5 Reasons to be Thankful for Your Job
Thanksgiving just passed, and though you probably didn’t work, you could have still had your job on the brain even when basting the turkey or stirring the mashed potatoes. Take work with you in a healthy way this holiday season, and reflect on the things in your workplace that you’re thankful for.
1. Amazing peers
Look around at your Zoom windows or socially-distanced cubicles. Do you see the shining faces of people who have helped support you and carry the emotional weight of the pandemic for the past year and a half? Perhaps you just got to your job, so you see the welcoming visages of those who have taken you under their wing, giving you the coaching you need to launch your career from here. It’s also possible that you’re the team leader or manager, and when you look around, you see responsible, considerate teammates who put their all in to make your job so much easier. Either way, it’s a fact: You’re thankful for your amazing peers.
A 2021 Gallup survey wrote that of those polled, 72% were completely satisfied by their coworker relations, and they wouldn’t change a thing about their quirky, brilliant, engaging colleagues. Even newer employees still feel a sense of connectivity with their teams, as another survey at Imperative reported that those who feel like they can engage in coaching with their peers are 65% more likely to be fulfilled, and 63% more likely to feel a sense of belonging in their jobs.
2. Thoughtful management
If having great coworkers wasn’t enough, you also have something that all your friends envy – an understanding boss. They push you to consistently outperform yourself, they want only the best for you, but they also tell you when to take breaks, and they know when you’re overdoing it. Their guidance, mentorship, and leadership have taken you from someone who is good at their job to someone who’s vying for a higher position, and that’s just the way your manager likes it. You’re in the majority here, because 63% are completely satisfied by their immediate supervisor.
If you’re thankful that your manager is great to you, remember to also be thankful that they’re contributing positively to the company at large just by being a great boss. Research shows that team leaders have the greatest impact on company culture at large, and managers especially tend to determine the quality of your experience. Those who report having a great manager are 70% more likely to rank their company culture as excellent as well. So if you haven’t thanked your manager for setting the standard high recently, give them a little gratitude before the holidays.
3. Freedom to be
The next thing that you love about your job is that you have the freedom to be trusted by your employer, and you can work on your own time, wherever you want to. When you read articles about companies forcing their employees to go back in person – people are threatening to quit their jobs, employers are threatening to fire non-compliant employees – and you’re surrounded by disgruntled employees using outdated, Orwellian time-tracking software so their company can keep tabs on their work hours. It seems like tensions between executives and staff are more pressing than ever, and you’re so thankful that you can’t relate.
Your company has been so understanding, realistic, and empathetic about how convenient it is to work from home, and they trust that your productivity and creativity will only continue to skyrocket as the months go by. Your manager in particular has been very laid-back about going back in person and has made it an option rather than a necessity. If you’ve been nodding your head in agreement, it sounds like you’re one of the 65% of employees who are completely satisfied with the flexibility of their hours. Work never feels like detention, and you have the kind of job where you can take a walk in the middle of the day without your manager pinging you, or you can turn off your screen on the occasional Zoom call without anticipating a reprimanding. And you’re thankful for it every day.
4. Meaningful missions
Having the freedom to work when and how you want to is easy when you have a solid moral foundation to work from. While many might be satisfied with working day-to-day for a place they don’t feel particularly attached to, you’re a person who needs more, and it’s of the utmost importance to you that your workplace provides you with the sense that you’re bettering the world as you’re collecting your paycheck. And that’s just what you’re thankful about when you walk into your office – your company’s mission is printed on the walls, stated in meetings, and present in each project you complete. You get to live every day knowing that you’re working on something bigger than yourself, and there’s no feeling that can replace the gratitude you experience for that opportunity.
A study from Imperative shows that 73% of people are satisfied in their jobs when they work towards a purpose or mission. Another study from Glassdoor notes that 66% of people are more motivated and engaged when their company’s mission is strong, and another 64% say that it’s the main reason they stay at their jobs. So while everything else might be the icing on the cake, a solid mission statement is the delicious, rich cake itself.
5. A sense of stability
Even though your work hours are flexible, your boss is relaxed, and your coworkers don’t take themselves too seriously, the next thing that you’re thankful for is that you never feel like your company is leaving you in the lurch. Getting fired can be scary, unexpected, and shocking, but it’s not something you worry about, as the thorough feedback you get from managers and peers alone always lets you know where you stand. In fact, you may be one of the 82% who’s not worried about getting laid off any time soon – and that’s definitely something to be thankful for.
To your employer, just providing job security isn’t setting the bar high enough, as they also have programs in place to instill a supportive office environment. While flexible, remote work hours are a nice benefit, a Monster survey says that as a response to pandemic uncertainty, employees most appreciate the steps their workplace has taken to update their health policies and make sure to provide some staff training skills for those who have trouble with technology. So not only are you thankful for your sense of stability, but you’re also thankful for the fact that your company seems to care that you feel like you’re not floating in open water without a liferaft.
