M3 – Job Satisfaction

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M3 (Week 3) Assignment

Job satisfaction can affect every aspect of one’s life and career. When employees are satisfied, it leads to a more productive work life, reduces employee turnover, increases employee health, increases loyalty, etc. There is many benefits to learning to manage the satisfaction of your employee or work teams. Let’s discuss how you were either satisfied and unsatisfied in your previous positions. Choose one question from below to answer.    

  1. Describe a job you have held in which you were very satisfied and had a good attitude about your work. What factors caused you to be so satisfied and happy? How will you use (or how have you used) this experience as a supervisor?
  2. Describe a job you have held in which you were very dissatisfied and had a poor attitude about your work. What factors caused you to be dissatisfied and what could management have done to increase your job satisfaction?

94 Comments for “M3 – Job Satisfaction”

Saskia.Parkerson

says:

When it comes to working, I have been working since age 10. I have gone through many supervisors and had many different responses to the way that I was supervised. A recent job that I have had that I was very satisfied and loved my work which let me have a good attitude about it. This was my 5 years at Spirit Halloween. I loved everything about that job, the people, the work, the customers, and the pure joy that I had while working there. This job gave me something to look forward too. I worked there everyday from a range of 5-10 hours for months on end. But because I loved the work I did not mind the hours. The late nights closing or dealing with the unhappy customers. But because I have a great manager I was happy with the work I was doing and more then content doing the work that nobody else wanted to do. This job was an incredible job, and I learned many things from my supervisors there. They were kind, they listened, but they also stuck to their words. The biggest thing I remember from that job is that they made everyone feel welcomed and a part of the family. I was able to make lifelong friends with the managers that I had there, well as soon as I became a manager as well.

For a job that I have had that I was dissatisfied with and although I have had tried time after time again, I have gotten a poor attitude towards is actually my current job. I have worked my butt off for 3 years there, and recently it seems that all I can do is mess things up, no matter how many tasks I complete there just seems to be something else I am doing wrong. Although my direct supervisor has my back and keeps defending me, the other leadership has not stopped looking at me to try and find something new to complain about. Instead of telling me things as they were happening, they are waiting until now to go nit pick everything that I have been doing. This is probably the worst thing they could have done, they have caused me to look at different jobs around the wing and has made me want to do less work overall. But because I am who I am I still complete all my tasks on time or before time. There are different kinds of management that people respond to, I am one of those people that responds to a manager who tells me task but lets me figure out how I want to do the tasks.

mabarreto2

says:

1. Describe a job you have held in which you were very satisfied and had a good attitude about your work. What factors caused you to be so satisfied and happy? How will you use (or how have you used) this experience as a supervisor?

When I was about 26 I worked for Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour as a balloonist. I was very satisfied with my job and had a great attitude about work. The conditions of the job were great; we were treated like the superstars of the company. Everyone loved the balloonists, and we were the first ones sent to tables that had any complaints to make the guests happy. Moreover, the management team was extremely grateful for us and would treat us with the utmost respect. We were given complimentary meals as part of their gratitude toward us. The servers loved us as well given that they would score higher tip margins if we balloonists left their tables feeling happy and joyful. It was the greatest job I ever had, even though I was a mere balloonist.
The factors that caused me to be so satisfied and happy were numerous. First, the job conditions were amazing. We worked hard but were treated well, fed regularly, and the interactions between us balloonists and their staff were amazing. Second, the personalities of the people and employees were just as amazing. Everyone was cordial and treated us with the utmost respect. Like I mentioned before, we were superstars and treated as such. Next. the pay was excellent. It was not uncommon for us to walk out after a five-hour shift with almost $400 in our pockets in tip alone. I think I made more money here than at any other job I’ve ever had. Finally, corporate social responsibility was present and alive. I felt that I was contributing to positive influences in the community just by making balloons for people; you’d be surprised how big of a smile an animal balloon can make someone feel. I walked out of the job every day with sore cheak muscles from the smiling too hard throughout the day, naturally, not forced.

thjones3

says:

I have had many jobs during my life and most of them I loved, until I didn’t. Usually, my dissatisfaction was due to; no room for advancement or a change in supervisors, most recently it was an passive aggressive coworker. I’d rather focus on my job satisfaction example.

I was working for a large organization, for a senior director of a state wide sanitation program. My role was as a Business Improvement Facilitator, and I loved it. There was a large amount of autonomy in my role. I had various duties; some trainings that were repetitive and short term projects and initiating programs. Besides the autonomy, challenges and diverse work load I enjoyed improving goals and processes. I worked with diverse groups of people all over the organization and challenged leadership to do better. I was able to be mentored by my supervisor, had substantial growth and promotions. It was a dream job for me.

kcampbell8

says:

1. I had a summer job working at a swimming pool. I was a pool attendant and lifeguard. I liked my job a lot, and it made me feel satisfied when I did a good job. I had a good attitude and was motivated in my work, because I felt appreciated and valued. I was well paid and my supervisors were super nice and friendly. They were understanding and accommodating. They respected me, and gave me positive feedback for the good work I was doing. I also worked with really good coworkers, which made the working environment better. This experience has taught me that people will stay at their job longer and do a better job when they are being paid generously. When I am a supervisor, I will give positive feedback and rewards to the people working for me. I will be accomadating and friendly to my employees, so they know I respect their time and think of them as real people, not just workers.
2. When I had a job I was dissatisfied with, I hated going to work and never wanted to do my job. I often neglected a lot of the work I was responsible for. I wasn’t paid very well and I barely got any feedback from anyone around me. I was not trained well. My supervisors had unrealistic expectations and did not take the time to get to know me. My negative attitude could have been changed if they had been more involved, payed more, or even offered opportunities for bonuses or other types of rewards. I would have also had more clarity on my job if they had trained me better and gave more feedback on a regular basis.

Alyssa Fowler

says:

1. A job I have had that I was overly satisfied with in my work was when I was a front desk supervisor at a hotel in downtown Salt Lake City and I also had a good attitude each shift which set me apart from many of my peers. There are many factors that caused me to be overly satisfied and happy at that job. I felt like I was always one of the main persons at my location that was memorable for the guests. I felt like I was on the front line of the battle to giving our guests an outstanding experience and I did that every single time which gave me great pleasure. I was good at this job and the work came naturally to me, from the administrative work all the way to problem solving and diffusing angry or dissatisfied guests. I used the hands on experience I was gaining as a supervisor to make educated decisions about the benefits of the business such as who should be allowed to move rooms on a highly occupied night and who is fine to stay in their room so we can sell another for profit. I also learned how to get a team to work well together and came up with optional activities to enhance their productivity and participation in front desk duties, which in turn brought us all closer together. I enhanced my problem resolution skills through helping guests settle maintenance, housekeeping, and payment issues and doing my best to avoid them rising to higher management. I loved having these sets of responsibilities and being able to lead my team with my own set of strengths. Long term, I would like to myself back in the hotel industry as a GM.
2. A job I was dissatisfied to have but always dreamed of having was when I was an Office Manager at a doctor’s office in Fairbanks and would also say I hold a poor attitude about the experience. The major factor that caused me to be dissatisfied with this job was a rapid and unplanned promotion. I appreciated the amount of responsibility that was entrusted to me although the way I was one day the receptionist and then the next the manager was the turning point at this particular job. The manager I started out with decided to move to another state and only gave a week’s notice, therefore only giving me one week to learn to do her job. I was good at it but not as good as I knew I could have been with the proper training and consideration, at that time. The owner of the business had a very cold shoulder, as if it was my fault that I was not as good at managing the office as the last woman but did not ever address it with me directly and was very non confrontational when I tried to find common ground on the things that happened and why I needed help learning her way of doing things. Therefore, the owner could have been more involved in my lack of training in managing her office.

kcampbell8

says:

Alyssa,
It sounds like you had a really good experience with your job in Salt Lake. It is really good that you were able to learn a little bit about yourself by doing that and realizing it might be something you would be interested in the future. Second, it is such a bummer when people are not reliable. When someone leaves with that short of notice, it affects everyone in the work place. Poor training with lack of empathy also seems frustrating when you are trying to do what you can to help.

wmputman

says:

The first job where I feel like I had good job satisfaction also happens to be the employer that I am currently working for, Frank’s Menswear. There are definitely several aspects to this job that I feel affect my job satisfaction and make it positive. For one, the management and owners of the business are local and try to make sure their employees are well taken care of and their needs are met. It’s mainly little things that achieve this, like having snacks and drinks always stocked in the back or talking to us and leaving me feeling like my feedback will actually have an instant impact. Also, they do some bigger things like having a very good attitude towards employees taking time off or staying home when sick, which is actually heavily encouraged or almost forced. All my other jobs were at large chains where there were a lot of hoops to jump through and forms to fill when you wanted some time off longer than a day or two. Overall, the job itself doesn’t get too monotonous and the people I work with make it worthwhile and give me good job satisfaction.

