We spend about one third of our waking lives at work, but many of us slog through the hours, longing for the symbolic five o'clock bell to chime. If that sounds like your day, a bad manager or difficult work environment could be at fault. However, the incompability between your personality style and the job itself might just be causing your unhappinesss.
When your personality does not align with your job, your workday is likely to drain you. When who you are aligns with what you do, your job will feed you. To thrive at work, you must match your personallity with your career.
The four personality styles offer clues as to what would fill you with energy rather than deplete you:
If your career matches your personality, you'll probably feel productive and satisfied. But if the job is a poor fit, your effectiveness and happiness will decline.
Imagine an energetic and social Parrot sitting in a cubicle sorting through spreadsheets all day. She might do it well, but she will be exhausted by the end of the day. Put that same Parrot at a networking conference where she gets to meet new people and enthusiastically share the products she believes in. Now that's an engaged Parrot!
By contrast, imagine an Owl in both of the above roles. Analyzing spreadsheets might fuel the Owl. However, drop that Owl into a networking event, and he is likely to leave feeling drained.
The Chinese philosopher Confucius said, "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." Whether you are just starting your career or at a crossroads, take a moment to consider what feeds you and what drains you. Ask yourself the following questions:
When five o'clock rolls around, are you surprised at how fast the day went or shocked at how long it felt? Your answer may reveal whether your job feeds or depletes you. With so much of your waking life spent at work, shouldn't you love what you do?
Merrick Rosenberg is the author of The Chameleon and CEO of Take Flight Learning.