How happy are you in your work life? There are many factors that affect the answer to this question; the possibilities of the company you work for, your manager, your colleagues, risks at work, the difficulties or conveniences experienced while working from home these days... Yes, the number and impact of external factors are high, however, there is an individual factor that has a very high impact. Perhaps the factor with the highest impact. That is "HOW you see your job", in other words "WHAT work means to you".

A study was conducted about 20 years ago on how employees see their jobs and 3 groups were defined: Job - Career - Call. Let me elaborate a little.

The first group is those who see work as a JOB. Those in this group see work as a necessity, their focus is on getting paid in return for their work. They do not seek or demand any other rewards other than salary.

The second group is those who see work as a CAREER. Compared to the first group, those in this group see work as a personal investment, and focus on advancing in their careers along with the salary. This advancement usually brings prestige, power and self-confidence.

The third group is those who see work as a CALL. When you say call, it may not make much sense, but if you add the words passion and enthusiasm, it can make more sense. For this group, work cannot be separated from life. The satisfaction of working, the contribution made to making the world a better place, in other words, the feeling of being socially useful are at the forefront, and are stronger than salary, prestige and power. Those in this group enjoy the "sense of completion" that comes with doing work and working.

 

Extrinsic motivation? Intrinsic motivation?

The researchers think that the Call group is associated with intrinsic motivation, the Job group with extrinsic motivation, while those in the Career group are a bit closer to extrinsic motivation than intrinsic motivation.

Let's make it a little more concrete. You probably know this story.

A traveler meets three men on the road. The men are stacking bricks. He asks: "What are you doing here?"

The first man: "Don't you see? I'm stacking bricks."

The second man: "Don't you see? I'm building a wall."

The third man raises his hands to the sky: "Don't you see? I'm building a cathedral." he says.

 

We come across a similar example in Seligman's study. In the study on cleaning staff in hospitals, some cleaning staff defined their job as "cleaning rooms", while others stated that they saw their job as "critical in helping patients recover". The second group is those who see their job as a Call. It is stated that they plan their time to make their job most efficient and try to anticipate the needs of doctors and nurses to allow them to spend more time with patients. I am sure a beautiful cathedral is being built in that hospital.

 

Now I ask you the following questions:

• Which group are you in? Do you see work as a JOB, a CAREER, or a Call?
• What does your work mean to you?
• What does work serve in your life?
• Doing work because you love it? Doing it with love?
• Finding meaningful work? Making work more meaningful?
• Finding the perfect job? Making work perfect?