I maintain high job satisfaction in a few ways, mainly by having variety in the workplace so it keeps it from getting too boring. Also, working around people that make it more enjoyable can turn a work environment from poor to enjoyable extremely easily. I typically get along with everyone I work with but everyone knows some are easier to work with than others. I think job satisfaction is one of the most impactful things in people’s lives so I’m glad that I’m currently working somewhere that I can achieve this.

kcampbell8

says:

I think one interesting thing that you mentioned about your job that you had high satisfaction in is that it’s the little things. Small things like snacks can make a big difference in how employees feel about the company they’re working for. This carries on to being a supervisor. When you are a supervisor, it would probably be helpful to be mindful of the little things that make an employee feel well taken care of and valued.

cjdarling

says:

A job I have held that I was very satisfied and had a good attitude about is the job I am currently at. I currently work as a tour guide in Fairbanks, AK conducting tours all over the state year round. I have been at my current place of employment for the last year and every single day I go in I know I am going to have a great day. My work involves setting and then loading up the necessary items needed for the days tour, picking up the guests, and heading to whichever location is the days itinerary. Last night for example I conducted a Arctic Circle/Northern Lights tour. I brought 13 people, 8 from Australia and 5 from Taiwan up to the Arctic Circle sign and back to Fairbanks in one day. We saw a grizzly right next to the road, three wolves at the same time, watched a float plane take off at the Yukon River Camp, and saw the Aurora. The company is set up like this; there are 6 guides, 3 office staff, and the owner of the company and his wife. There are no supervisors or managers to deal with, if there is an issue I take it straight to the top. The owner of the company whom I will refer to as Steve lives in the same building as the office and as such I see him each and every day. Once guides have proven they have what it takes and have received a certain number of five star reviews we are trusted to get the job done correct the first time, every time. I would summarize this work experience/environment as a very positive experience with a “supervisor” who is nothing short of everything you could ever ask for in a boss. How I would use this experience as a supervisor is to remember that employees do not need to be micro managed and once the employee in question has passed training and their probationary period I will trust that they can handle the job with little supervision until they prove otherwise. A good boss and a positive work environment can make or break an employees experience at work place. I have had great jobs with great bosses, bad jobs with bad bosses, and the worst example, I have had amazing jobs with horrible bosses that made the job miserable.

A job that I held in which I was extremely dissatisfied with and had a poor attitude about my work was the tour company in Fairbanks, AK I worked at prior to moving over to my current place of employment. My experience at that company was very negative in many ways. I enjoyed the work but had horrible supervisors and the company operated in an almost cult manner. The company had their own version of each and every aspect of everything that they attempted to get new employees to follow. When I went through their training there were 7 to begin with, by the end of it their was only 3 of us left. The way it appeared is if you did not conform to their version of things you weren’t normal. Little did the supervisors know, they were the ones who weren’t normal. I loved the work itself and that is the only reason I lasted as long as I did (4 months). What I would use from this experience as a supervisor is that I would not go to the extreme when creating a company atmosphere, understand that employees are all people and have their own personalities, and trust employees to do their work without constant micro managing. What management could have done to increase my job satisfaction is just to simply let us do our job, once we have proven time and time again that we know what we are doing I don’t need someone breathing down my neck constantly. That is the major difference between where I was working and where I am working now doing the exact same type of work.

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rsrudoy

says:

Gosh, where do I begin.

2) Speaking about this prior job still haunts me to this day as it was the worst experience of my life.

I was working as an assitant manager at Journeys (the shoe store). As a manager we were required to work a minimum of 6 days a week with a minimum of 45 hours. This was the first dissasisfaction I encountered. Overtime is great however I was working on comission and overtime pay was based on how much you sold, some sort of chinese math they called it. All in all it was about $3 an hour extra to my paycheck when I worked over 40. However to my dismay, I worked 65+ a week. I had one day off which really I used for sleep. No life whatsoever.

Second dissatisfaction was that Journeys was all about sales goals, wether or not it was realistic wasn’t of any concern to corporate or my managers. They had 3 strict rules. 40% of your sale transactions had to include 2 or more pair of shoes. 10% of your sales had to include an item other than footwear (backpacks, watches, laces, shirts) and 5% of your sales you had to sell socks. Some seasons are slow for sales and some people just don’t want to buy any socks. But, as I said before, this didn’t matter to corporate. Employees were straight trash to them. If you didn’t meet your set goals for the month for whatever reason you’d get written up and and after 3, fired (which happend to me). I was working for the company for over two years as a manager and they got rid of me just like that because I didn’t sell an extra 5 packs of socks 3 times.

Third dissatisfaction was the work environment. New York in the winter gets cold, maybe not as cold as Alaska but its still pretty darn freezing. They had a rule that the store front doors had to stay wide open if the tempeture was 30F and over. They can be closed if it was below 29. The whole winter the doors were open in 30 degree weather. We would all work in our winter jackets, you could actually see our breath while standing waiting for customers to walk in. I eventually developed bronchitis and was sick for over a month. But once again, employee comfort or health didn’t matter — it was all about money money and money.

In my opinion, for Journeys to become a better company everybody in cororporate should be fired including the CEO and they need major reconstruction. There needs to be people on board who give a s*** about employees. I think they need to start there. Then move on forward to fixing the expectations of employees in regards to sales goals.

I was 23 at the time and if I knew what I know now, I would’ve sued them. Talking about my experience still gets me emotional because no employee should have been taken advantage of like that.

jsferlauto

says:

Reading what you had to endure while working there, it seems like the corporate management at Journeys do not understand the relationship between customer and employee satisfaction, and is implementing illogical policies that end up losing them good people. The sales requirements you talked about are unrealistic, because you are not going to be able to control what customers will want, and actively making suggestions to those customers will probably drive people away. I would be curious to see if the company was even willing to hear employees out who voice complaints, but it seems like the organization’s culture at the highest level is flawed and I really doubt it has gotten any better.

thjones3

says:

Rsrudoy,

I feel for you having experienced working long hours with little compensation. The feeling of being taken for granted is a motivation killer. Once you calculate how little your time is being paid it is impossible to feel like doing your best.

I can relate; I worked in a medical clinic and was paid very little even though I had prior experience. I worked longer hours than my coworkers, didn’t take 10 smoke breaks a day like they did, and would assist with procedures they didn’t have the stomach to handle. Once I found out my coworkers were making more than me and not working as hard, I was unmotivated to continue working there. I became resentful and stopped doing all the extra things I previously was doing. I would sarcastically say, “I’m taking a non-smokers, smoke break”, and I would go outside and talk on my phone. I decided it was fair.

Needless to say my changes in behavior and pointing out the inconsistencies rubbed my supervisor the wrong way. She was happy when I left and I was happy to leave. The silver lining of the experience was, after I left. The head doctor saw all the behaviors I complained about and made changes. He had the utmost respect for my work ethic and to this day will turn away from the CEO to visit with me if I pass in the hall.

tcshelton

says:

I wanted to talk about my current position, in which is a great job with great benefits. I first started working for Navy Federal Credit Union in May of 2018. I liked it in the beginning, but then there was a period of about 4 months that I felt under appreciated, my co-workers had a lot of drama going on with their lives and in the workplace and I almost never had been able to trust my managers. I always felt that everything seemed very one sided and my manager was never direct with me and she avoided certain conversations that needed to occur. I did not care to show up for work I was only a part-time employee so I felt that I did not need to apply myself to this career. My management team could have bee more open with me and had better attitudes, one of my managers had a very passive aggressive attitude and it really upset me. However, just about three months ago, things changed at work, people began quitting and I was able to have a direct conversation with my manager and really explain to her how I felt and it could have been a possibility of me not understanding things the their way. After that conversation with my manager she was opened and apologized for the way I was feeling she assured me that if I was ever feeling that way she has an open-door policy. I then realized she had no idea on the way I saw things and in return I apologized to her for my lack of commitment and communication that caused me to almost leave my job. This was a good feeling and shortly after this conversation, I began to get a lot of feedback from my management team and eventually they moved me into a full-time position and I am in the works of a promotion. My managers began treating me better and taking into consideration things they had not before and that has made my work ethic change in a great way. I am always at work, everyone interacts better together and communication is open. I also wanted to mention that a high-paying job alone is not enough to create a satisfying work environment (Organizational Behavior, 82). In turn, I was experiencing an exit response because of lack of communication and not taking the initiative to voice my opinion. I ended up with a loyalty response and it paid off.

