We’re often too busy to reflect, even on something as important as our worklife. Asking yourself these questions may make it quicker and easier.
How good am I at my job, really? If I’m not sure, should I ask for feedback, perhaps using Talent Checkup, which gets me anonymous feedback from three to eight people of my choice? If I want to improve, should I simply more often ask coworkers for help? Watch someone who’s good? Read an article or three? Take a webinar or a course, perhaps online through your professional association or Udemy?
Am I too low-maintenance? For example, do I not often-enough ask for help? Am I always the person others dump work on, for example, when they decide to leave work early? Do I take on more work than is fair for one person to do? Am I too-often pleasant in the face of unfair treatment?
Am I too high-maintenance? Do I complain too much? Am I too sensitive to slights? Do I too often ask others to cover for me or otherwise do my work, for example, feeling helpless when, with effort, I could do the work?
Am I working too many hours? Do I want to do anything about it, like talk with my boss, quietly cut back, or delegate work to others?
Am I working too few hours, including time at work that I’m not actually working: playing on the Net, chatting, long lunch, etc? Do I want to do anything about it?
Am I doing too little or too much volunteer work?
Should I have the guts to change jobs? If so, what’s a low-risk step I could take: a little internet research? An informational interview? Job shadow? Take a one-shot webinar or a course?
Should I aspire upward or downward? Up isn’t the only way. Yes, sometimes, people are happier at a higher level but sometimes at a lower one.
Now what?
Chances are, your answers will suggest more than one thing you want to do. But that can feel overwhelming with the result being that you do nothing. So look over your answers and pick the one, okay two if you wish, things you’d like to do.
And if there’s nothing you want to do, congratulations: Already you’re probably a contented workplace rock star.
Marty Nemko's bio is in Wikipedia.