What makes a job satisfying?
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A very interesting article in today's TODAY newspaper
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What makes a job satisfying
by John Bittleston, TODAY newspaper, 22/8/05
The most important criterion is to deal with people using normal, face-to-face contact
THERE will soon be a shortage of companies
offering satisfying jobs. There is
already a shortage of companies that manage
people well. Unsatisfactory jobs turn
people off. They cease to operate well.
They opt out. Bad management does the
same.
What is a satisfying job?
You could help me define
it. Here is what I think matters.
Of all the criteria, I put
dealing with people in a normal,
face-to-face situation at
the top of the list. Lives deprived
of human contact are
dreary, dull and frustrating.
The people you deal with
can be suppliers, customers,
shareholders and colleagues.
The few people who prefer to work alone
have little difficulty satisfying their wish.
Human contact is not confined to one-onone
meetings. You can have a great relationship
using your computer or the phone.
It will not give you quite as much satisfaction
but it can work very well. (I do all my
mentoring by email and it has many advantages
for both my mentees and me.)
They say that the most “complete” job
in the world is that of an airline pilot but I
would not want to be one. I understand that
before a flight, a pilot has a clearly defined
mission and at his destination he files his report
and goes to bed with the satisfaction that
he has completed the task he was set.
same.
There is no doubt that a “complete” job
done well is very satisfying. I rate this as the
second most important aspect of a good job.
My next criteria, in order
of importance, are:
1) being well rewarded;
2) having a real chance
of promotion;
3) working for a good boss
— one who is considerate,
helpful, fair and thoughtful
but who lets you get on with
the job;
4) bright and cooperative
colleagues/working in a good
team;
5) being free from office politics;
6) feeling that the product or service
you are providing is needed, useful, enjoyed
and helpful;
7) working in reasonable conditions,
pleasant surroundings — light, airy and clean.
....
Do you guys share these aspects when thinking about job satisfaction, too? -
I think he put it very well! No wonder I have no job satisfaction.
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Pretty office girls. Tender young flesh.
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x2.....Originally posted by Wanda:I think he put it very well! No wonder I have no job satisfaction. 
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Know something, I used to think you were a gal. I mean, a ditzy guy? Hmm...Originally posted by ditzy:Pretty office girls. Tender young flesh. 
After 2 mths in sgforum, I guess it is possible. -
something interesting, and lets me learn new stuff everyday?
that's job satisfaction of course n good salary
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You think too much. A forum is where one expresses ideas, opinions, suggestions, and debate. The above comments are biased and uncalled for. My gender has nothing to do with my such. Thus, your comments are uncalled for and biased.Originally posted by Wanda:Know something, I used to think you were a gal. I mean, a ditzy guy? Hmm...
After 2 mths in sgforum, I guess it is possible. -
Originally posted by ditzy:You think too much. A forum is where one expresses ideas, opinions, suggestions, and debate. The above comments are biased and uncalled for. My gender has nothing to do with my such. Thus, your comments are uncalled for and biased. when was being called a ger biased..?
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it would be a compliment to me..... something i have not heard for a long time..... anyone wanna be biased to me??!!Originally posted by Lance_han: when was being called a ger biased..? -
i think a satisfying job gives a touch of everything .......
people change over time ...... the job nature should evolve together
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I've got no job satisfaction now... I'll just gripe and rant here. Here are some of the 'unofficial' slogans we have.
"different day, same sh|t" - says it all eh?
"men can die but aircraft must fly" - we can work till we're half dead and they only bother about the flying.
"fast to punish, slow to reward" - want to claim day off so hard. they want to give extra, so easy.
"you pay peanuts, you get monkeys" - we're not paid enough for the work we're doing. Pilots take home so much, 'drive' and seldom get punished. Ground crew take home less than 2-3 times their pay, make sure the aircraft fly and always kena shoot. And after shooting us they still expect the best from us?
"we have to give and take a little" - Yeah... we give, you take. -
Job satisfaction is way over rated.
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For a negative demonstration of job satisfaction, watch Office Space.
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office space?Originally posted by Gedanken:For a negative demonstration of job satisfaction, watch Office Space. -
For basic data: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151804/Originally posted by shinta:office space?
For a review: http://www.bullshItjob.com/officespace/ -
we asked for so little.. and damn.. that's all we got
let's see..
Complete Job
well.. no one has anything written that we do.. they have a bunch of motherhood statements which no one believes in and fewer care...
Being Well-Rewarded
the pay isn't that bad but it isn't good.. as for other rewards, no good deed goes unpunished where i work.. no one gets paid enough to face the kind of @^$*! that we do
Having a real chance of promotion
yes there is.. only if you toe the line and learn all the ways of office politics... or be posted to a position where it is high profile and they have no excuse not to promote you... otherwise, see the above point...
Working for a Good Boss — one who is considerate, helpful, fair and thoughtful but who lets you get on with the job
now... imagine this: if the big boss disappears, the organisation would be much better and we would actually get more work done and be happier... sad indictment of the organisation, isn't it?
Bright and Cooperative Colleagues/working in a good team
we had a great team.. only, our big boss who has this pathological need to screw things up, is breaking up the team.. effective tomorrow.. i'm not kidding...
