Right now, I’m not so thrilled with some of the things going on in my organization. That’s hard for me to say. I love the work I do. I believe in what my organization is trying to accomplish and they are doing a lot of really great and inspiring things. I work in an absolutely beautiful place. In spite of those positives, I have been feeling a bit jaded. I was worried I’d get disillusioned because of organizational politics, but I really don’t want to.
The good news for me is that I just enjoyed a long-planned, wonderful vacation. (The bad news, I missed our conference). It was an amazingly good week of hiking, swimming, playing games and time with friends. I came back to work feeling happy. I looked around at the lovely place and talked with coworkers and I knew I wanted to maintain my joy in work. I had a long think and one of the questions that came to mind is, “Who do I actually work for?”
I do not work for my management. I am sure they would not like to hear me say that (don’t tell!), but for me it’s the truth. I work for the visitors and students who walk through our doors. I work for those who come to me with problems, questions or just want to share their “Aha” moment. I work for each volunteer who donates their time. I work for anyone who gets their water from the City of Seattle. That’s daunting to think about but it’s something I can be proud of and care about.
I got a customer service award not that long ago. I’m sort of embarrassed by it, but I guess it feels good. It’s made me think about what good customer service is and what matters to me. Once you get down to the core, I think I got the award because I care about the customer. Maybe that’s trite but there are certainly worse things I could care about. My question, who do I work for, is the right question for me. It tapped into my beliefs and, dare I say it, my passion. Are you feeling burned out or frustrated? What question do you need to ask yourself?
Written by: Chris Holland, VAN Steering committee
Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing the question that helped motivate you. When I feel frustrated about my job and workplace, I ask myself “What do I love about being here?” and the answer is ‘working with volunteers, patients and community groups’ – they are the ones who inspire and motivate me. Also, taking time off to recharge my batteries is super important for my health and wellbeing.
Thanks for your reply Syrenka. Your question is a really good one too. There is so much I love about being here I’m glad you have that same passion. And yes, time off, is always good too.