Be prepared to go through the school of hard knocks and do not expect many happy moments along the way because experience is the best teacher for success.
The verdict: You can only have satisfac-tion in life after you have put in the neces-sary sacrifice in your job. No pain, no gain.
The Deeper Answer is “Yes”While profitability is the rightful goal of
any organisation, more organisations are now looking for sustainable profitability.
For companies that are growing, the quest is not only to hire the right talent but to ensure that the existing talent stays.
Hiring is only one part of the talent equation while the greater return is always the step to leverage on the current employ-ee potential.
This strategy of leveraging on the talent potential of every employee is called a cul-ture of engagement.
Gallup reports (interview with over 10 million executives worldwide across differ-ent industries) that an employee who has the opportunity to do what he or she does best every day is six times more engaged and three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.
So, from a leadership science perspec-tive, it is possible to have both job and life satisfaction but it requires a lot more upfront investment in terms of talent iden-tification.
Talent identification is not to be con-fused with training needs analysis because it is a customised approach.
While training needs analysis looks at the skills development requirements, talent identification begins with the person not as an employee with a job description,
rather it treats the person as an individual first, i.e. let’s find out who you are first before we decide on what
you should do.The key to leveraging on
someone’s potential is not to talent-manage by comparison, rather it is talent management by clarity.
sATisfAcTion guArAnTeeDHere’s the principle to ensuring that
satisfaction at work and in life happens simultaneously:
Focus on your strengths, while managing your weakness.
In the context of what we are discuss-ing, strengths is not a job skill or functional competency. It is a description of how one naturally thinks, behaves and feels.
In other words, it is a descriptor of some-one’s soul rather than his/her role. It taps into someone’s aspiration rather than just focusing on his/her action.
How does it look like when some-one is operating from a position of strengths?
l He/She takes ownership on what needs to be done without having to be micromanaged.
l He/She goes the extra mile and contributes willingly towards excel-lence.
l He/She is an energy-giver and is constantly on a look-out to contribute creative ideas.
l He/She possesses a sense of self-confidence in his/her unique talents.
l He/She performs exceptionally well and is constantly pushing for greater achievements.
The key to identifying one’s strengths begins with the need for a systematic and reliable language by which a person is able to articulate the state of his/her soul.
While there are those who have the natural ability to be articulate in terms of expressing their state of self-awareness, a standardised framework will be useful for the purpose of collaboration and career development.
In short, happiness at both work and life is not possible unless we have a lan-guage that can describe how happiness looks like.
However, happiness takes on different forms by different people because each one of us is wired and motivated differently – that is the challenge of human capital development.
In this respect, I would recommend a tool that is backed by more than five decades of research and has been administered to over 11 million indi-viduals to date – it is called the Clifton StrengthsFinder (www.gallupstrength-scenter.com).
The benefit of using such a tool is that it begins by seeking to establish alignment between one’s personal motivation and work-based performance measurement criteria.
The greater the overlap between per-sonal motivation and performance meas-urement, the greater the likelihood of achieving happiness at work and in life, at the same time.
concluDing ThoughTsThe verdict: You can have it both – hap-
piness at work and in life. However, you need to be very intentional to define first your unique talents and be deliberate in creating opportunities for you to express
your strengths on a daily basis.
n Joseph Tan is the CEO of Leaderonomics Center of Engagement Excellence and is passionate about ensuring all Malaysian employees are fully engaged in their work and with their organisation. You can email him at [email protected] for more details. For more insights, visit www.leaderonomics.com
mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 20154
How to Find Your Passion’s sweet sPot?
are You in a new-age ProFessional nigHtmare?
By LEE HWAI [email protected]
MANY people who are seeking direction in their lives often ask these questions, “What should I do with my life?” and “Why am I not living or doing the things I’m really passionate about?”
The questions seem simple enough but many people still wander aimlessly in their journey of many pursuits because they do not focus on their passion, or they simply do not know what is their passion’s sweet spot.
How to find your passion’s sweet spot?The three questions below can lead you in
the process of finding the things you’re really passionate about:
1 What do I enjoy doing?If you are to keep a time log of your
daily activities and review them after a week, what would be the activities that you spend the most time on?
What are the activities that energise you or make you come alive? These will be the same activities that you don’t have to be told to do, because you simply love doing them.
Time seems to pass by so quickly when you’re doing these activities.
2 What do people often compliment me about?
What are the good things your family members, colleagues or friends often say about you?
What do they like about you?
3 What do people usually ask me to help them out with?
What do people usually come to you to seek advice or help on? Are you an expert on a par-ticular skill or subject where you have become a source of solution for many people?
Are you recognised for something remark-able or notable in the eyes of people? What is it that you are so good in and love sharing with the world about?
Well I did say three, but here are two more bonus questions you can use:
4 What am I willing to do for a living even though I won’t be paid a single cent doing
it?This would be your dream job. You won’t
mind waking up early in the morning or staying up late at night to do it.
Steven Spielberg once said to George Lucas (or maybe the other way around!), “I can’t believe we’re being paid millions for playing with these toys!”
They were referring to the expensive video production equipment that they were using to do their job of making movies.
He said “playing with these toys” because it didn’t feel like work to them at all. They were playing.
They were having so much fun and joy doing what they love.
They enjoyed making movies when they weren’t paid well in the beginning, and they still enjoyed doing it when they were being paid a fortune, even though they could have
just retired to enjoy the accumulated wealth for the rest of their lives.
5 What would I do if I know that I wouldn’t fail?
If nothing is impossible, what would you do with your life? If you are truly unafraid, what would you do?
What is so important to you about that? You would still do this even though it is hard and it is the road less traveled.
In conclusIonIt will take quite some time to digest and
answer these questions. You may want to
wrestle with the last two deeper questions and let your mind take its time in working with them.
I know it took me a long time to truly answer them, and I am still on the journey.