Being Free from Office Politics
can't do that.. like that, the big boss has nothing to do at all... he's one of those who lives life with a motto: No back goes unstabbed
Feeling that the Product or Service you are providing is needed, useful, enjoyed and helpful
we KNOW that what we do is vital.. but everyone hates us anyway...
Working in reasonable conditions, pleasant surroundings — light, airy and clean
working in one of the most polluted and stressful area (and i'm just talking about the physical surroundings) in Singapore.. this is a good gag
i wonder why i love my job? it's just the bosses and senior management screwing things up for us normal working hacks... and i guess it's pretty much the same everywhere.. those who politick well and are unproductive, climb.. those who are good at what they do, are left behind because they are productive.. -
Consider this scenario:
What if, you boss treats you reasonably well (e.g. consider your workload and your wish not to work unpaid OT, or can be protective of you if other dept give you job to do), so initially, you think he's nice and like having him as a boss.
However, as time goes by, you realise the boss sometimes is quite nasty to other colleagues, quite ego, and sometimes does things for his own personal glory instead of the division's goals or make decisions that impact some colleagues (negatively) which you don't agree with.
Will you still like him? Would that affect your attitude and feelings about working in the office with him? -
if a person is without principles, he/she/it can change easily..
my big boss where i work now has flip/flop rate in the terahertz region.. depending on what his bosses say and whose back he can stab...
so.. yes.. it'll affect my attitude and i'll grow very quickly to detest him..Originally posted by Wanda:Consider this scenario:
What if, you boss treats you reasonably well (e.g. consider your workload and your wish not to work unpaid OT, or can be protective of you if other dept give you job to do), so initially, you think he's nice and like having him as a boss.
However, as time goes by, you realise the boss sometimes is quite nasty to other colleagues, quite ego, and sometimes does things for his own personal glory instead of the division's goals or make decisions that impact some colleagues (negatively) which you don't agree with.
Will you still like him? Would that affect your attitude and feelings about working in the office with him? -
good movie ! ...Originally posted by Gedanken:For a negative demonstration of job satisfaction, watch Office Space. -
most important factors for me:
1. different shit, everyday ....
nothing worse than doing the same thing over and over again everyday, they should get a robot, not me ....
2. making a difference ....
important factor for me ... i once asked my father how he can still bounce out of bed every to get to work after teaching for more than 20 years .....
3. job grows with me ...
not just contributing to my resume's skillset list ... but you'd want to see yourself getting from point A to point B ....
4. as does the salary ....
nuff said ... -
I think it's time for you to wake up and smell the coffee.Originally posted by InnoHippo:i think a satisfying job gives a touch of everything .......
people change over time ...... the job nature should evolve together -
To me,
Job satisfication comes when u can earn up to wat u expect which is 5K for me now and also helping other under me getting wat they wants in life. Nothing can be perfect but i do want to make it happen... I had help quite a few guys to achieve wat they wants and of cos i earn thru them.
Need not much effort and not being tied down by company policy will be the best but watever u do.. Bounce to tied down with either time or restricted to do wat u wants rite?
I have a good good opportunity and hope i can help whoever in this forum with and share our achievement with the common goal set....
regards
jason -
I think its when your effort and work gets appreciated by the people around you..
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I just had a recent transfer to a new work area at the start of this month.
At first, I was apprehensive, because for the past three years, since I graduated, I've been in my old ward. I didn't like it there much but I had settled into a comfortable routine, and things were predictable. Well, except for the Sisters' moods, which were highly volatile!
I guess I was in my 'comfort zone'.
My sudden transfer stunned me. Inside, I could feel a sort of resistance against this change. However, at the same time, I thought that maybe, this change would do me good because I had stagnated at my previous workplace already. It was probably high time to go somewhere new, learn new things, broaden my experience and yes, make the good ol' resume look even better!
So, I went with an open mind. And guess what? I now have more job satisfaction!!
Here are the factors that makes my job satisfying :
- Great Teamwork! Here, everyone, including the seniors and the management, roll up their sleeves to pitch in. It really boosts your morale when you know that if you're busy and stuck with a 'bad' case, your colleagues will willingly come over to help you without being asked even. Here, they adopt a macro view - they run the entire ICU and they don't just think that they only care for the patients they are in charge of. That really really helps! I was really impressed! Now, even when we're busy, I'm happy and I work with a spring in my step.
- Enlightened Management! The sisters not only help us a lot, they stand up for us and fight for us when need be. They talk to us like we're equals, unlike my previous workplace, where the 'Wong Ah Mah' (Empress Dowager) or the military style was used. The sisters don't look at us with suspicion and they also don't talk to us with sarcasm and keep making accusations and hurtful comments at us. This makes the working environment really pleasant! I no longer dread interaction with the Sisters like I used to.
I still work the same hours, and my pay remains the same, but my job satisfaction is much higher and I'm happier! Things aren't perfect, but they're better and it makes a hell lotta difference to staff morale! Now, I'm motivated! -
coffee smells goodOriginally posted by ditzy:I think it's time for you to wake up and smell the coffee.