I often present an idea to groups of bankers that tends to elicit nervous smiles from both rank-and-file employees and managers alike.
The goal of this suggestion is to address a common issue affecting morale: We frequently become so fixated on the frustrating aspects of our jobs that we fail to fully appreciate the parts we actually enjoy.
When talking with disgruntled individuals, it often emerges that their dissatisfaction isn't necessarily with the job itself. More commonly, specific aspects or tasks or even individuals associated with the job have become the focal points of their daily dissatisfaction.
I tell them that I've lost count of how many people over the years have confided in me that they really don't think they want to do what they do now forever. When I've heard that, I've usually chuckled and told folks that I have good news for them.
There is absolutely no chance that they will continue doing their current job forever. Every job they've had, have now, or will have in the future, is a temp job. This holds as true for tenured managers as it does for the newest front-line employee.
Invariably, you will either leave your job of your own accord, be terminated, transferred or promoted at some point. "Temporary" is a relative term.
The duration of our temporary jobs might span just a few months or extend over many years. And depending on the company and the people you work with, a few months might feel like years. Conversely, with the right company and proper mentality, years fly by before you know it.
Many of us with longish careers can reflect on moments that we only now fully appreciate. On several occasions, spanning multiple organizations, I have decided to leave the company where I was employed at the time. I wouldn't have any new job or employer lined up but decided I'd had enough.
In almost every instance (and there have been a few over the past 30-plus years), I found that I immediately became happier and even more productive in my current job following the decision to leave. Suddenly, most frustrations felt like temporary annoyances easy enough to grin and bear.
At one employer, I had not mentioned my intention of leaving to even my "work bestie." Still, he stuck his head in my office one afternoon and said, "So…you're out of here, huh?"
When I pretended to be surprised by his question, he remarked: "Your office has never looked so organized, and you've been skipping our moan-and-groan sessions."
He was referring to the informal gatherings of midlevel managers in the breakroom, where we complained about everything under the sun … but mostly senior management.
I remember laughing and realizing that avoiding the (mostly) unproductive gripe sessions in the breakroom had positively impacted my mindset.
Shifting my focus to the aspects of the company and position that I enjoyed and appreciated, rather than dwelling on the typical annoyances that accompany most jobs, proved to be a game changer.
I also began paying more attention to the truly good people I had the opportunity to work with while either ignoring or simply tolerating others.
After all, I wasn't going to be dealing with these people forever. This change in approach and mindset led me to happily stay with the company for several more years.
Later, when I shared that story with someone with a psychology background, she smiled and mentioned that it reminded her of research on "perceived control of a situation."
Intrigued by her suggestion, I read up on various studies where individuals were placed in uncomfortable situations, often involving a pain stimulus.
Typically, one group in these studies is given a button to press or some other means to stop the negative stimulus. In contrast, other groups are not provided with such an option.
Almost invariably, those with perceived control over the situation were able to tolerate more negative stimuli. More interesting, however, is that they also reported that their experiences weren't as harsh as those who felt they had no control over ending the experiment.
In many instances, they faced tougher conditions but felt better about them because they felt in control of the matter.
When sharing that example with bankers in recent years, I always joke that I am not trying to compare their jobs to experiments in pain tolerance. (Although some laugh and say it's a pretty good analogy on some days.)
However, remembering that jobs — and everything associated with them — are temporary can have a great positive impact on our outlooks. In the end, most everyone has free will regarding which jobs they choose to stay with.
Make a point today to reflect a little more on the many reasons you freely choose yours.