Are you asking the right questions that will change your life?
n Hwai Tah is the founder of Coaching-Journey.com and a Certified Professional Coach and Associate Certified Coach with ICF (International Coach Federation). Contact him at [email protected]. For more articles on leadership and personal development, visit www.leaderonomics.com
By MARSHALL [email protected]
DO you love what you do or are you living in new-age profes-sional hell? This may be the seminal question of our age.
Then…In yesterday’s world, people worked 40
hours a week and took four weeks of vaca-tion. This question was practically moot.
If you didn’t like your job it was practically part-time anyway, the benefits were glori-ous, and it just wasn’t that bad.
I remember visiting the corporate head-quarters of one of the world’s most success-ful companies at 5pm sometime in the early 80s.
There was almost no one there! You could fire a cannonball down the hall and not hit anyone.
Those days are gone. It was much easier to find meaning and satisfaction in activities outside of work when we were under a lot less pressure and worked far fewer hours. Not only did people have more time, they were not as tired.
now…Today’s professionals have much different
experiences.Almost all of the professionals I work with
are busier today than they ever have been in their lives, working 60 to 80 hours a week.
They feel under more pressure than ever. Cell phones, tablets, and laptops tether us to our work wherever we are whether we like it or not.
Put it all together and you quickly realise – if you don’t love what you do, you are in the new-age of professional hell where you spend your days waiting for a pause in the steady flow of work so that you can take a break.
Let me tell you, that day never comes!
MakIng The Move To lovIng whaT You Do
Life is too short. It’s not worth it.In the new world, we do not have to love
everything that we do, but we need to find happiness and meaning in most of our pro-fessional work.
One of my coaching clients, Vicky, has a mind that races at about 1,000 miles an hour. She is extremely creative and entrepre-neurial.
Vicky was working as a division president in a large, somewhat conservative company. The people who hired her believed that they wanted someone who would “rock the boat” and “make waves”.
Once they began to experience “waves” and “boat-rocking” though, they decided that this might not be such a great idea after all!
a MIsMaTchAlthough I was hired to help her fit in
with the existing culture, it was just a bad match.
She was becoming frustrated with her life and was frustrating many of the executives who were running the firm.
Summing it up in one sentence, she groaned, “I feel like a racing Ferrari that’s being asked to act like a pickup truck!”
As her coach, my advice was simple: “Leave.”
She had beaten me to the punch, reply-ing, “I just did!”
a Place To BelongThere was nothing wrong with Vicky.
There was nothing wrong with her company.She just didn’t belong there.When she asked herself, “Do I love what I
do?” her answer was a clear, “No, I am living in new-age professional hell!”
Vicky’s time off for reflection after leaving her job did not last long.
She is playing a key role in an entrepre-neurial startup, she is on two boards of non-profits doing a lot of good things for her community, and most importantly, she is having a lot of fun.
She has successfully made the move from new-age professional hell to loving what she does.
And, you can too!
n Marshall Goldsmith (www.MarshallGoldsmith.com) is the author of 34 books, which have sold over two million copies and have been translated into 30 languages. Send in your feedback at [email protected]. For more articles on leadership and personal development, visit www.leaderonomics.com
do wHat You love, love wHat You do
mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 2015 5
MEGA CAREERS & BIGGER AND BETTER!
THE Mega Careers & Study Fair 2015 to be held at KLCC Convention Centre on Feb 7–8, 2015 will mobilise a gathering of Malaysia’s most attractive employers, namely companies who have been voted as among Malaysia’s 100 Leading Graduate
Employers (M100).The awards selection, which was organised in 2014
by GTI Media Asia, seeks to identify the most outstand-ing graduate employers in Malaysia, including the most sought-after employers in their respective sectors.
The Mega Careers & Study Fair 2015 will be the first showcase activity these preferred companies are involved in as M100 winners in the calendar year.
“The upcoming Mega Careers & Study Fair marks the turnout of 60% of the Malaysia’s 100 Leading Graduate Employers, all under one roof, looking to hire Malaysia’s top talents,” said Hee Kim Fah, the CEO (chief executive officer) of EP-Asia.
This sets a new record for EP-Asia Group, the holding company for GTI Media.
“It has proven that what was once seen as impossible can be made possible through teamwork,” added Hee.
STUDY FAIR 2015The Mega Careers & Study Fair 2015Feb 7 to Feb 8, 2015from 11am to 6pmKLCC Convention Centre Halls 4, 5 and 6Admission is free.
MALAYSIA’S 100 LEADING GRADUATE EMPLOYERS TAKING PART THIS YEAR l AEON Co. (M) Bhdl Agrobankl Alliance Bankl Ambank Groupl Astrol Bank Islam Malaysia
Bhdl Bank Rakyatl BDOl Berjayal Celcom Axiata Bhdl Deloitte Malaysial EY (Ernst & Young)l Gentingl Great Eastern Life
Assurancel GSK
l HONDA Malaysia Sdn Bhd
l HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd
l IBMl IJM Corporation
Bhdl KPMG in Malaysial Kumpulan Wang
Simpanan Pekerjal Malaysia Airports
Holding Berhadl Maxisl Maybankl Media Primal Nestlél Pharmaniaga Bhd
l Protonl Public Bank Bhdl PwCl RHB Banking Groupl Samsung Malaysia
Electronicsl Standard Charteredl Taylor’s Education
Groupl Telekom Malaysial Top Glovel UMW Toyota
Sdn Bhdl Uniqlo (Malaysia)
Sdn Bhdl United Overseas
Bank (Malaysia) Bhd
GTI Media Asia is the region’s larg-est graduate careers media and research business that provides multimedia solutions for clients in education and graduate careers.
The company publishes lead-ing sector-based publications with careers websites and on-the-ground activation events that provide high-quality information and guidance to help students and graduates make better career choices.
The last instalment of Mega Careers & Study Fair, which took place in Sep 2014, gathered more than 14,000 prospective students and jobseekers who were hungry and raring to take that next step in their lives.
