The secrets of people who love their jobs | Shane Lopez | TEDxLawrence

Summary

The speaker shares personal anecdotes and research insights on the emotional benefits of loving one's job. With stories of individuals like Uncle Ray, who transformed his career in travel, the talk highlights the importance of job crafting and finding joy in work. The speaker emphasizes that loving jobs are not found but made, through strategies like testing future roles, trusting instincts, leveraging strengths, and seeking the right boss. The message is clear: happiness at work is achievable and contributes significantly to overall well-being.

Takeaways

• 👶 Early Work Exposure: The speaker began working at a young age, learning that jobs can take various forms and that work can be a social experience.
• 🎓 Career Shifts: Initially aiming to be a podiatrist, the speaker's career aspirations changed after a pivotal experience, leading to a pursuit in psychology.
• 🔬 Positive Psychology: After ten years of education, the speaker became a positive psychologist, focusing on what's right with people rather than what's wrong.
• 💖 Emotional Fruits of Labor: The speaker discusses the emotional benefits of loving one's job, and how this research has influenced their own life and work.
• 🚫 Pain of Disliking Jobs: Many people spend a significant portion of their lives unhappy at work, which can be draining and prevent them from reaching their full potential.
• 🌟 Inspiring Uncle Ray: The speaker's Uncle Ray, a travel agent, was passionate about his job, demonstrating the positive impact of job love and setting an example.
• 🔍 Research on Job Love: The speaker has conducted extensive research, finding that only 13% of people love their jobs, and these individuals come from various professions.
• 🛠️ Crafting Jobs: People who love their jobs didn't just find them; they actively shaped and crafted their roles to align with their interests and strengths.
• 🧐 Ernest Dichter's Cake Mix Story: Adding an egg to cake mix made consumers feel more involved in the baking process, illustrating the importance of personal involvement in what we create.
• 🔑 Designing Life: The speaker suggests five strategies for designing a life where one's job is fulfilling, including testing the future, trusting your gut, playing to strengths, job crafting, and finding the right boss.
• 🛍️ Boss Shopping: Finding a good boss can significantly enhance job satisfaction, and it's worth making changes to work under someone who understands and supports your growth.

Q & A

What did the speaker learn about jobs from watching their grandmother and her colleagues?

The speaker learned that jobs come in all shapes and sizes and that work can be a very social experience, with people engaging in various activities like folding, adding to the pot, and gambling, all while the speaker's grandmother, a professional card player, brought them for good luck.

Why did the speaker initially want to become a podiatrist?

The speaker initially wanted to become a podiatrist for reasons they describe as 'wacky,' which is a humorous way to say that young people often have unusual or arbitrary reasons for choosing their career paths.

What changed the speaker's mind about pursuing podiatry?

The speaker's interest in podiatry ended after seeing grown-ups' feet for the first time at a pool, which made them realize that the reality of the job did not align with their expectations or interests.

How did the speaker's interest in psychology develop?

The speaker's interest in psychology developed from a desire to make people happy, inspired by binge-watching old Bob Newhart episodes, which led them to believe that being a psychologist was a great career choice.

What is the main topic the speaker wants to discuss in the script?

The main topic the speaker wants to discuss is the emotional fruits of labor, specifically what life gives you when you love your job, and how this love for work can impact one's life positively.

What percentage of people does the speaker claim love their jobs according to their research?

According to the speaker's research, 13% of people are having a love affair with their jobs, meaning they are uniquely engaged and passionate about what they do.

What is the speaker's view on the common advice 'follow your passion'?

The speaker considers the advice 'follow your passion' to be misleading and potentially dangerous, as it suggests that there are pre-existing perfect jobs waiting to be found, rather than recognizing that people who love their jobs have crafted them from good ones.

What is the speaker's advice on finding a job you love?

The speaker advises that you will not land the perfect job but rather perfect the good job you have by designing your life and job in a way that brings it to life and improves the rest of your life.

What is the 'Dreamtime' program mentioned in the script and how does it work?

The 'Dreamtime' program is an initiative where employees are given 30 minutes a week to work on their dreams, which are shared publicly with colleagues and supported by a dream manager. It aims to reignite the dreaming process post-graduation and has boosted engagement, productivity, and well-being at work.

What is the 'spin versus send' strategy mentioned by the speaker?

The 'spin versus send' strategy is a method to optimize emotional well-being at work by spending more face-to-face time with people who give you positive feelings ('spin') and sending emails or texts to those you don't care as much about ('send').

What are the five design life strategies the speaker shares for job satisfaction?

The five design life strategies are: 1) Test drive the future, 2) Trust your gut, 3) Play to your strengths, 4) Craft your job, and 5) Shop for the right boss.

What is the significance of the story about the cake mix and what lesson does it teach about job satisfaction?

The cake mix story illustrates the importance of making and owning one's work. By adding an egg to the mix, housewives felt more connected to the process, which parallels the idea that people who love their jobs have crafted them to feel more personal and rewarding.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of having a great boss for job satisfaction?

The speaker emphasizes the significance of having a great boss for job satisfaction, stating that only one in ten bosses are truly great. They suggest 'boss shopping' as a strategy to find a boss who can get the most out of you and care about your well-being.

Can you provide an example from the script of someone who successfully applied the principles discussed?

Mary is an example from the script who trusted her gut and did 'boss shopping.' She found a great boss in Patricia Kelly, which led to a long and fulfilling career as a teacher.