The Atlas

So many of the goals we decide to chase are really defined by others. Life is short. Figure out what you want and what's worth your limited time and finite attention, and then learn to say no to the people who want you to follow their path instead of your own.

The seventh item on Gallup's list of 12 Elements of Employee Engagement is one that I often find triggers a tendency towards counterproductive zero sum thinking: At work, my opinions seem to count. From both leaders and employees, I often see a binary view of this that stops a productive conversation in its tracks.

As someone who started her tech career as a project manager, I had no idea that I was learning very specific skills that would ultimately prove to be invaluable in the tech space. Consequently, the way those lessons translated into coaching as a managerial paradigm also never occurred to me at the time -- but now I can't imagine trying to run tech organizations any other way.

Out of all of Gallup's 12 Elements of Employee Engagement, this week's topic is the one I most often see shrouded in some old school attitudes and a lot of shaming. There is someone at work who encourages my development.

This week we come to my absolute favorite of all of Gallup's 12 Elements of Employee Engagement. It's the one I think is the most important, not just for the reasons that Gallup identifies, but because I think that anyone who thinks they might want to be a manager needs to think about this one the most and ask themselves what they think and feel about it. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.

The value of driving from strengths is a recurring theme in my work -- not just from Gallup, but also in the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS, as outlined in the book Traction by Gino Wickman) and in the Happiness Studies Academy (by Tal Ben-Shahar). Understanding and building on your strengths is not only an invaluable way to organize your work life, but it also a cornerstone of leading a fulfilled, whole-hearted life.

Number four on Gallup's list of 12 Elements of Employee Engagement is the one I sometimes struggle with: In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work. This one is a challenge for me for a few reasons.

After spending so much time and effort discussing finding meaning at work, I want to spend a few minutes acknowledging how much of a privilege that is and that not all of us are that lucky. After attending a community event, I am reminded that doing something meaningful is the truly important part -- but there are different ways and places to find that, if work isn't an option.