The Mega Careers & Study Fair 2015 is made up of:l Malaysia’s 100 Graduate
Careers Fairl JobsCentral Career Fairl postgradasia Postgraduate
Studies FairVisitors can expect an excit-
ing array of must-attend pro-grammes such as:
l TALKS ‘Discovering possibilities @
LinkedIn.com’ presentation by Edward Ling, country sales manager, LinkedIn on both days of the fair plus exclusive career and postgraduate talks by experts in the field.
l ONE-ON-ONE CAREER ADVICE Exclusive Q&A session with
Wee Kwok Seing, founder and director of Lelong.my plus around-the-clock presenta-tions by social media experts in entrepreneurship, design, broadcasting, fashion, lifestyle and more.
l ACTIVITIES AND FREEBIES Hourly giveaway by sponsors
including a chance to win room stays and VIP tickets to ‘Ultraman Live in Genting 2015’ by Resorts World Genting and Genting Bhd as well as special CV clinic by LinkedIn.
l PROFESSIONAL IMAGE CONSULTANCY
Free professional makeover for fresh grads and groom-ing scholarships plus special appearance by Dafi AF5 by Snips.
The Mega Careers & Study Fair starts at 11:00am. Come early to meet recruiters and potential employers in Halls 4, 5 and 6. There will be over 100 companies in 20 different industry sectors actively look-ing for new talent.
Come with questions and see them one-to-one!
If you’re looking to upskill with more education, then proceed to Hall 6 for the postgradasia Postgraduate Studies Fair where you can learn about your options for postgraduate studies, find affordable programmes and discover how you can fund your research.
We look forward to seeing you there!
MORE THAN JUST A CAREER FAIR
n Brought to you by GTI Media Asia
mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 2015 7mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 20156
Beyond designover and aBove your JoB description
CHEN PEI SZEDirector of Centre, Bricks4Kidz Petaling Jaya, Puchong and Desa Park City
ALTHOUGH Facebook can be a great way of keeping track of faraway family and old friends, nothing really beats meeting face to face.
After years of not seeing my university buddy Chen Pei Sze, we met recently and I discovered she has accomplished much since. And that she is still quite effervescent!
“My passion for teaching started more than 25 years ago, during boarding school. When I started to choose a subject for my tertiary edu-cation however, I was lost and misinformed.
Finally, I went into Accounting and Finance. Immediately after completion, I realised that I needed to equip myself more and so pursued a postgraduate course in information systems,” says Chen.
BLOCKED IN?She started her career in an auditing firm, and
then worked in various industries, all the while furthering her studies through distance learn-ing to obtain her MBA and qualifications as a Chartered Arbitrator.
But Chen confides, “After many years of ven-turing into different fields, I still looked forward to educating and developing the younger gen-eration.”
She found Bricks4Kidz which focuses on help-ing children develop skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and that was the start in education for her.
SMILES ETCTalking to Chen, you can sense her strong
desire to educate, and the great joy she derives from it.
“I get to meet children from various family backgrounds, different cultures and with differ-ent abilities and characteristics. Once I get to know the children, we begin our development journey together. Each time we meet, we learn more about each other,” says Chen.
Gradually, she says the children – especially those who require special attention – will open up.
“Every child I meet allows me to learn some-thing new. When I see children as young as two acquire skills and knowledge from the lessons and time I spend exposing them to different
areas, I feel a milestone has been achieved and we are another step closer to helping the child in his/her development.”
Chen asserts that every child’s development journey is unique and that her role is to assist and guide them, hence each child she works with gives her a different sense of satisfaction.
“I enjoy each and every journey and look forward to even more. Knowing that children are enjoying themselves while learning keeps me going and encourages me to look for more educational and developmental programmes to assist their growth”.
MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH OF TODAY“I was misinformed about different university
courses and programmes. However, my interest and passion in teaching and educating never left me.”
Chen recalls giving English lessons to her factory supervisors while she was working in a glove manufacturing plant. “Although it was not educating children, there was a sense of achieve-ment when the supervisors improved tremen-dously in their spoken English during meetings.”
Chen’s advice:
1 If you have an interest or passion which may not be practical now, do not let it go.
2 Work on developing yourself in other fields or subjects.
3 When the time is right or when you have the opportunity and resources in future,
and when you are able to freely choose what you like to do most, you can still achieve it.
“A job can only be a ‘dream job’ if you make it to be. I did not stop learning in all my previous positions and I treasure my experiences from all the different fields. Each area has helped me to develop who I am today.”
You’re the driver of the bus.
CHIN KEAT CHYUANCountry Director, Hospital GroupJohnson & Johnson Sdn Bhd
I met up with Chin Keat Chyuan, a gregarious gentleman I used to work with on improving patient access to healthcare. For the entire time we worked together, it was apparent that Chin’s personal mission was to improve the lives of patients, making him both a compassionate and effective leader.
ONE AND ONLYAnother thing that distinguishes Chin from
many is the fact that he has stayed with the same organisation since the time he gradu-ated.
Chin started his professional career with Johnson & Johnson as a product special-ist in 1997 right after earning a Bachelor in Biochemistry, and subsequently an MBA.
Steadfast with the organisation for more than 17 years, Chin has risen through the years to the role of country director today. An inspira-tional and progressive leader, Chin nurtures and empowers his teams to deliver on their goals.
ENERGY IN HARMONYRecalling his boundless energy on develop-
ing and executing strategies, I asked Chin what keeps him motivated.
“Knowing that I am part of the value chain in contributing towards healthcare in society, part-nering with professionals to constantly strive for better surgical and treatment outcomes, gives me the maximum satisfaction from work.”
On alignment with the organisational goals, Chin shared that, “Being able to provide access and reach to a wider group of underserved patients has always been my personal and organ-isational goals, and where these two core values meet, that’s my greatest source of motivation.”