Saskia.Parkerson

says:

I really enjoyed reading your post. I know that I have had many job that have varied from being great and I loved everything I did, to amazing most of the time but I did not necessarily enjoy all parts of the job. Then we all have had the jobs where we just did not enjoy it in any manner. Those are the jobs that are more stressful then not working. I have told myself that I would rather go without money then work there. Obviously, you would stay and work because everything we do in life requires money, but the thought would still be there. I really like how you talked about the management towards the end of your post, management is everything. Good management can make or break a job.

cjdarling

says:

Hey, I liked reading your post. I am happy for you that your situation has drastically improved from how it used to be. I have worked at companies that acted the same way and just as you have said I started not caring and considering leaving because it just got to where it was not worth it anymore. If you read my post you will see what I am referring to, but I left my last place of employment with no other job waiting due to it getting so bad, thankfully due to my experience 2 days later I was employed and still am employed and an amazing company doing the exact same thing as I was before but with a very good work atmosphere.

Alyssa Fowler

says:

My reply is to tcshelton- I enjoyed reading your post overall, it helped me to realize that there is more passive neglect and loyalty than most people would first guess among the workplace. The situation you described experiencing currently was a great example of how many other people probably deal with jobs they may not be scheduled at frequently or are being overlooked at. I am sorry you had to deal with those negative feelings of wondering if you were an inadequate employee or if management simply lacked communication skills. In the end, it seems that it worked out to your advantage because the weaker links exited the job, leaving you there to essentially take the wheel and lead things in a direction that would benefit you most. I am glad you were able to voice your opinion in a healthy and productive way and that you are now experiencing more pleasure than before in the career you’ve chosen. Congrats!

mabarreto2

says:

1. Describe a job you have held in which you were very satisfied and had a good attitude about your work. What factors caused you to be so satisfied and happy? How will you use (or how have you used) this experience as a supervisor?

When I was about 26 I worked for Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour as a balloonist. I was very satisfied with my job and had a great attitude about work. The conditions of the job were great; we were treated like the superstars of the company. Everyone loved the balloonists, and we were the first ones sent to tables that had any complaints to make the guests happy. Moreover, the management team was extremely grateful for us and would treat us with the utmost respect. We were given complimentary meals as part of their gratitude toward us. The servers loved us as well given that they would score higher tip margins if we balloonists left their tables feeling happy and joyful. It was the greatest job I ever had, even though I was a mere balloonist.
The factors that caused me to be so satisfied and happy were numerous. First, the job conditions were amazing. We worked hard but were treated well, fed regularly, and the interactions between us balloonists and their staff were amazing. Second, the personalities of the people and employees were just as amazing. Everyone was cordial and treated us with the utmost respect. Like I mentioned before, we were superstars and treated as such. Next. the pay was excellent. It was not uncommon for us to walk out after a five-hour shift with almost $400 in our pockets in tip alone. I think I made more money here than at any other job I’ve ever had. Finally, corporate social responsibility was present and alive. I felt that I was contributing to positive influences in the community just by making balloons for people; you’d be surprised how big of a smile an animal balloon can make someone feel. I walked out of the job every day with sore cheak muscles from the smiling too hard throughout the day, naturally, not forced.

mawetherington

says:

I was a bank teller for three years. During that time, it was a challenging, yet fulfilling workplace. The factors that made it satisfying to work at this local financial institution was the opportunity provided for employee engagement. The company also shared my values of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the community. Lastly, the close relationships that were fostered in the workplace has resulted in a stronger sense of workplace culture.

Expanding on my former company’s employee engagement, I really enjoyed that the company scheduled classes and regular training on financial policies. They made a point to train on other important areas such as CPR training at least once a year. The educational opportunities that were encouraged each of us to find our strengths. This meant there were certain training classes that other colleagues were excelling at, while I excelled at others. We all felt like we had a role to play. Another aspect included the company’s CSR. I enjoyed that my former workplace promoted volunteering, having one event per month to be involved with charities in the community or to donate from each paycheck an amount we chose. I am a part of the millennial generation, and I resonate with message about giving back on a personal level and want to be a part of a company that feels the same way. Lastly, I loved the friendships I made working with the group of colleagues. We would begin and end our week by sharing good work and non-work-related news. This gave us the ability to let other colleagues know what we were doing throughout the week and express our goals. My colleagues motivated me even when I didn’t want to go to work. I just didn’t want to let them down or add stress to my colleagues’ busy work week. Even now, I am still friends with my former colleagues.

As a supervisor, I would like to continue doing the things that motivated me as listed above. I would try to abate counter-productive behavior even before it starts. Sitting down with each person and their goals in the company so they can meet specific work and/or non-work-related goals at least every 60 to 90 days. I would be a higher energy manager and want to understand the workplace culture in which I was apart.

Austyn

says:

You know, I kinda like that idea of sitting down at the beginning and end of every week and sharing good work and non work related news! If someone is struggling in their personal life it will likely show in their work performance. Understanding what a person is going through and showing some compassion here and there is an important part of having a welcoming work environment. I really think that policy has to be voluntary though. I am a very personal guy who rarely shares personal facts at work, but I am always happy to listen to someone else’s accomplishments or struggles. Having a work family is a good thing!

mabarreto2

says:

I think it’s great that a company would implement programs to help you further your personal education and relative skills in the workplace. I worked for Starbucks for about 6 years and they would implement classes that you could take and get paid for to further your customer service skills. I would always take advantage of these and would leave them feeling empowered and motivated to do more for my team and the store. I think a lot of companies miss this aspect of employee involvement and neglect the positive outcomes it can provide for their company. I’m currently pursuing a career in firefighting and one of the things I love most about this career is all the ongoing training. It makes you feel dedicated and committed to your work. I also feel that it makes you feel like part of something greater than yourself. I’m glad you had this experience. I hope to implement some of these possibilities into my role as a supervisor in the near future.

Saskia.Parkerson

says:

Hello, I really enjoyed that you gave three different perspectives. The good job, the bad job, and the experience as a supervisor. I have been in all three as well, and for most of them I was able to take the good and bad from what management did, how they interacted with us, and how they treated the employees overall and brought that into my own management. Also, just like Austyn has already said, I really like that idea that you sit down and the beginning and end of every week and share the good bad and ugly of work and non work related news. This gives everyone in the office things to work at and gives leadership/management things they can work on.

nswartz2

says:

The importance of jobs satisfaction in a career field was made clear to me during my service in the military. There were many things I loved about my job, and while there were many aspects of the job that frustrated me, my over all experience was satisfying. Part of the reason why I believe that my job satisfaction was so high was due to the leaders around me. In the military the importance of mentorship is stressed heavily, and while there weren’t always good leaders put in charge of me, there were plenty of good leaders in the organization that I could go to for guidance and direction. Soldiers and employees are very similar in that they require more than money to find job satisfaction. I believe that both want to know that the organization has their best interest in mind and that they are valued. In my organization this was achieved through the use of surveys to higher levels of leadership, organization events focussed on bringing families together, and competitions focussed on further training and developing our unit into the best soldiers we could be.

