Group items tagged

5. Complexity and variety

3. Achievement

People feel more satisfied with their job if they've achieved something.

4. Feedback

There's nothing worse than not knowing whether or not you're doing a good job.

positive feedback can make all the difference to how satisfied people feel.

2. Perception of fair pay

People generally find jobs more satisfying if they are more complex and offer more variety.

People experience honeymoon periods after a month or two in a new job when their satisfaction shoots up. But then it normally begins to tail off after six months or so.

You may have certain tasks you have to do, but how you do them should be up to you. The more control people perceive in how they carry out their job, the more satisfaction they experience.

7. Organisational support

Workers want to know their organisation cares about them: that they are getting something back for what they are putting in.

8. Work-home overflow

distancing yourself from work while at home are likely to protect you against job stressors

9. Honeymoons and hangovers

6. Control

10. Easily pleased?

Why can't we all be satisfied?

If you're a manager looking to improve satisfaction at your workplace then start with point number 1: find out about people's little hassles and address them. It might not look like much but people will really appreciate it.

 My suggestion is that you should both be a mentor and have a mentor, but always understand that in either situation you can ask for help.  Risk taking is important, but I also believe in learning from others that have already done the work.

3.  Great leaders say “yes” when they are unsure.

“If you are asking me if it’s a good idea, I don’t have very much information, all I know is that one of my star faculty members is in my office and he is really excited, so tell me more.”  This is much different than simply saying “no” and is much more empowering.

It is strange to me that I sometimes hear that people believe that these three elements show that the leader lacks confidence, when I believe it shows something much different.  If a leader can say “I don’t know”, they are showing that they are comfortable with that, opposed to pretending they know something where they have clue, which has “insecurity” written all over it.  Not only do these factors show “strength” but they promote trust, and that is the foundation of any strong school culture.

Condition #2: Structures for collaboration

Teachers need to be interested in and willing to work together; their doors need to be wide open,

Condition #3: The principal’s view of coaching.

a coach needs a close partnership with the principal. He must see you as someone to collaborate with; he must also have a fairly clear vision of what a coach does.

You want to get an overall sense of what the principal knows and understands about coaching and how he intends to utilize you. It’s critical to remember that coaching can’t be mandated -- so listen for any indicators that this might be the plan. You also want to get a sense of how the principal plans on bringing you into the role -- are teachers aware that a coach might come on board? How do they feel about that? Are they participating in the selection process? Does the principal anticipate pushback to coaching? How will he negotiate that? If you’re considering taking a coaching job at a site, be sure to have a number of in-depth conversations with the principal. You need to feel that you can work closely and well with that leader.

Perhaps the most critical condition for coaching to work is that an organization sees itself as a place where everyone is a learner.

Condition #4: Professional development for coaches.

Are there other coaches in the school or in the district? Are there networks or professional learning communities of coaches that you can hook into