FINDING THAT ‘DREAM JOB’“Young people nowadays are much more
exposed and talented due to advancement in telecommunication and availability of informa-tion,” says Chin sharing some practical tips:
1 With all the insights gathered, you should process and filter out the noise and under-
stand your inner strengths and wants.
2 Focus on the industry and role that will make you grow along the journey.
3 Look for an organisation which is not only interested in attracting the best talent,
but has a structured system to retain, develop and grow candidates, so that it can have a solid talent pipeline who understands the culture of the organisation and be able to provide consistent leadership to continue growing the organisation.
MELYZA PAKIANATHAM Educator at SK Taman Bukit Indah, Ampang
AFTER taking her SPM examinations 18 years ago, Melyza chose to be a part-time teacher. A year after completing her first degree, she found her calling in this vocation, and has been an educator in a government school in Malaysia for nine years teaching English and Music for the upper primary level.
“In school, I am officially in charge of the welfare of students but besides looking into their basic needs, I would pounce on the opportunity to empower children to be leaders.
To build character and their potential, Melyza encourages her students to brainstorm with their peers and also to carry out their plans with confidence.
“It also creates a dynamic environment of teamwork and inter-dependence which are characteristics that help build harmonious relationships among them,” shares Melyza
ON HER SOURCE OF MOTIVATION“I truly believe that I will reap my benefits
in 10 or 20 years when I see my students become successful people; when they stand for good values, become beacons of light and when they pass on the wisdom of respecting humanity as a whole.
“I am motivated by simply knowing that in years to come, the knowledge and wis-dom that I have provided will be passed on through the generations and in the end, I hope to be simply, warmly remembered as Cikgu”.
FINDING YOUR DREAM JOBMelyza is certainly an advocate of fol-
lowing your dreams.
1 Dare to take the road less travelled, do not be afraid of failure, keep try-
ing and give your best in everything.
2 It might be the road less travelled but it defines who you really are.
3 Don’t be afraid to be who you want to be and never let disappoint-
ments bring you down.“Always remember ... each path is a
stepping stone to something greater and always thank God for everything and everyone in your life,” says Melyza with that can-do vigour that all great teachers have when cheering their stu-dents on.
By KAREN [email protected]
WE hear from some that they truly love their jobs – and we may think ‘that can’t really be true!’.
Rather than something conjured from imagination, it does exist! I have been fortunate to have jobs I loved, and I realise how much difference it makes when you believe in what your organisation is trying to achieve.
Whether you do it deliberately, you start to immerse yourself in the organisational goals and find innovative ways to improve processes, reach out to the target demographic – anything that increases efficiency and effectiveness of the team in working towards the mission.
Our team took the opportunity to track down people we have worked with or interacted with in some way, people who have inspired us that finding that ‘dream job’ is not just a dream!
LEADERSHIP TRAITSDevelopment programmes at Leaderonomics
are grounded in 49 character traits and values that form the building blocks of great leader-ship. Instilled in youth during their formative years, these traits and values guide us well into working life and beyond.
Of the 49 traits, I see a common thread in the individuals that we feature today. While chosen for their passion and perseverance for their work, and willingness to go against the grain, they also appear to be characterised byl Boldness: Having the confidence to choose
the right path for themselves l Decisiveness: Knowing their strengths and
recognising when it is time to take the road less travelled
l Determination: Staying true to their goals regardless of obstacles
l Endurance: The inward strength to persevere on the chosen path
l Enthusiasm: Clearly deriving joy from what they do, infectious joy that permeates their people
l Sincerity: Staying true to their values and objectives
NORFAZILAH ZAKARIA Sweet Nothings Baking Co.
WHEN asked how it all started, Norfazilah recollects that baking started out as a hobby for her.
“I loved eating pastries (especially tarts) and the less common flavoured cakes, so I started making them and uploading photos on Instagram and Facebook. Some close friends wanted to order, I obliged and that’s how it started”, she says.
Around the same time, Norfazilah was planning to leave her job with a publishing company as she was restless and wanted to spend more time with my children.
When her company announced that they were letting go of employees, she saw it as an opportunity and decided to pursue her favourite pastime, full time.
SWEET MOMENTS“It’s great when you get positive feedback
from customers but I think I love the flex-ibility most – not having to worry about the commute to work (I stayed quite far from my previous workplace), not having to report to anyone and being able to work at my own pace.
“Of course, the best part is that I get to spend more time with my children so I think my motivation is to have something to gen-erate income while being able to maintain this lifestyle and focus on my family”.
ON CHARTING YOUR CAREERNorfazilah’s words of wisdom: “Do some-
thing that fulfills your soul and makes you happy because at the end of the day only that truly matters”.
rules for the ride of your career and life
10Source: The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon (www.TheEnergyBus.com)
Desire, vision and focus move your bus in the right direction.
Fuel your ride with positive energy.
Invite people on your bus and share your vision for the road ahead.
Don’t waste your energy on those who don’t get on your bus.
Post a sign that says “No energy vampires allowed” on your bus.
Enthusiasm attracts more passengers and energises them during the ride.
Love your passengers.
Drive with purpose.
Have fun and enjoy the ride.
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Karen hopes fervently that more people can find the job that fits them and brings them joy and satisfaction. For more leadership content, do visit www.leaderonomics.com
By SARAH [email protected]
DESPITE his name, Loke Yew Joe isn’t your “average Joe”. At 27, he works two jobs; holding a position as a legal practitioner in the
Attorney-General’s chambers as well as a guitarist and vocalist for the local alternative/rock band ZERO.
In a recent interview, Loke shared how his unique journey as a guitarist/vocalist started, “I have been gigging since I was 18, so it has been almost 10 years since the first show I did with a few of my buddies for a charity event near Taipan.”
His first show, however, had more of an interesting back story than just playing music.
“I will never forget that show,” he reminisced.
“Halfway through the final act of the night, MPSJ (local council Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya) intervened, and forced everyone to disperse and started confiscating gear and instru-ments.”