A good friend of mine in the military always reminds me of the importance and value of picking the meat from the bones. Simply put, he reminds me that there is always something positive to take from any situation. This could be a training style that I might want to adopt, or even a leadership style that I don’t want to incorporate in the future. This method can be applied to everything, but because of this method I have learned so many things to carry with me to my next role as a supervisor. Some of the top practices I would implement as a supervisor are to lead from the front and demonstrate my competency to be someones supervisor, always listen to the comments of those I supervise, and stress the importance of the value each person brings to the table when they apply themselves. These are just a few things that some of my best leaders incorporated into their leadership style, and I hope to be able to provide these just as well when the time comes.

bfarnes

says:

I’m always fascinated to hear about people’s experiences with their leadership with serving in the military. I have a number of friends who served and it’s really mixed on whether they had leadership that they respected and that contributed positively to their experience, or whether they had leaders that they felt were incompetent and uncaring. It seems like just this one aspect can completely change how someone feels about their time in the service. I like your attitude of always looking for a positive takeaway in any situation, even with bad leadership there’s always something to be learned, and focusing on that can really make a difference in the experience.

cjdarling

says:

Great post. I really like you analogy regarding the picking the meat from the bones. I have never thought about it like that before but it is true, there is always something good that comes from a situation. If it works out good then you know what to next time, if it works out bad then you now know what not do next time. I agree with you about the leading from the front and constantly proving your worth as a leader. If a supervisor simply gets lazy due to their promotion then employees will not want to and will not listen to him or take them seriously.

nkdong

says:

I completely agree with you, and I believe that leadership/management style is the number one reason most people get out as soon as they can. Things such as long work hours, sometimes questionable pay and months away from home are all things that people are aware of when they sign up. As I’ve been around different stations, different branches and different types of people, I’ve noticed that any persons experience can vary greatly from another. I think a much greater percentage of people would stay if they felt like a valuable contributor to the team.

At the same time, I also believe that if more people looked for positive in every situation and learned from it, they would also be more satisfied.

wmputman

says:

I agree with a lot of your views on leadership and how it affects job satisfaction. I especially liked the part about picking the meat off the bones. I feel like I try to use this point of view on whatever I do but sometimes it is definitely harder than others. I feel like it could benefit everyone to try and use this point of view more often as it would lead to more conflict and hopefully leave people feeling more accomplished and satisfied with their lives.

jesterle

says:

I currently work at the job that I really enjoy and am treated well by the employer. I work as a barista for an espresso shop in North Pole and my co workers and boss are extremely supportive. I enjoy interacting with customers on a day to day basis. As long as you have a good attitude and an honest head on your shoulders, you are golden to work there. My boss makes sure that each and every one of our needs are met and that we have a voice in the new ideas that continue to grow as we create more drinks. For the last two summers, I was an EMT for a fire department and they would allow me to work there while keeping my coffee job. My boss encourages each of us to do better and is happy for us when we get jobs that better ourselves. I will use all the examples that my boss has given and apply them for in the future if I ever do have to supervise others.

I worked in an Italian restaurant as my first job for over a year. At first, I thought I was in a great spot. But after awhile, I noticed how my boss would treat my co workers whenever they came to her with a problem. The restaurant was family owned so if you had a problem with the manager, you were not able to go to the owner to talk about her because that was her daughter. The manager would lash out and get upset if you could not work a shift that you were not scheduled for. No one was rewarded for good behavior or going above and beyond, only criticized anything they could find. No one was encouraging or happy while working, and the employees were overworked. Management should have been more open to listening to employees and how they felt. If they felt uncomfortable they should have been able to go to the employer without fear of getting fired.

Moses

says:

I too enjoy working with people and keeping them happy. I enjoyed hearing that your boss was so supportive and I’m sure it was because of your work ethic and being an honest person. That goes to show how a positive employee-employer relationship can help employee job satisfaction and help the business have high customer satisfaction. I’m assuming they did well in their line of business because of this.

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rsrudoy

says:

hi there~!
It’s extremely refreshing to hear that you have a current supervisor who allows you to work another job and wants to see you push yourself! From many experiences that I’ve had, most supervisors don’t really care about their employees current or future success. They stay mostly business-focused. I believe if people would have supervisors like your current one, the workplace would be a much happier environment.

I’ve never worked in a family operated business so its interesting to hear your experience working in one. I’m glad you moved on to a much better environment because it sounds like having an owner/manager lashing out at employees and having no real management to go to with your concerns put more stress on you than necessary.

Austyn

says:

Describe a job you have held in which you were very satisfied and had a good attitude about your work. What factors caused you to be so satisfied and happy? How will you use (or how have you used) this experience as a supervisor?
Describe a job you have held in which you were very dissatisfied and had a poor attitude about your work. What factors caused you to be dissatisfied and what could management have done to increase your job satisfaction?

Interestingly enough, the job I was the most satisfied at eventually evolved to be the job I was most dissatisfied with! I was working as a server and bartender at a local restaurant/brewery here in Fairbanks.
For the first year I was pretty happy the the job, they worked well with my school schedule, I worked with alot of people that were awesome, I got a discount on beer (tell me that isn’t awesome for a college student), and most importantly the manager was great.
I feel like one of the factors that contributed heavily to my satisfaction at this job was the atmosphere that we held. It was a friendly and fun place, yet we were able to focus and work together when needed. As a manager I think this will stick with me. Its one thing to have the power and title of “boss,” but you have to earn respect in the workplace. You have to inspire loyalty you can’t demand it. As a unified company working towards a goal that everyone feels committed to, you can go much farther.
This same job eventually turned into a nightmare. About 14 months after I was hired, the general manager quit. After that point, things simply fell apart. The owner decided to take up the post of general manager until they found a replacement, but that replacement was never found. Eventually, necessary aspects of the business began to fall apart. Availability, wages, new policies, and a general disorder contributed to an ever growing turnover. Employees were simply walking out halfway through a shift unwilling to work in that environment anymore.
In the managements position I would have done one major thing differently. When things really began to fall apart at the restaurant we had a staff meeting. We were told to “just do better and quit bitching.” Literally over and over again they told us to just quit bitching. Needless to say, people were up in arms.
As a manager, listen to your employees. Its not that complicated. You may know the in’s and out’s of your business, but your employee Shawn who does this one task for 9 hours a day may have a good idea once in a while!

rmashlock

says:

Hello Austyn,
I am very sorry to hear about your experience after the general manager left. From my experience, I know that how managers treat their employees has a big effect on job satisfaction. As we learned in the text, managers can make a big difference in the workplace or can ruin it. It is sad that even though numerous studies show a positive relationship between listening to workers and business productivity, many managers still do not care to listen to their employees (Organizational Behavior 81). If my least satisfactory job had a manager that I felt as though I could talk to, that job would have been a lot better for me.

asreber

says:

Great contribution to this discussion.
There is a reality show on television called “Bar Rescue”. An experienced owner/host of the show comes into a failing bar and works with management and staff to turn it around into a more successful bar. This of course is contingent on if management stays on top of the changes. Your situation sounds similar. There always seems to be a great start where someone in charge knew how to manage and create an environment that supports job satisfaction. Then there is a management change which turns everything on its ear. Management can make or break a team, business, and/or job satisfaction. The good managers are not only in touch with their customer’s satisfaction but their employees’ job satisfaction. Employees that give away drinks, pour themselves a drink while serving, and walking out during mid-shift indicate bad attitudes that can affect the job satisfaction of other employees and the profitability of the business. This, in turn, can increase turnover. Unfortunately, managers can make equally bad decisions by not addressing availability, wages, policies, and employee concerns. As our text indicated, addressing employee concerns doesn’t guarantee that the business would get better but it certainly would have been better than saying, “just do better and quit bitching” (Organizational Behavior 92).

