23 Ways to be Happy at Work: #5 - Know the Big Picture
What are your company’s mission and goals?
Similar to being compatible with your company’s values in #1 Work by Your Values, are you aligned to your employer’s mission and goals? Do you support that mission by contributing in your daily, weekly, or monthly performance? When I worked at healthcare technology companies, I always believed in the products and the value those products gave hospitals and health systems. I always knew what the big picture was for my employers and their customers. I was aligned to the goals of my boss, department, and company.
Does your department’s current workload support these goals?
“Alignment” isn’t just another business buzzword. It means what we’re working on as an individual supports the department goals, which in turn supports the company’s goals. If we’re not aligned, we run the risk of our work not contributing to the mission or goals. We run the risk of our department and company not meeting its objectives that may contribute to profitability. And profitability is a good thing.
In my department head positions, I defined performance measures that my direct reports were aligned to as part of their performance review and annual bonuses. To give my employees context, I did the following:
- Organizational chart: I pointed out their position on the organizational chart and how it rolled up to the department, which in turn, reported into the CEO
- Goals: I outlined the company objectives and our department ones, so they could understand the work I was managing.
- Individual performance measures: I detailed their specific individual goals for the quarter or year, by emphasizing how important they were to the department and company. My direct reports understood the measures and how their bonus would be calculated if the company and department met their goals.
Does your workload reflect your department and company goals?
Are you working toward your department and company goals? In your next one-on-one meeting, ask your boss for the big picture, so you can know how you fit into the mission, goals, and objectives. At times, bosses are so busy trying to get their own work done that they forget to explain why their work and your work supports mission critical efforts. It will be music to their ears, if you ask how your work supports department measures. When there are more projects than resources, work must be prioritized by you and your boss. Understanding this hierarchy of priorities makes performance management easier for the both of you.
List how your workload could be contributing to department and company’s goals
If you are hesitant to discuss your workload with your boss, then be creative about how you can contribute. Use weather balloons by asking your boss if your project or tasks would be helpful in any way. Hopefully, these work activities are things you enjoy doing. It sounds silly, but sometimes being happy at work is just knowing that what you do matters in the bigger picture for your company.
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23 Ways to be Happy at Work Series
The 23 Ways to be Happy at Work series reflects on 23 ways to help you reflect about the course of your career. After deciding to identify what made me happy at work, my list became this list. Here the are the drivers to my happiness at work that may help you manage your career:
- Work by your values
- Love your work, love your career
- Decide what makes you happy in your job
- Work can be play
- Know the big picture
- Walk in your boss’ shoes
- What is the problem?
- Try the same old thing to get different results
- Try something new to get different results
- List your accomplishments
- Don’t gossip
- Don’t react
- Don’t worry
- Don’t be unhealthy
- Read up
- Read It
- Share knowledge
- Mend fences
- Be a squirrel
- Change your workspace
- Give yourself a gift
- Let it go
- Change this!
For previous entries in this series, click here.
