5 ways to find job satisfaction

This post came out from The Straits Times (9 December 2015)
Title - 5 ways to find job satisfaction

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Don't compare yourself with others
2. Be honest with yourself
3. Get to the root of the problem
4. Work smarter
5. Build relationships

On Don't compare yourself with others

• Many employees compare their work performance with others without knowing how much it took for the other person to get to where he or she is now. Such thoughts make you feel jealous and demoralised. It is also not useful to beat yourself up if you don't have enough experience yet.

On Be honest with yourself

• Hard as it may be, evaluating how well or poorly you performed at work this ear is crucial if you want to improve. This is true even if you are intending to leave your current job, because you might end up making the same mistakes in your new position if you do not analyse your behaviour.
• For instance, did you accomplish more or less than you wanted this year? What would you do differently so that at the end of next year, you can smile knowing that you have had a great year?
• Be honest about where you stand and what you have to work with. Next, accept what happened over the course of the year, and your current position, level of experience and performance. Then be willing to keep improving.

On Get to the root of the problem

• Before you can decide whether to stay in your present job or look for greener pastures, you need to know why you had a rocky year. 
• Sometimes when people say that these external factors are the problems, in reality, it could be that they are not willing to admit that they are the real problems. 
• To know if you are the problem that you must solve, try to identify a recurring pattern in all your previous jobs. For instance, do you always leave the company for the same reason? Do you always face the same set of problems? If the answer is yes, then chances are you are the problem. Unless and until you fix it, no job will be able to satisfy you for long.

On Work smarter

• Go the extra mile - Add value by delivering more than what you are paid to do
• Don't try to manage time - Work on your energy level instead. Quality energy gives you more focus
• Take it slow - Set baby steps for yourself when deciding on goals, and acknowledge your progress every step of the way

On Build relationships

• Form sincere relationships - No one likes to work with someone bossy, although you may be smarter and skilful than your colleagues
• Tap on others' strengths - If your colleagues can do the work more quickly than you, there may be something you can learn from them
• Be a problem solver - If a team member's performance is impacting you, there is a reason behind it. Find out what i is and help him or her to solve it. In doing so, you get to learn something from that experience. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big