Chris

says:

Hi Austyn. I can definitely relate to having a “bad” boss. I know that this may seem like a very obvious statement, but a bad boss can make the work environment toxic. One thing that I have experiences was working for a boss that had been promoted above their ability. I actually had a boss that had the gift of gab and was able to literally “BS” his way into a promotion. The bad part is that this person (and everyone else) knew that they had been put into a position that they were not equipped to be in. The problem began to manifest itself into a very toxic situation because this “manager” constantly managed from a position of insecurity and a fear of exposure. It was this environment that made a potentially enjoyable place to work unbearable. It sounds like that may have happened in your situation. The owner who “appointed” himself as the general manager may have been ill-equipped to manager people. Just because you are the owner and may have created a business concept does not mean that you will be a good leader. You may have excellent workers with very unique skillsets, but if you fail to recognize and cultivate the attributes of your employees, you’re going to have an exodus, guaranteed.

jsferlauto

says:

In 2015 I decided to start volunteering as a firefighter, and my current job is the first real step I have made towards a full-time career Job in that field. I work as a Student Firefighter for University Fire Department, and have for the last two years, which I think have been the two most satisfying years of my career so far. I have become trained to drive and operate fire engines and ladder trucks, and I am currently working on becoming a department sponsored lead medic, which will allow me to run an ambulance. One aspect of this job that I enjoy is the schedule, which is repeats on a nine cycle, 3 shifts with off days in between, with a four-day break before the start of the next “tour” of duty. This allows me to recharge between shifts and come to work with a good attitude, and time to work on classwork.
The dynamic between employees is also different from typical workplaces, we spend 24 hour shifts together, frequently do shift dinners, and celebrate holidays such as thanksgiving as a team. the work we do is also rewarding, and I really do enjoy how dynamic it is. Some days we won’t have any calls and we are able to organize trainings, others we are busy responding to emergencies in the community. It’s also great training for my future endeavors, one of the functions of the department is to prepare its firefighters for career jobs. There is a lot of turnover within the department, but it is mostly because student firefighters are taking the jobs that they have been training for by being in the department. When students leave in this case, it’s expected and even congratulated by the captains and chiefs. My supervisors are all patient, respectful and care about how we are doing in both work and school. They tend to lead by example for projects, and participate in training, although letting more experienced students mentor the newer ones. Even though it is a student position we are trusted to do our jobs and be responsible for a good portion of the department’s operation without a lot of direct supervision.

Moses

says:

I held a job in which I was very satisfied and so had a good attitude about work. The job was in accounting so it was challenging as technical skills were required. I was good at it and was rewarded with weekly feedback indicating when it was done correctly. A “✔” and “Reconciles!” would remain at the end of the spreadsheet indicating that everything that week went as it should. My supervisor also praised the work I did with comments such as”you’re so dependable!” or, “wow, that was quick!”.
Some other factors that kept me satisfied were: 1) working with people who valued competency and professionalism, 2) low stress because of a weekly routine and zero supervisory roles, 3) working as a team with my co-worker, 4) solving problems and helping others with finding information, and 5) having the opportunity to improve the efficiency of our division to create the highest output possible.
By evaluating and noting the best sides of my job and workplace and working at putting aside my feelings, my behavioral component was to perform at my best everyday and to keep a good attitude among co-workers. My desire to reduce dissonance, especially when some co-workers bashed on one person constantly behind their back, paid off after reaching the start of a new fiscal year with a substantial pay raise. My employee engagement pulled me through to keep an objective attitude when the attitudes of some others were conflicting with our organizational goals of working together for the people. Partly because of my high positive core self-evaluations, I worked hard and my most important attitudes reflected my fundamental values, keeping me on a level plane.
In future supervisory roles I will strive for a professional and objective attitude at work. I will use communication skills, and work on human resource skills also, to maintain a productive and positive work environment for all.

asreber

says:

The unsatisfactory work experience I am going to share is my first paid job. At the time, it felt like the worst job/work situation imaginable.
One of the Assistant Scoutmasters at my Boy Scout Troop was building a house and needed some help. Over the years I had heard about him always asking youth to work for him (about once a month) and get paid $10.00 per hour. I didn’t approach him right away but waited to pursue this opportunity when my school schedule allowed, started immediately without much more than the job title, General Laborer. I figured that ten dollars an hour was a high enough wage to put up with anything.
On my first day, I was told to pull out staples out of the walls. They were the remains from plastic sheeting and measured every 4-6 inches throughout the house. There didn’t seem to be an end to the workday because there were no set hours. On day two he moved me into a crawl space. I am 6 feet 6 inches tall and had a difficult time working in the small space, but what made it worse was there cobwebs and spiders everywhere. I was working with another high school student who would disappear for long periods of time then show up near the end of the evening. That day I went home trying to pull the cobwebs off me that seemed to be everywhere, wondering why the other employee wasn’t working the whole time. On day three, I was given a can of paint and shown to the same crawl space to paint the walls. The situation was the same as the day before with cobwebs and spiders, plus the fumes were awful. At the end of the third day of work, my work partner was asked how much I worked so he could pay me. The number of hours was less than actual hours worked so my pay was shorted. I spoke to the homeowner and explained the shortage and he said he gave the correct amount to the other worker to give to me. After evaluating the long hours working in confined spaces with spiders for less pay than earned, I decided it was not the optimum situation for me. I also decided that the constant request for recruits was due to this difficult work situation. I gave my notice and was told I am welcome to return to the job anytime, but that isn’t going to be anytime soon. My level of dissatisfaction was very high.
In retrospect my attitude began to change when I discovered there were no set times and the workday lasted much longer than I expected. It got worse after experiencing the crawl space on the second day. By day three with a return to the crawl space with the addition of fumes, my dissatisfaction was increasing. Then when my pay was shorted and there was no resolution, I reached my limit. Analyzing this situation now the job conditions, my personality, and the pay all influenced my job dissatisfaction. Not only was the environment challenging, but the absence of the manager’s attentiveness and responsiveness to work issues and pay discrepancies was undesirable. The final straw was created by my own personality. My co-worker’s counterproductive work behavior challenged my own ability to speak up. As this was my first job, I was questioning my own inner worth and basic qualifications. Embracing the Scout Law, I trusted that everything would work out fairly. In the end, I took the exit response to the job dissatisfaction. It occurred to me that the exit response was probably the same reaction that many other scouts had taken before me since there appeared to be lots of turnover.
If the homeowner was interested in reducing the turnover rate, he could be more forthcoming about the expectations of the job knowing he was hiring new employees that were also new to the workforce. In addition, relying on another youth to report the hours worked as well as paying out the wages seems like a lot of trust placed on that individual without allowing for the other employee (me) to speak up about the wage problem. Finally, there is also responsibility on myself for not taking appropriate action from the very beginning to learn the details of the job, including who I reported to and who to come to with questions or concerns.

jesterle

says:

What you experienced was a highly unpleasant first job experience. I also know what it is like to experience a job where the other worker is getting paid as much as you but does not even put in half of the work you do, and receives full credit and more responsibility for it. Employers and co workers have high affects on job satisfaction and in that , these experiences can be extremely positive, or extremely negative. I work at a place where a few years ago, there was a manager who was in charge of all of us workers and she also worked along side us. The owner of the business was the most caring employer I had ever met. She would always check in on you and make sure you were doing well. She adored the manager, who put on a different personality when she was around. Whenever the owner was not, she was demeaning and rude, always blaming us for something, and would threaten to get us fired if we did not do her work load as well. I experienced what you would call loyalty, sticking it out until things got better. The manager eventually moved away and we were able to open up to the owner and let her know what had happened. She was appalled. Now, it is an incredibly positive place to work.

ateslow

says:

Reading your post reminds me of similar stories i hear from my friends and colleagues working entry level jobs. It’s very hard for a business owner or Boss to know the employee’s behaviors outside of the office. In the past, i typically notice people who exert negative influences while holding a position of power ( Your manger in this situation) are often doing so to make of for some inadequacies in there life. I wonder if the manager didn’t move, what results would have happened.

atfinnigan

says:

Describe a job you have held in which you were very dissatisfied and had a poor attitude about your work. What factors caused you to be dissatisfied and what could management have done to increase your job satisfaction?

The position I previously held was one that I worked at for almost fifteen years. Through those fifteen years I climbed in seniority and position on my crew, worked with the same people for almost the entire time and when I left was so dissatisfied with my job that I was looking for any opportunity to quit or find new employment. However, if it wasn’t for that postilion and the people that I worked with , I wouldn’t be employed where I am today where I am very satisfied with my job.

