I am privileged to work in a profession that allows me to collaborate with some of the most gifted minds on the planet. It might be an engineer who is able to design a system sensitive enough to analyze the surface chemical content of a star 3 billion light years from earth but not quite able to detect the yearning of his spouse for a loving gesture. Or it might be a CEO who has the stamina to relentlessly and passionately pursue company objectives but routinely misses opportunities to encourage, engage, develop and orchestrate the work of his subordinates.
We all come to work every day with a unique assortment of problems and aspirations. Sometimes the problems get in the way of the aspirations. My job, as an EAP counselor, is to help move the problems to the side so the aspirations can flourish. In my work I try to make a difference in the ongoing drama of elation, disappointment, achievement, loss, bravery and stress that occurs at the intersection of work and personal life.
I have been following The Listserve community for quite some time now and I particularly value the extraordinary generational, cultural and geographic diversity found in the posts.
I would like to use my turn to communicate with the group to ask you to help me better understand what I have spent most of my life trying to understand. I try to understand what motivates people to work hard and feel good about their efforts and what discourages people and makes them give up. I try to understand how good bosses bring out the best in people and how bad bosses drive people to despair. I want to know how individuals, right now in 2013, are dealing with the trade-offs and conflicts that are inherent in the pursuit of making a living, finding meaning and achievement in our work, and having a fulfilling personal life.
So here are a few questions:
What has been your experience with bad bosses and wonderful mentors at work?
What motivates you and brings out the best in you at work?
What discourages you most in your job?
What have you experienced and learned about working with others?
What are your strategies for balancing the demands of work with those of your personal life?
I write a blog called stress.health.business. I would love to include some of your thoughts on any or all these questions in one of my future posts. Feel free to make up your own question about work (and answer it please).
I would love to hear from you and I promise to let you know if your wisdom and experience get featured in my blog.
Good luck to you all in finding answers to your most important questions.
Peace,
Mark Sagor
[email protected]
Lexington, MA, USA