“The whole ordeal was somewhat sad and symbolic in the sense that the gear and instruments were essentially our life-force. If people were to take those things away from us, what were we going to do?”
“I started ZERO with a long-time friend of mine in early 2012 when we started writing songs. We decided on the name ZERO, as we were coming out of difficult circumstances in our lives at that point.
“The word ‘zero’ was symbolic, like a reset button for our lives. It was us going back to zero, starting afresh,” Loke explained.
“This band, we see it as an outlet to express our views on injustices, social ills, persecution, oppression, and the struggles of our modern day society.”
A typicAl work dAy“I work from Monday to Friday.
Officially, my hours are between 8.30am till 5.30pm but I’m normally done with work around 6pm.”
“What I do is generally to provide legal counsel to clients in the form of legal research, write-ups, consulta-tions and opinions. I don’t actually go to court.”
“Yes, contrary to popular belief, there are lawyers who do not go to court by choice,” he clarified, quelling the common misconception that law-yers are only found in court.
“But I guess it works for me since I am more comfortable expressing my opinion through words rather than speech.”
By nightAs for his career as a musician, Loke
meets up with the other band mem-bers once a week to rehearse for at least two hours.
“At this point in time, on average, we gig only once a month.”
The band sees the importance in working hard and practising to fine tune their skills, rather than jumping into gigs all the time.
“I think as a band, we place a slight-ly bigger emphasis on spending more time practising and rehearsing more than anything else,” Loke said.
However, as expected, there are many challenges that lie in pursu-ing two jobs. “It makes me feel like Batman,” joked Loke.
“During the day I am made to fol-low rules, sit at my desk, and adhere to the norm which society has set for a corporate yuppie. In contrast, at night I get to let go and be myself, screaming my lungs out and head-banging.
“Despite doing things that I love, there are obviously challenges when it comes to time management and priorities,” he admitted.
“I have a family and I am in a long-term relationship. There has to be time allocated to loved ones which is non-negotiable. It can be exhausting when your plate is so full.
Apart from that, Loke also goes through obstacles such as financial constraints and rejection.
“I think rejection is a common theme when it comes to music,” con-fessed Loke. Fortunately, he is able to direct it away from his passions and
continue to focus on his work.“I have been on the receiving end
of some negative treatment, which can be pretty damaging. The focus to be the best I can just seems to trump whatever negativity is thrown in my direction.”
FeAr: A driving ForceWhen asked what motivates him
to keep going, he gives credit to an unlikely source: fear. “There is a drive to be the best I can, because my big-gest fear is actually not fulfilling my potential and letting others down.
‘Others’ being people whom I hold dear to my heart – be it friends, fam-ily, colleagues, superiors who have entrusted me with something.”
Additionally, Loke is able to express himself through both his jobs. “To be honest I am not the most sociable per-son. It could be tough for me to inter-
act and communicate with strangers.”“In spite of that, law allows me to
express my views via the research, opinions and write-ups I produce, providing a platform for me to chan-nel what I think to the world outside. Music does the same as well. I am able to express my views, emotions and thoughts in songs.
“The cool thing with music is, although sometimes your words or lyrics may be drowned out by the sound of instruments, the emotion, energy and motive of the idea, opin-ion, and emotion will still transcend the manner the music is played, per-formed and produced.
A complementAry union“Music and law to me is an unor-
thodox yet complementary union in my life,” he stated.
“The biggest lesson I have learnt from being involved with two such diverse fields is that investing your heart and soul into something you are passionate about is more important than talent, ability, qualification or intelligence,” he answered.
Fervently in favour of living out your full potential and investing in your given talents, Loke presented me an interesting analogy.
“Imagine a soldier being given a shield, sword and full armour for an impending war. What good would that do him if he left the weapons dormant and not actually take the time to practise, apply, and hone it? Would that not be wasted potential and equipping?”
pArting AdviceFinally, when asked for advice on
pursuing your dreams, he simply responds, “Go for it. We should seize the moment and live life today.”
mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 20158
Lawyer by Day, rocker for LifeThe arT of juggLing Two jobs
n Sarah hopes that she can, like Joe, pursue a career that she is passionate about in the future. If you have similar stories to share, you can get in touch with us at [email protected]. For more A Day in the Life articles, visit www.leaderonomics.com
There is a Drive To be The besT i can, because my biggesT fear is acTuaLLy noT fuLfiLLing my poTenTiaL anD LeTTing oThers Down
mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 2015 9
The 5 QuesTions You MusT AskBy BERNARD [email protected]
“So, what questions do you have for us?”
IT’S the inevitable question that comes at the end of nearly every job inter-view — and yet it’s the one question jobseekers rarely have an answer pre-pared for.
When people do think to prepare for this part of the interview, they often ask bland stock questions that aren’t truly important for their job hunt.
People get so hung up on preparing for the question they might get asked that they often forget to ask important ques-tions they should have and need answers to.
Unfortunately, in a downturned econ-omy, job hunters tend to adopt a scarcity mindset.
If you need work, you may not be able to afford to be picky about which offer to accept, but that doesn’t mean you have to approach the interview with that same frame of mind.
Rather, if you ask questions as though you are weighing the offer of this job against other offers (whether you are or not) you’ll be in a better position to know if the job is a good fit for you
and how you can best succeed with the company.
Remember: the power in these situa-tions is with the listener, so you can end on a powerful note by asking thought-ful, insightful questions that not only make the interviewer think, but give you answers you need in order to make a choice about whether or not to accept the job.
Here are my top five:
1 Which of my skills do you see as the most important for the challenges that
come with the position? You want a job that leverages your key
strengths. The answer to this question helps you understand whether the company is interested in you because of the key skills you have and want to grow, or maybe for other skills you see as less important to focus on and grow.
It also helps you to check whether the chal-lenges they see for the position you are apply-ing for are the same ones you are expecting.
2 How will the company help me develop? You don’t want to simply apply your
skills, you also want to improve and learn new things.