When I was seventeen I joined a crew that specialized in remote Alaska, environmental cleanup and remediation work, contracting with government agencies and cleaning up old military and FAA sites. I immediately became addicted to the money and the lifestyle. Traveling to remote areas of Alaska, living in camps and doing high risk high pay jobs. It was very common for me to spend eight out of twelve months of the year in the field working eighty four plus hours a week. This was great when I was a single bachelor but as the years went on like most Alaskans I started having kids, in my case a lot of kids. Living in the field became unsustainable, I am not sure if it was because my attitude towards the lifestyle changed or because of certain things in management that I was starting to grow tired of but either way I was looking for a new job. Management knew that I was trying to leave and started to make my life miserable, the company motto was, “there is plenty of people that want your job”. The environment at work became hostile and intolerable so I quit and went to work for a company that does underground utilities upgrades in Anchorage. This job was more a place holder until I was able to mostly finish school and get my current job.

It would have taken a complete top to bottom re-evaluation of the company and how they handled their employees in order to keep me at my former job. There was a complete disconnect between the office management and the field staff. We were just units on paper and tools to be used. I was able to convince myself to stay because the pay was so good but eventually they cant pay you enough. I still know most of the crew that works there and they say it is still miserable but the pay is still great. In that line of work they pay you well to treat you terribly, I don’t have any complaints about my time there but am glad its over, the life experience and money was incredible. Some of the people I worked with were instrumental in getting me my new job and I forever in their debt. Sometimes you have to work at jobs you dislike to get to where you want , everything I have done until now is life and work experience that got me to my current position.

nkdong

says:

Describe a job you have held in which you were very satisfied and had a good attitude about your work. What factors caused you to be so satisfied and happy? How will you use (or how have you used) this experience as a supervisor?

For the most part, my current job as a Pilot has been the most satisfying. I’ve found that the meaning or effect of the work we do is largely up to how the individual perceives it, and I’ve noticed that this has a smaller effect on my job satisfaction. This may just be something I’ve become better at as I’ve gotten older, but I truly believe that at the user level I have little to no control over what meaning is behind an organizations work. I do, however have the ability to control how effectively I do my job, and with that, take great pride in doing my job well. Having a job that allows me to achieve better results and career progression with harder work has been one of the most satisfying parts for me.

The other thing that greatly affects my job satisfaction is the people I work with. In a technical environment, fostering a learning environment is crucial to not only success, but also lends to satisfaction and happiness. In a learning environment, some mistakes are expected to be made and make for learning points. Mistakes are not responded to with poor treatment or contempt; they’re addressed and we continue on. Included in this is treating people as professionals and being respectful.

As my mentors leave and I assume the role of a mentor (and in any management position I find myself in the future), I plan on continuing to be respectful and professional, and fostering a learning environment that stresses working together as a team, in which we can learn from each other and leave our egos at home.

Describe a job you have held in which you were very dissatisfied and had a poor attitude about your work. What factors caused you to be dissatisfied and what could management have done to increase your job satisfaction?

About eight to ten years ago, I worked for a manufacturing company. None of the divisions talked to each other, like we were all part of different “groups”. The greatest divide was between all of the employees downstairs (trade workers, if you will), and the employees upstairs (HR, management, etc). I also had two managers and never really knew who I was supposed to talk to about issues. All in all, this caused extreme communication issues. Any mistakes made were responded to with great disdain.

In this situation, just being friendly and making employees feel as if they’re part of a community and a team would’ve made a huge difference for me. It is entirely possible for superiors and subordinates to be friendly and act like they care about each other, and this not only could have increased job satisfaction, but it could’ve even increased productivity.

bfarnes

says:

I’ve worked for half-a-dozen or so companies over the years and have had a decent mix of roles where I was quite happy and satisfied and ones in which I was miserable and couldn’t wait to leave. My current role is probably the one that I’ve been most satisfied at. Overall the company is a good place to work, with solid total compensation and nice facilities and resources, but the thing that brings me the greatest satisfaction is the amount of autonomy that I have. I run my program in the way that I choose, and have huge amounts of freedom to choose where I want to focus efforts or where the priorities should be. My boss likes to have a high-level understanding of what’s happening but doesn’t involve himself in the day-to-day operations. He’s there if I need his support or advice on something, or occasionally if I need his title to push through a policy that I’m facing resistance on, but other than that he leave me alone. I try to do the same for my employees as long as they have the same preference to be left alone, basically giving them projects, letting them know roughly what the end result would should look like, and then letting them proceed however they choose. Sometimes I do have an employee who likes me to be involved in their day-to-day activities so I’ll provide more direct oversight, but that would only be for employees who have that preference.

As for jobs where I’ve been less satisfied, it’s hard to choose. There have been a couple places where I was unhappy but it was typically for different reasons. In one position I had a very micromanaging supervisor who was basically my shadow as I went about my day, which slowly drove me insane. At another the entire workplace was just plain toxic. Everyone complained constantly, and basically no-one was happy in their role. Just being surrounded by that every day was exhausting. I did find an interesting “tell” that I have when I’m not happy with my job, which would sometimes manifest before I had even realized that I was done and needed to move on. If I pulled into the parking lot in the morning, turned off my car, and then sighed deeply before getting out, something needed to change because it meant I was unhappy with my job. As for what management could do to help, for me personally, it usually comes down to just leave me alone to do my job. Although in the case of the completely toxic place, there were a wide variety of polices contributing, from strictly dictating work hours in an environment where it was completely unnecessary, to severely under compensating all of the employees compared to other similar businesses.

nnsavel

says:

I think autonomy and the freedom you have in a job can directly increase your satisfaction tremendously. If you’re in a job where someone is breathing down your neck all the time it can be extremely annoying and make your job very dissatisfying. It sounds like your current position is a very good fit for what you are doing and for what you want in an employer. Now I do think there are some positions that require a more hands-on approach and more direct supervision. For instance, my working as a firefighter the newer members are constantly being watched over and evaluated very closely. This can seem annoying and possible overbearing but because of the nature of the job, it is something that needs to happen. The newer people and really everybody needs to be closely evaluated because if they make a mistake the result can be catastrophic. I do think in most work environments what you are describing is ideal though. As long as employees are putting forth quality work there isn’t a reason to breathe down their neck telling them what to do. That isn’t what a managers job is. As far as your less satisfying jobs, it sounds like what you value a lot is your freedom to be trusted that you will do your job. I think this is what a lot of people really want and need in their employer and I believe as a manager it is important to figure out what each individual employee needs and tend to them specifically. I enjoyed reading your post, thanks!

bfarnes

says:

I think it really comes down to knowing what you like and seeking out the roles that will provide it. There are certain fields, like the fire services, where I know that I really enjoy the work that is performed, but I don’t do well under the kind of leadership structure that exists in those organizations. So sometimes I’ll pass on an opportunity where I might enjoy the work but just wouldn’t be a good cultural fit. I’m pretty lucky that I’ve landed in a career that provides a good mix of enjoyable work and minimal oversight.

Chris

says:

I definitely can relate as to the importance of satisfaction based on how you as an employee are managed. I think that one of the biggest failures and ultimately dissatisfied employees revolves around the managers ability to recognize the work style of the employees that he/she is managing, and then to tailor their management style to meet the needs of their employees. Doing so increases satisfaction and allows your employees to give the best of themselves. Like you had mentioned, micromanagement is also a deal breaker for me. That is just my “work” style. Let me know what you need accomplished, what the expectations are, and when it is due and then step back and let me go. That is the management style that I prefer also. I have managed people before and learned that there are some workers that function well with autonomy and there are those that need more direction. Not micromanagement, but more direction and guidance. Failure to recognize the “work-style” of your employees and then tailor your “management-style” to your staff is a recipe for dissatisfaction and ultimately, turnover.

ccgallegos

says:

Hi, in reading your post I found I was able to relate on both your positive and negative experiences. Having autonomy at a job is important to me as well, and jobs where I’ve had less autonomy usually made me a little stir crazy. I too had a job with a boss who micromanaged and the reason why it was so frustrating was because she would send me an email on how to do something while I was already in the process of working on it. She wasn’t able to delegate, and if she did- she’d be on your every move making sure things were correct. This was working for an insurance company as a nurse case manager, so I know my boss had A LOT of pressure, but how she handled that pressure unfortunately drove many people away. I was only there 2 months!

dcheek3

says:

