Increasing Happiness and Creating a Positive Change In Your Job

Employees often join an organisation with big expectations and high hopes but soon realise the big gap between what they thought would happen and the reality. 

They may have expected to experience opportunities for impact and growth but instead had to settle for uncreative tasks and a monotonous routine.

Employees that work in an organisation with a lacklustre culture may find themselves unable to bring about positive changes in their organisation as well as in their work.

But as we know, not every person may react the same way and that there are people who may have a completely different experience despite being subjected to similar circumstances.

Such people are generally able to optimise their experience and create a positive change in their organisation and also advance their career and have fun along the way.

These people can be thought of as ‘workplace mavericks’ and following are strategies that one can implement to have a better culture in their organisation:

Being an Improvement Addict

Some employees are smart enough to not keep guessing as to what their employer needs or go over existing work over and over again. They do different things in order to set themselves apart.

Sometimes we need to stop thinking from the perspective of an employee and begin to think along the lines of your company’s customer and understand what they are getting and how the company can improve what they are offering to their customers.

Doing such things can give you unique insights into the company’s functioning and as a result you will have the ability to do different things or do things differently. You will be able to identify which processes and products are working and which aren’t working. Turning them around can prove to be opportunities for innovation.

Make It Easy to Say Yes

Workplace mavericks realise that resistance to change and the resulting inconveniences is one of the biggest problems that they face. They are therefore required to come up with a technique that can dampen this initial resistance and a good way to do this would be to institute a ‘no commitment’ strategy.

If there is a strategy which you wish to implement but expect there to be resistance for the same you can commit to your team that it would be a temporary trial and that if it doesn’t work you will revert back to the original process. This should help you in overcoming initial inertia allowing you to move at a steady pace from that point onwards.

Finding Champions

As a leader, if you want to implement a new process but fear that there will be some resistance to it or that your superiors will not approve of it, you can try running a pilot project. In order to make this process see the light of the day, you may have to find those employees within the organisation that vouch for the idea and are willing to participate in its implementation.

Just like the quality of your idea or product is important, having the ability to find your internal sponsors or champion is important too if you wish to turn things around and create a real change. There is another way you can spot talent in your organisation and for this, you may have to find out more on corporate days out.

Learn From Failure

You must be familiar with the common adage which says that one must fail fast and also learn fast. But for those who have been high achieving all their life, it may be easier said than done. Certain executives may be terrified at the thought of encountering failure let alone embrace it.

Those who never fail are also those who have never really taken a risk. But if you wish to advance in your goals, whether it is to launch your own organisation or claim a seat in the C-suite you may have to take intelligent risks.

Workplace mavericks realise that they may have to give up on any attachment towards perfection, be prepared for failure, find motivation and inspiration in the approach that didn’t work out.

Changing things is seldom easy and a price must be paid by those who undertake this journey. But if you wish to be a crusader of change you must be willing to go through the grind and be unafraid of trying new things.