What I am thankful for...
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When looking to make a move, almost all candidates understandibly focus on salary and other "surface" elements of the job (responsibilities, hours, commute, title, rank, etc..). While these are all very important, what about the other things that really matter in a job? Go through our list of "things to be thankful for" at work. If you have these things, you're lucky and I would suggest you reconsider looking for a new job. However, if you don't have these things, then get your job search refocused on these qualities. They are the root cause of job "happiness".

People often say to me..."I want a job where I can look forward to waking up and going to work each day". Well, no one I know gets excited to go to work each day solely because of their salary, job title or daily responsibilities. The answer to what gets a person to really like (dare I say LOVE) their job is cultural. These are the subtle things you should look for in any job that involve the people you work with and for and the degree of efficient, meaningful and motivational communication you have with all of them.

Our "Things to be thankful for" list:

Positivity - Do people on your team focus on solutions or excuses? Do people on your team defend each other or point fingers at each other? Do people on your team speak positively or negatively about each other and your boss? Do people on your team acknowledge when you have done a good job or ignore your accomplishments?

Leadership - Does your boss provide a proactive game plan for success or spend most of their time "fighting fires"? Does your boss get involved to help out or critique you from afar? Does your boss listen to the team and collaborate on the answers or dispense marching orders with no discussion? Do you believe in your boss to lead the team or worry about where things are going?

Support - Are you given the training, tools and time necessary to successfully perform or are you expected to figure things out on your own and get things done in an unrealistic time frame? Is your boss reasonably patient with you during rough patches and learning curves or completely impatient about getting 100% perfect execution every time?

Organization - Is your role designed the right way or are there inefficiencies in your role's overall function? Is there structure and consistency to the workflow within your team or is it an "every man for himself" type set up? Does your boss and team follow up on initiatives or do good ideas tend to fade away with weak follow through?

Engagement - Has your boss taken the time to get to know you or are you "just a number" to them? Does your boss respond quickly when they see you have a problem or passively wait and respond only if you come to them? Do you trust or fear your boss?

Growth - Does your company promote people based on merit or tenure and politics? Does your company offer growth opportunities frequently or very rarely? Is there an emphasis on upward mobility and internal promotions or always bringing in talent from the outside?

If you answered these questions in the former, then you have a highly valuable work culture. Sorry to say, but this isn't easy to find. Take stock in these things and be thankful for them. If you answered these questions to the latter, start seeking out a job that has these qualities. They are the real basis for true job satisfaction.