A job that I have had in which I am very satisfied and have a good attitude towards is my current job. I work for an oilfield service company as an asset manager. I began my career in a field position which required me to gone from the house for long periods of time. This took its toll on my family life. Due to my work ethic and timing, an office position opened, and I was nominated. It involved tracking and auditing all physical assets our company owns. At the beginning it was difficult because there was no turnover and I had to build the lists from scratch. However, management saw that I was capable and paid attention to detail. So, they continued to give me more responsibility. Knowing that my superiors were paying attention and respected me enough to give me more gave me a feeling of accomplishment.
I’ve been with the company during a few downturns in the market. At one point, we laid off 90% of our company. The management at my office and our corporate office continued to lean on me for information. Today, I’m an integral part in just about every aspect of our business even though I am technically assets. I analyze and provide recommendation about decisions we should make financially and operationally to increase our bottom line. Due to this company’s loyalty towards me, I will probably never quit even when I manage to finish my degree. I may, however, request a different position in the future.
The factors that kept me satisfied and happy were loyalty towards me, giving responsibility to make decisions, and respecting the work I was accomplishing.

gdgrigals

says:

I’m a student-athlete and for me, it’s very difficult to find a job during the hockey season and school year. The only time I have time to work is summer. This past summer I worked as a hockey goalie coach at the youth camp. I enjoyed the work and working with the kids. I only worked for three weeks, but that was a great experience and can’t wait to do it again. We had a head coach of the camp who was kind of our supervisor and it was fun working for him. He cared what we were thinking and how to teach the kids new stuff and he made the camp fun for them as well. The manager needs to bring a positive atmosphere every day and only that can run the company to success. The manager did a good job managing the camp, everything went smoothly. His mindset was always to be better and grow, that’s what we teach to the kids also and he was a great example to them. Every morning he brought coffee for us and I enjoyed that as a big coffee lover. That made me like him even more and think that’s a good quality to have.

I was happy and satisfied working with kids. It’s a lot of fun to show them something new and see them trying to repeat it. I think the best part of it is when they ask you a lot of funny questions. Another reason that I liked was the coaching staff that we had, it was a great time with them especially before or after the practices in the coach’s room. I knew a couple of them since I was 5 years old and that made everything more fun. This experience I’ll use in the future, how to manage a daily life for your employees and that you need to make every employee part of the team. I would try to communicate with every single employee and ask what they think and what could we do better.

I haven’t worked a job that I didn’t like or I was dissatisfied. If I had to face a job where I’m unhappy or dissatisfied the main reason could be the manager. I think in a job where a manager doesn’t communicate with employees or doesn’t show a good attitude it is hard to work for. I wouldn’t learn anything from that kind of manager. The manager needs to be on top of his work all the time and be able to react in emergencies.

ccgallegos

says:

I am fortunate enough to be able recollect a job that led to great satisfaction and an upbeat attitude having worked as Director of Resident Services, a nursing position at a Retirement Community, that was the full continuum of care. The organization was non-profit and held resident concerns as their utmost priority. The organization was faith based, although it was a welcoming environment to any and all religions, and put the needs of the residents above all else; it was very rewarding. There was a combination of up-scale living with a buy in at $250,000 and HUD housing options as well. The environment was wonderfully diverse and a caring and nurturing environment. Some of our residents who, in their 90’s decided to take a group sky diving trip to celebrate birthdays. It was inspiring! The focus of the retirement community was to recognize that ability does not decline with age, and the right combination of a social, spiritual, intellectual, and healthful lifestyle leads, to a better quality of life, right up until your last day.
Additionally, my boss who was the executive director, was present enough to ensure we felt supported, but let the staff function with autonomy, which showed confidence in our abilities and her faith in us. She believed in a work life balance and felt that if we had been heavily burdened one week- it was important to offset that with a day off the following. She had faith we were going to complete our jobs and didn’t mind our minutes. If we were open and communicated the essentials, she didn’t need a play by play of our goings-on. Overall the job was rewarding, satisfying, and I found myself wishing to be involved at a level greater than just the hours I was paid to be there.

mddilny

says:

That sounds like it was a fantastic experience. Your post resonated with me because it seemed like you experienced fulfillment on a variety of different levels. When you said that you wanted to be involved in the organization at a greater level than just the paid hours, that also rung a bell. That’s pretty much the same way that I felt when working for the printing press parts outfit. I think that when employers succeed in making an organization so wonderful to be at that you can’t wait to go to work in the morning; they have done their part. It sounds like a combination of good management, coworkers, and customers made it incredible to work there.

ccgallegos

says:

Hello! Yes, you are absolutely right. When the environment becomes such a positive experience in multiple facets you want to be more involved and show greater commitment. Our residents who the majority were in their 90’s were putting on plays and community events- it was inspiring. One Christmas they did a Charlie Brown play and I had my family come to see! I wanted to share the joy and pride!

asreber

says:

This is a very interesting experience. My sister is currently in a similar job as what you have described. Although not faith-based, her experience is the same. The employees are treated really well and they all want to give more to their clients. There are great benefits and additional education for anyone wanting to advance their knowledge. She has described managers in the past that called her thirty times on a day off to run errands. This kind of behavior created a high level of cognitive dissonance and ultimately led her to move on to her current position. My sister is very happy now. She occasionally needs to cover for a sick coworker with an exceptionally long shift, but somehow she does it without the stress like anyone would experience if they hated their job. She too looks for ways to be more involved with this work/community. It just feels like family.

ccgallegos

says:

Hello, that is interesting to read. It makes me wonder if that is the culture of many of those organizations due to their level of commitment to serve the patients/residents as well as the staff. I have had other nursing jobs with extremely high turnover because everywhere seems to be understaffed, and even though we had some staffing issues, for the most part everyone wanted to chip in! I’m glad your sister found that job!

mddilny

says:

Years ago, I had worked for a company that bought sold and rebuild printing equipment. I would have to say that I had the most job satisfaction and best attitude toward my job working for this company. When I started working for the company, I was hired to clean printing press parts, paint them (as needed) and box them up for shipping. Other duties would include checking in shipments, pulling parts from pieces of equipment, and general janitorial work. The work was interesting, and the people were friendly, so I tried to learn as much about the business as I could. Over five years, my responsibilities increased exponentially. I was trained on all aspects of of the parts department and replaced the original manager. We would send parts and components all over the world. It was a great deal of work at the time; handling office tasks, logistics, manufacturing, and quality control, but it was worth it. In the end, I received multiple raises and was responsible for a sizable portion of the companies net profit annually. The combination of responsibility, attaining goals, and being compensated well was extremely satisfying.

I believe that this company did many things right. First, they offered the potential to be promoted from within the company (invested in their employees). I think it is essential for the employee to believe that the employer truly values them. The company demonstrated this to the employees by offering room for growth, fair compensation, and benefits. Something I feel that was of equal importance was the fact that this company was ethical. They did not involve themselves with dishonest practices and always went above and beyond to treat the employees fairly. Also, they let the employees take ownership of their tasks and didn’t micromanage. They had virtually no turnover, employees were happy and productive, and the company was extremely profitable. Overall it was a very positive experience. I feel that emulating the way that this company managed and treated employees would be a formula for success.

jbjohnkins

says:

I agree with you when you say “Something I feel that was of equal importance was the fact that this company was ethical.” I think having an good ethical structure for a company can really shape employees job satisfactions and attitudes.

dcheek3

says:

Having a job that the work is interesting would help me want to learn every aspect about it. Being given trust to accomplish the responsibility given, as well as being financially compensated, are good traits for any company to have to keep employees loyal. Ethics are very important in today’s world. Years ago companies could get away with cutting corners and nobody would know or care. However, today with technological advances, ethics is a must. Otherwise they will be blasted on the news or social media. Sounds like it was a great company to work for.

nnsavel

says:

1. I have had a few different jobs that I have felt very satisfied with and felt very good about my work. The one specific job that comes to mind was when I was working as a Firefighter/EMT at the University Fire Department. I believe a lot of it had to do with my overall attitude towards my work and my coworkers’ attitudes towards their work. “Attitudes are evaluative statements-either favorable or unfavorable-about objects, people, or events. They reflect how we feel about something“ (Robbins & Judge, n.d.). At this job, I felt extremely valued and rewarded. I felt like the community, my employers, and coworkers all appreciated me a great deal and I was able to help others, which is something that is extremely important to me. I will use this experience as a supervisor to make sure my employees understand that they are valued employees and explain to them what they are doing is important. Know matter what a job is, it has a purpose. Whether it’s being a firefighter or being a teacher or a janitor it is important as a supervisor to make your employees feel valued and make them understand that their job is important. It may seem difficult to do that for a job such as a janitor but you can explain to them that without them the school would be a mess, the learning environment would be messy, the school would be less enticing, students wouldn’t want to come and they would be less motivated and therefore, in turn, some may not graduate. Now while this may have assumptions in it I believe the premise of it is just. In any job as a supervisor, you can try and make your employees see the benefit in what they are doing and make them feel valued.