Make sure there is a plan or a support sys-tem to ensure this happens before you accept the job.
This can come in the form of support for continuous professional development or other support such as coaching or mentoring schemes.
Asking this question also shows the inter-viewer that you’re interested in self-improve-ment and growing with the company.
3 Can you tell me a little about the team I’ll be working with?
This is an excellent question to address the culture of the company — without actually
asking about the “culture” of the company. You might find you get a very different
answer than what’s printed in the company’s mission statement or on their website.
It will help you understand how well you fit in with the company, and psychologically it’s a great question to ask because it gently assumes you’ll be getting the position.
4 What constitutes success with this posi-tion and company?
This is a great way to demonstrate that you’re interested in succeeding (not just punching a time clock) but it also gives you key insights into the expectations of the posi-tion and the culture of the company.
5 Do you see any gaps in my skills or quali-fications that I need to fill?
This is a bold, gutsy question. Not every-one is going to be confident enough to ask it, which is going to set you apart from the competition.
To the interviewer, it shows that you’re a bold thinker and demonstrates that you’re willing to fill any gaps that might exist.
For you, the worst-case scenario is that there are gaps that will preclude you from getting the job, but that’s valuable informa-tion to take into your next interview.
In the best case, the interviewer won’t have any answer, and hopefully you’ll be short-listed for the position!
yoUr eND of tHe DeaLSome interviewers may consider this portion
of the interview a “throwaway”, answering easy questions about salary, benefits, time off, etc.
But for the applicant, it’s an excellent oppor-tunity to stand out, get important answers you need to know if you’re a good fit for the job, and
demonstrate that you’re an individual, not just a resume in a pile.
Of course, you don’t have to wait until the end to ask your questions.
In fact, it is much better (and much more natural) if you cover these questions during the interview.
WhAT YouR AnsWeRs CouLD MeAnBy PREMA [email protected]
NOW, when an interviewer asks a candi-date a question during a job interview, it’s not merely to get an answer but to enable the interviewer to understand the interviewee’s personality, experience and approach to managing setbacks.
Here are some questions that you may be asked during an interview and what your answers may let on about you:
Question 1: Give me an example of a time you managed an obstacle that was deter-ring you from achieving your goal.
Motive: Your answer here could give your potential employer a clear picture of what you consider an obstacle. He/she would also be able to gauge your problem-solving style and how tactful you are at approaching issues that involve people.
Question 2: What methods would you take to improve on your skillsets for pro-fessional development?
Motive: Your answer here would show if you are empowered to look out for opportunities that would help you better yourself or if you are dependent on your employer to provide you with options. I am sure you know which is better.
Question 3: What would be the first thing you would do if hired for this position?
Motive: Your reply would show how much you understand about the requirements of the position and if you have done your homework by reading up on the organi-sation and the way it functions. This includes the culture too.
Being aware of the organisation and what it stands for makes a very good first impression to interviewers, and if you handle the questions well, you may have just landed your preferred job.
n Prema Jayabalan believes that your answers are borne from your personality, working style and principles. Hence, always be truthful as that gives you the best results in the long run. If you have a story to share, write to her at [email protected]
n Bernard Marr is a globally recognised expert in strategy, performance management, analytics, KPIs and big data. He helps companies and executive teams manage, measure and improve performance. His latest books are ‘25 Need-to-Know Key Performance Indicators’ and ‘Doing More with Less’. To connect with him, email [email protected]. For more leadership insights, visit www.leaderonomics.com
JoB inTeRVieW
LOCK DOWN THE PERFECT JOB
mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 201510
By STEPHANIE [email protected]
EIGHTEEN months ago, I graduated from university.
While my friends found glamorous jobs with “Big 4” firms or jobs that sent them
jet-setting all over Southeast Asia, I found myself plunged into a life cri-sis, struggling to find my perfect job.
I wondered: What do I do with my life?
For the next 18 months after graduation, I tried everything that had almost nothing to do with what I studied: interned with a political party; served as an assistant for a member of parliament; taught as a tutor at a state-funded tuition centre; and signed up for a talent search company that promoted local independent musicians.
FINDING MYSELFI’m not alone.Every year more than 180,000
Malaysian students graduate with diplomas and degrees. But one out of four will end up being unem-ployed.
Employers point fingers at poor language proficiency, badly-written resumes and unrealistic salary demands.
A recent World Bank report notes that there’s a clear mismatch between the curriculum taught in universities, and what the industry needs.
But there’s a deeper problem here: If we knew what we really wanted to do, we would be really passionate about it, and our future employers would detect that pas-
sion during job interviews. But the trouble is we don’t know what we really want.
QUESTION YOURSELFIn university, we strive hard to ace
our exams. We want our parents to beam with pride at our success.
We chase after the best-paying jobs with the highest recognition. Along the way, we burn midnight oil so that we become molten wax – malleable enough to fit into the Asian mould of success.
That’s the usual way to find the perfect job, right?
So I passed all my ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) papers in a single attempt. And graduated with first class honours.
And lo and behold: here I was, in a land of milk and honey, with so many possible audit and accounting firms to choose from.
I should have been proud of my achievements. But somehow, all I could think of was, why do I still feel so lost?
As I clinched the hard-earned cer-tificate that would launch me into a 30-year career trajectory, I began to wonder, “Is this what I really want to do for the rest of my life?”
Most of us feel this way. But rath-er than think this through, we get busy by emailing our resumes, like a game of roulette, hoping to land a decent job that we do not hate.
And that’s why most young peo-ple feel half-hearted about their jobs. A 2012 Kelly Global Workforce Index survey in Malaysia indicated that less than half of us feel that our jobs give us a “sense of meaning”.
According to the survey, young people want personal fulfilment and personal growth more than com-pensation and benefits. We want meaningful work.
And that’s how I found myself sitting alone on a beach in Koh Phangan, Thailand, toes buried in sand, questioning the wisdom of pursuing a conventional career path.
