Risk Watch with Alberta QUARCOOPOME: How do you love your job in a difficult environment? (1)

The only way to do great work is to love what you do”- Steve Jobs

Hello dear Readers, It’s a Monday morning here again. “I wish Monday morning never comes” says one person. Another says, “Ah! I love Monday mornings. Fresh week, new opportunities’.  However you are feeling, I hope you enjoyed your weekend and are back to start the week on a positive note. While some people are looking forward to the work, others wish the holidays were longer. Perhaps one can say that it depends on which side of the divide one finds him or herself. If you are an employer, you will be happy to be back, of course to make more money. If you are an employee, you may not be happy because of various reasons.

Quote from Mr Kwame Owusu-Boateng, (former CEO of Opportunity International Savings and Loans)

In his year-long Daily Capsule  “Strength from Within’, the 4^th February page headed “Finding joy in difficult times: life is filled with challenges, but that doesn’t mean you must live in perpetual pain. Loving yourself means finding joy in, even in the midst of difficulties. Worrying won’t change your situation, but choosing to create fun and laughter can lighten your burden.  As you go through this week, embrace joy and share it around you.”

Dear readers, I decided to digress to write this article because I was saddened by a conversation on radio last week when a host asked his guest. “Do you love your job?” she delayed in answering the question and just said, “Well, it’s my job and I have to do it and do it well”. She also went on to say that she had tried to resign a few times but her boss did not allow her to. I felt saddened that such a prominent person in society would continue to work in the circumstance she finds herself in. It is not healthy for her, the institution she is working for and the society as a whole. Moreover it is risky. Immediately one just “goes through the motions”, risks sets its ugly head and one gets blinded to areas requiring prudence, caution and good service delivery. These situations are also found in some financial institutions, where the staff are continuously being reminded to focus on the customer and serve them better. Without liking or loving what you do, can you do it? It’s not easy.

Why do we work?

Let us first consider why we work, or look for a job. Here are what some people say:

• For the money of course.

• To be in control of my life

• To supply my service which is needed by others.

• To practice the skills I have learnt.

• For survival. A basic necessity.

• For procurement of food, shelter and clothing for me and my family.

• For companionship and a sense of belonging.

• For self-actualization and for prestige.

I can go on and on. Look at the way many people suffer to get a job. How many people actually get a job of their choice? I am sure it will be less than 5% of employees. In developing countries where the job market is so restricted and actually closed sometimes, what do job applicants do? Do they accept the jobs given them, terms and conditions noted, hoping they will get better? Suppose the job is a temporary one, a contract which is renewed every six months but never gets confirmed or made permanent, what happens? Due to the surge in cost cutting measures employers have adopted, job security is now at stake. Can you love a job you are not secure with? People get job satisfaction when they work. After all, their salaries enable them meet their important needs.

Can you Love your Job?

Despite all this, I strongly believe that unless we have a change of attitude towards our jobs, we will continue to let the risks faced on the job get to us and make us more vulnerable. I sometimes liken the love of one’s job, to loving one’s body. Look at how we make sure our bodies look beautiful, use different creams and lotions to smell good, put on appropriate clothing to protect ourselves from the vagaries of the weather, attack from animals, as well as from fellow human beings! Can we call this risk management of our bodies?  Likewise if you like or love your job, you will do your best to protect your job by avoiding or minimizing risks or anything that can make you lose your job.

I decided to go online to read a debate about loving one’s job. Here are some comments from a few young persons in America, where there are more job options and varieties, as well as availability. The following are some comments, some with names and others anonymous. Very interesting and insightful.

ANONYMOUS: “The things is, if you love your job, you won’t think of it as a job, a means to an end or just a source of income, but a source of happiness. There’s a difference when you just get by, than when you are truly happy about what you are doing. It makes everything you earn or buy worth it.”

SARAH PARK: “I don’t think that you really have to love your job in order to be happy. It is more important that you love the people you work with and have a harmonious working relationship with them.”

LILY: “Wouldn’t life be easier and happier overall if Every Single Person loved their job? Of course. And yet, that just is not possible or realistic. I agree with several other commenters that merely “liking” a job can often be good enough, as it gives you the means to enjoy so many other parts of life (via flexible hours, decent salary, etc.). However, one other thought occurred to me…this debate is only an issue of those who are privileged. As you stated, there are many jobs throughout the world that may not be pleasurable, but they still need to get done. It seems offensive for a person to declare from the proverbial ivory tower (of education, privilege, and opportunity) that all others ought to make this effort to LOVE THEIR JOB, because otherwise they are wasting their life and will have regrets. For the people in the poverty-stricken countries or areas (both in the U.S. and elsewhere), a job is a means to survival. “Liking” or “loving” a job is probably not even a consideration, much less an option in a potentially flexible situation”.

JORDANN: “I don’t love my job. I like it. Sure there are days that I’m totally engaged and can work for eight hours without taking a break, and yes sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with a great idea for work, but generally speaking, I just like it, no more, and I’m completely ok with that”.

BRIAN:  “Love your spouse, your kids, your friends, your faith and your hobbies. These are worthy of falling in love with. Find a career you can find a certain level of satisfaction with and that helps provide and enhance life for those you love. If you end up loving your work, that’s icing on the cake”.

ANONYMOUS: “Hmm I’ve gotta say I sort of disagree. I think it’s important to love your job because even if you are in a happy medium (you like your job, it’s ok) you may eventually start to hate it. Plus since you will be spending most of your life working, it’s probably best to do something you love than something that is just ok and pays the bills”.

FRANK: “This a topic that hits home right now. I think you’re right that it’s fine not to love work. After all, it’s freaking work (please, I hate that “find a job you love” quote, too). So I would say I like my work. Some days I love it. Other days are tough. So what. The real hang up for us is that my work demands so much of my time and brain, that the money I earn from my job doesn’t really allow me to enjoy life. And therein lies the problem. Loving/hating a job isn’t a major issue for me. But a job that takes over your life is”.

Dear readers, what do you think of the above comments? Does any of them apply to you? Of course yes.  Next week, I will relate it to banking jobs in Ghana. If we want to enjoy our work, we will. Keep an open mind. It’s the people we relate to at work that matters, so please stay tuned

To be continued

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alberta Quarcoopome, (FCIB) is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana, and CEO of ALKAN Business Consult Ltd. She is the Author of Three books: “The 21^st Century Bank Teller: A Strategic Partner” and “My Front Desk Experience: A Young Banker’s Story” and “The Modern Branch Manager’s Companion”. She uses her experience and practical case studies, training young bankers in operational risk management,relationship management, customer experience excellence, banking operations, ethics and fraud.

CONTACT

Telephone:0244333051

Website www.alkanbiz.com

Email:alberta@alkanbiz.com  or [email protected]

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