STYLIST, February 10th 2023: Can quiet thriving help you get motivated at work this year?
This career buzzword is all about pinpointing what makes you tick and finding ways to focus on this. STYLIST spoke to Victoria McLean, founder and CEO of award-winning career consultancy City CV, to find out more…
Below is a short excerpt.
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When cynicism about your job has started to set in, it can be hard to see exactly what drew you to the role in the process, let alone work out which parts you enjoy the most (it can feel a bit like getting ’the ick’ in a relationship). To help jog your memory, it’s worth taking some time to reflect on past experiences, says Victoria McLean, CEO and founder of career consultancy City CV. “Think about previous roles or projects where you felt particularly motivated, productive and fulfilled,” she explains. “Ask yourself what it was about those experiences that made you feel that way,” and work out “what do you find most energising and motivating about those tasks or activities?”
When thinking about your strengths, you don’t have to confine yourself to the office, either. “Pay attention to your natural tendencies,” McLean suggests. “Consider the tasks or activities that you tend to gravitate towards and enjoy doing, even outside of work.” If you’re a creative type but find yourself feeling a bit stifled during the working day, have a think about how you can channel those skills – that might be through creative writing, research, generating new ideas, video editing… Or if you’re the organised one in your friendship circle, thriving off Doodle polls, planning events and masterminding trips, then there’s almost certainly a way to play to those strengths too.
“If quiet quitting is doing the bare minimum to get by and mentally checking out, quiet thriving is doing whatever you can to find fulfilment at work”
The next step is to mention the changes you’d like to make to your manager, which doesn’t have to be scary. As McLean points out: “This is not a complaint; this is about you finding a solution that will make you more productive and efficient – and how can your boss say no to that?” She recommends starting off by “highlighting your strengths and the tasks that you particularly enjoy and excel at. Emphasise how these tasks are aligned with the goals of the team and the business. You’re basically making a sales pitch to your boss, so focus on what’s in for them.” And once you’ve agreed on changes? “Make sure you set everything out in writing so the changes are implemented,” adds McLean
Reframing your thoughts to “focus on the purpose behind the task, rather than just the task itself” can help give your motivation a bit of a boost too, McLean suggests.
The article can be read in full here.