As I flipped the pages of Barefoot Leadership by Alvin Ung, a paragraph drew my thoughts to a halt, “We pay a costly price when we choose not to act on our most deeply held convic-tions. We violate our essential selves.
“We are paralysed into inaction. Above all, we are held hostage by our own minds. The fear of failure, ironically, looms larger than the fail-ure itself.”
LISTEN AND ACTI knew what I didn’t want to do. I
just needed the courage not to do it.So I took a leap of faith. I made
the decision not to venture into audit after spending the past three years studying ACCA.
That was the toughest decision I had to make.
My decision seems ridiculous – even self-indulgent – considering the efforts my parents saved and scrimped so I could get a higher education.
I am fully aware of the worries that cloud them as their daughter sets out on a journey of “self discov-ery” – a term that most baby boom-ers would deem unnecessary.
With these thoughts at the back of my mind, I hoped that along the way, I would find better ways to give back as a young person – to my par-ents and everyone else around me.
After my university gradua-tion, I felt the urgency to find the right answers. Now I real-ise that the journey of finding purpose begins by not about finding the right answers, but by asking better questions.
The biggest lesson I learned is this: we need to change the way we ask ourselves questions about life.
n Stephanie is embarking on a jour-ney of self-discovery, carrying a back-pack filled with big questions and a notebook to scribble down ‘aha’ moments. She hopes to find her true north some day and help other lost souls along the way. She is currently helping Alvin Ung, the author of Barefoot Leadership, facilitate work-shops and write a book on purposeful leaders in Asia. To connect with her, email [email protected]. For more Starting Young articles, visit www.leaderonomics.com
Big QuEsTiONs YOu sHOuLD BE AsKiNg
ARE YOu ON A simiLAR sOuL-sEARCHiNg JOuRNEY?
i KNEW WHAT i DiDN’T WANT TO DO. i JusT NEEDED THE COuRAgE NOT TO DO iT.
My tip: don’t ask too many heavyweight, philosophical or open-ended questions about life.
They can lead to paralysis. Instead focus on asking three bold questions that will determine your next step forward.
Here are my big three:
1 In what ways can I best use my skills and strengths
for this season in my life?
2 Right now, where do I feel myself being led to serve,
learn and grow?
3 What are the opportunities I see in front of me that
will help me take one step forward?
These questions have propelled me on an unexpected, soul-searching journey.
The really nice thing about the three questions is that you can use them, too, even when you’re pursuing a conventional job.
By THOMAS [email protected]
LEARNING to behave and to possess an extent of humility is something that should be developed early on. This usually starts with development within
the family system.We argue because we want to defend
our ideas and values, but humility is about being able to accept the truth.
If a father does not admit his faults to the observant son whom he wronged, he loses credibility and trust.
So, when the relationship with family members and close friends is not stable, how do we expect to forge strong relations with strangers or colleagues?
In today’s society, people develop egotistic personalities at such a young age, and this is due to the fact that expectations are placed upon us to be competitive and perform well.
Psychological egoism is not necessarily bad, as we are internally motivated to achieve something that is of our self-interest.
But what if we fail? What if, we do not meet these expectations and demands, that it hurts our ego in a way no one else can? Does this mean we are hurting ourselves?
Vigilance and attentiveness towards family and friends did not fall under my daily consciousness while I was younger. I would constantly neglect my responsibilities towards my family and friends, be it mutual or in the emotional attributes.
Not until I left home to pursue my education did I realise my shortcomings during those years.
Independence and freedom from the clutches of family is misused when
we only do things for our own benefit, disregarding the interests of others. Moreover, ego kicks in when we are forced to admit our faults.
My personal development is far from being over. Suffice to say, the individual I am today is rooted in being able to accept my faults as a young person, and learning to see from the perspectives of others.
One of my many goals is to one day re-unite with the people I lost contact with, and tell them what great teachers they are.
GOAL-SETTING IDEASPersonally, my style of goal setting is
still very rudimentary; hence what I usu-ally do is to take the simplest and small-est step forward (complete anything that comes within my reach), and move on from there.
There does not have to be a specific goal in place all the time, therefore this method works for those who are yet to realise their ultimate goals.
There are many approaches to goal setting that one can adopt. One that we often stumble upon or hear about is the specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely (SMART) model.
Regardless of its unquestionable effectiveness, we can also use other goal setting models, such as GROW: Goals, Reality, Obstacles/options, and Way forward. This is a more direct approach used by countless life coaches.
GOALSl Specific goals are meant to
improve our quality of life, either directly or through our emotions and self-esteem. The satisfaction can be temporary if it is in a form of material, so make sure to prioritise these goals.
l A learning goal is not the usual quantifiable achievement, like getting a better car or bigger house. They are skills and competency achievements that we set out to learn and apply for a whole lifetime.
l Examples of learning goals are critical thinking, self-management and disciplinary knowledge, and moral awareness.
l Our goals determine where we want to be. Our reality is something or somewhere we are, that we hope can be improved further. This is when you get to know yourself well first.
FAILurES AND ObSTAcLESLearning to adapt to the surround-
ings in terms of culture and language takes both effort and concentration. It is a constant challenge to learn about others and appeal to the crowd.
When we fail, we blame others for it. If that happens, we lose something called the internal locus of control, together with our opportunity to learn.
Personally, I’ve blamed a number of people on my way to university. In college, I would blame the teacher for being too strict, or the school facilities for being insufficient.
In university, the blaming continued, because I felt it was even worse than college.
But when I entered the workforce, things became different. My boss told me to find my own resources or else.
It is all about responsibility. When we possess the responsible attitude, we increase our internal locus of con-trol. That is where self-esteem and belief lead us on.
AccOuNTAbILITYIn clinical social worker and
psychotherapist Amy Morin’s article entitled 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, she mentions that the inevitability of failures and sorrow could lead to the engagement in self-pity, which is counterproductive to our development when we fail to act appropriately.
