The Benefits of Job Crafting

Welcome to Mind Tools' video learning series from Emerald Works.

Do you ever get bored of your job? Are you tired of the same old tasks taking up space on your to-do list? Perhaps it's time for a refresh!

What if you could adjust the focus of your role so that you get to use more of your unique talents and skills?

Well, maybe you can.

Job crafting is a powerful tool that can help to boost both your satisfaction and your performance. It involves subtly redesigning your role to focus more on your strengths and less on your weaknesses.

But, remember, you can't redefine your job completely. Your employer hired you to carry out certain duties. So be sure you can still perform these effectively.

To craft your job, follow these four steps:

First, decide what you want to change. This might include your task content, your work relationships or the purpose of your role.

Changing your task content involves improving the way things are done by harnessing the power of your unique talents and interests. Maybe you have great organizational skills that you could make use of by developing a more efficient process? Or you have a flair for design that you could use to create more engaging reports or presentations?

Look for ways to create better work relationships too. For example, could you mentor a more junior team member or help them out with a particularly tricky task?

You can also redefine your existing role by focusing on what you see as its real impact. For example, if you work in "customer service" you could redefine your role to be something more meaningful, such as "helping people to have an exceptional experience."

Next, think about how crafting your job will impact you and your environment.

How will it affect your clients, your colleagues, your manager, and your organization?

Be alert to potential pitfalls. You may be tempted to craft your job so you have fewer meetings to attend. And this might work for you in the short term, but the overall impact could be negative.

Remember that you are looking for a win-win solution that will benefit both you and your organization.

Now, it's time to take action! Don't become complacent or "sit" on the ideas you've come up with. Talk to your boss about what you'd like to do and how it will help you and your team.

Don't forget to consider how it will affect your other responsibilities too and explain how you'll continue to manage these.

If you get the balance right, you'll be able to increase the control you have over your career, while "wowing" your employer at the same time.

Finally, check your progress, adjust and continue!

Make sure the changes you've made are delivering what you want. And check that your boss and clients are happy with the new setup too.

If something's not quite right, take another look and work through the steps again. This will help you to fine tune any areas that need to be addressed.

To learn more about Job Crafting, see the article that accompanies this video.