It was the best advice anyone could get, to exit the zone of self-pity, and learn to account for our own actions, during and after the time of that action.
The CEO (chief executive officer) of Leaderonomics, Roshan Thiran, echoes the same words as leadership expert, Simon Sinek, on what it takes to be a role model who inspire others.
We must constantly be aware that the people who work with us are the more important ones.
Leaders put the people first, and themselves last, not when it comes to taking the bullets, but when it comes to accepting the praises and standing ovations of those who notice their success.
When trust and cooperation are estab-lished, the system in which we work nat-urally becomes the perfect environment for productivity.
Who is to say it will definitely pay off, but one thing is for certain: we are con-stantly making progress, and that itself is an achievement.
n Thomas Chan is a psychology graduate who aspires to become a certified professional corporate trainer. To achieve this goal, he is actively exposing himself to the corporate environment and engaging with some of the prominent leaders in this society. For more leadership content, visit www.leaderonomics.com
mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 2015 11
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
ONE Of My gOALS iS TO
RE-uNiTE wiTh ThE PEOPLE i
LOST cONTAcT wiTh, AND TELL
ThEM whAT gREAT TEAchERS
ThEy ARE
By MILLIE [email protected]
JOB satisfaction can be under-stood as an employee’s percep-tion towards his or her job as providing for a positive and ful-filling experience.
It is a subject that has been thor-oughly studied in attempts to find the right formula towards designing work (and the workplace) to elicit the right amount of employee satisfaction.
Why? Because as an employer, it would make sense that you would want your employees to feel satisfied about their jobs as opposed to having a team of disgruntled staff.
Research has drawn links between job satisfaction and increased employ-ee happiness, decreased turnover rates, feelings of organisational com-mitment and even improved produc-tivity rates.
Volumes of research have been ded-icated to this subject, in an attempt to find the right recipe for job satisfac-tion.
In culinary arts, there’s a term called mise en place which means to set up the ingredients before the actual cook-ing begins. So, among the ingredients for job satisfaction, we have these.
COMPENSATIONProper and fair compensa-
tion for an honest day’s work is at the top of the list of important aspects leading towards job satisfaction (2014 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Report (2014 Report)).
Many individuals require the rewards and compensation offered by a job to satisfy a basic need for stabil-ity and security in their lives.
Compensation can go beyond money, and include fair recogni-tion from supervisors, on-the-job perks, or good benefit packages.
These incentives ensure employees feel the exchange between them and the organisa-tion is a fair one, and prevents feelings of under-appreciation.
CHALLENGING WORKRepetitive work that doesn’t
fully utilise one’s abilities can be drain-ing as well as extremely boring.
According to the 2014 Report, the opportunity to really use one’s skills and abilities in their work was listed
as the third most important aspect for job satisfaction.
Employees should be given respon-sibilities that allow them to chal-lenge their personal and professional boundaries, as opposed to roles that are a mismatch between what they can do versus what they are expected to do.
FRIENDS AT WORKOne of the key questions in
the Gallup Q12 Engagement Survey is – do you have a friend at work? This says a lot about the power of being able to work with people you genu-inely enjoy being around.
Employers can take an extra step to encourage this by providing platforms, such as sporting activities, for employ-ees to interact outside of their official capacities.
Employees should go to work know-ing they can make friends with one another.
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOSS
Frustration in the workplace can often come from a lack of clarity in instructions and miscommunication between a superior and a subordinate.
A crucial step to improve employee satisfaction within a job is to establish a strong relationship between the two parties – creating a sense of connec-tion that is not governed by power or status.
An open channel of communication will allow information and ideas to flow both ways.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH
Today’s workplace is not just a venue for an employee to spend eight hours working in return for a salary.
Instead it has become the new place of learning for adults – offer-ing opportunities for employees to sharpen their talents, experience novel situations and learn new skills.
Employers too, benefit from employees who are able to continu-ously improve and change their game. Employees who see their work as an avenue for personal development find more meaning in their jobs, leading them to feeling more satisfied at the end of the day.
As employers, it is also crucial to ensure that all employees are given fair opportunities to grow, with no discrimination.
AUTONOMYOne commonly cited factor
leading to employee engagement and satisfaction is autonomy in the workplace – whereby an employee is allowed to navigate their work inde-pendently.
Rather than being just a cog in the machine, the opportunity to make one’s own decisions can be a strong motivator for an employee.
Giving your employees the chance to have a say – either about their work schedules, how the company treats them or in their work itself, gives them a sense of autonomy that validates their contributions to the company.
THE FORMULASo, we have the ingredients but
what is the perfect ratio for creating employee satisfaction in their jobs? To tell you the truth, there isn’t a perfect formula.
It is up to each individual to find their own formula, and take the nec-essary steps towards becoming satis-fied in your profession.
For many people, a job can mean different things – a way to provide for their lifestyle, an extension of their identity or an outlet for their ambition.
By identifying what is highest on your priority list, you can then deter-mine if your job currently matches this or help you find a job that can meet your personal satisfaction levels.
Even if you find that your job cannot fully satisfy you, have a conversation with your superiors about creating a more satisfactory environment.
Although some aspects that con-tribute to job satisfaction may be out of your hands, there are equally as many aspects that can be altered to create a more ideal work environment.
IN CONCLUSIONFocus your efforts on improving
factors that are highest on your own personal priority list to create a job that you can be satisfied in.
Pick your favourite ingredients, and toss them into the pot accordingly!
n Millie Ong would like to know what your satisfaction trigger is, and what would make up your personal perfect recipe for job satisfaction. She can be contacted at [email protected]. For more leadership content, do check out www.leaderonomics.com
mystarjob.com, saturday 7 February 201512
If you have any suggestions or feedback on our content, get in touch with the Leaderonomics team at [email protected] For advertising and advertorials, contact Pravin Kumar at [email protected] or +6011 2377 7850
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