2. “A person with high job satisfaction holds positive feelings about the work, while a person with low satisfaction holds negative feelings” (Robbins & Judge, n.d.). Well, the first job I actually ever had I felt extremely dissatisfied and had negative feelings during it. I believe in order to explain the factors that made me dissatisfied and how I believe management could have increased my satisfaction I have to explain what I did. My first job when I was 16 years old was working on a local farm in my hometown. Much of my day was spent pulling weeds, planting vegetables, and moving irrigation lines. Not entirely the most exciting job for a 16-year-old and specifically me. Coming from a background of working in emergency services I have always sought out exhilarating jobs that keep me always thinking about what might happen next. This job did not have that exciting factor to it. I had a hard time feeling like what I did was useful and I also did not feel valued by my manager. It was extremely rare to have any sort of interaction with my manager that made me feel that they appreciated what myself and my coworkers did. We were frequently told we weren’t working quick enough and there was very little positive reinforcement from the management. The management could have increased my job satisfaction by making myself and other coworkers feel more appreciated. They could have told us that we were doing a good job or they could have been much more friendly at times. I believe constructive criticism is productive but when it is only criticism and not ever positive, it doesn’t lead to a satisfactory work environment.

Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (n.d.). Organizational Behavior, 17/e. Retrieved from https://platform.virdocs.com/r/s/0/doc/243242/sp/15463836/mi/50438649?cfi=%2F4%2F2%5BP7000499204000000000000000001419%5D%2F2%2F2%5BP700049920400000000000000000E224%5D%2C%2F1%3A0%2C%2F1%3A0

nnsavel

says:

Not entirely sure why the format got all weird on this. Hopefully, this works better.

1. I have had a few different jobs that I have felt very satisfied with and felt very good about my work. The one specific job that comes to mind was when I was working as a Firefighter/EMT at the University Fire Department. I believe a lot of it had to do with my overall attitude towards my work and my coworkers’ attitudes towards their work. “Attitudes are evaluative statements-either favorable or unfavorable-about objects, people, or events. They reflect how we feel about something“ (Robbins & Judge, n.d.). At this job, I felt extremely valued and rewarded. I felt like the community, my employers, and coworkers all appreciated me a great deal and I was able to help others, which is something that is extremely important to me. I will use this experience as a supervisor to make sure my employees understand that they are valued employees and explain to them what they are doing is important. Know matter what a job is, it has a purpose. Whether it’s being a firefighter or being a teacher or a janitor it is important as a supervisor to make your employees feel valued and make them understand that their job is important. It may seem difficult to do that for a job such as a janitor but you can explain to them that without them the school would be a mess, the learning environment would be messy, the school would be less enticing, students wouldn’t want to come and they would be less motivated and therefore, in turn, some may not graduate. Now while this may have assumptions in it I believe the premise of it is just. In any job as a supervisor, you can try and make your employees see the benefit in what they are doing and make them feel valued.

2. “A person with high job satisfaction holds positive feelings about the work, while a person with low satisfaction holds negative feelings” (Robbins & Judge, n.d.). Well, the first job I actually ever had I felt extremely dissatisfied and had negative feelings during it. I believe in order to explain the factors that made me dissatisfied and how I believe management could have increased my satisfaction I have to explain what I did. My first job when I was 16 years old was working on a local farm in my hometown. Much of my day was spent pulling weeds, planting vegetables, and moving irrigation lines. Not entirely the most exciting job for a 16-year-old and specifically me. Coming from a background of working in emergency services I have always sought out exhilarating jobs that keep me always thinking about what might happen next. This job did not have that exciting factor to it. I had a hard time feeling like what I did was useful and I also did not feel valued by my manager. It was extremely rare to have any sort of interaction with my manager that made me feel that they appreciated what myself and my coworkers did. We were frequently told we weren’t working quick enough and there was very little positive reinforcement from the management. The management could have increased my job satisfaction by making myself and other coworkers feel more appreciated. They could have told us that we were doing a good job or they could have been much more friendly at times. I believe constructive criticism is productive but when it is only criticism and not ever positive, it doesn’t lead to a satisfactory work environment.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (n.d.). Organizational Behavior, 17/e. Retrieved from https://platform.virdocs.com/r/s/0/doc/243242/sp/15463836/mi/50438649?cfi=%2F4%2F2%5BP7000499204000000000000000001419%5D%2F2%2F2%5BP700049920400000000000000000E224%5D%2C%2F1%3A0%2C%2F1%3A0

ccgallegos

says:

Hello, while browsing posts your words ‘firefighter/EMT’ stood out to me because I used to be an EMT as well. After reading through your post I agree with you that jobs in the service industry are very rewarding because they can be so personally satisfying. I think the camaraderie when a group of people comes together like that also emphasizes the job satisfaction. Although days can be long and tough and sometimes you don’t like the shots that are being called, you still have a respect and understanding for each other at the end of the day. When I was a new EMT my partner and I had a miscommunication that led to a minor incident but at the time seemed greater- my Lieutenant sat me down and gave me a similar story of his own experience and told me not to sweat it. His willingness to open up as well as recognize my struggle was very comforting and I had a lot of loyalty due to instances such as that one. In the end I burnt out due to working as an EMT and going to nursing school, but it wasn’t in reflection of the agency.

arbankston

says:

I worked full-time at a dental clinic for five years where I started as a Dental Assistant and then transitioned to the Dental Program Assistant. Through the transition and after, my position morphed into one where I was doing various tasks that were not part of the job description. I thought it was great and suited me well. I got to learn basically how every little thing helped to make the dental clinic run smoothly and the administrative perspective as well. My supervisor got to know me and had me doing various, odd, but also necessary, things to stay productive (and continue learning) so I felt great about working there even though outside factors (personal life) were not great. I think the biggest take away from this experience is that getting to know your employees well is important because then you’ll learn the key to making their role suitable for them and helping them to expand their knowledge and experiences as well.

In contrast, I had another job where the job description was really to be flexible for anything thrown my way because it was a position created to tie up loose ends. I thought it would be perfect for someone like me and having the experience I had at the dental clinic, I felt like I could handle it. I did the best that I could because I care about the work that I do, but this was a terrible experience. Management was so far removed from the employees even though they had an open door policy. There was never a time where I really felt like I knew what I was supposed to be doing and there was hardly any work for me to do. Anytime something came up, a supervisor would do it and I felt like a sitting duck even though I was eager to work. I resorted to roaming around the building just to find something to do.

nswartz2

says:

Thanks for sharing your job experiences. It is definitely valuable for you to know and understand what it is like to work for an organization where you feel valued and taken overlooked. A good friend would often remind me to pick the meat from the bones in the negative situations like you explained, because there is value somewhere in that experience for you to carry in the future. Perhaps even when you’re the one placed in charge of an organization like the one who didn’t provide job satisfaction for its employees. I admire the pride you take in your work, that is a valuable trait that any leader would seek in their team. I hope the experiences only get better for you and that you find the job satisfaction that you desire!

mbeza

says:

So what is interesting is that both dissatisfied and satisfied job experiences come from the same job. The difference was the change of our command team, yes it was during my time in the Army.
The job had always been exiting, fun and I had a great team to work with. The issue came when dealing with our command team. I was an instructor and senior medic for a very small Army unit out in the Black Rapids region. We worked mainly outdoors teaching mountaineering and winter survival to military units. Our command team though wanted to micromanage and override many decision that were being made out in the field. That wouldn’t be so much of an issue except for the fact that they had no idea what they were doing. They never went through the training to know what was supposed to be done with students. One would also down talk the instructors in front of students. It became a very toxic and unwelcoming environment.
Later on our command changed due to an investigation on the actions being done by our command. The new command was a complete opposite. Very supportive and trusting to the instructors. They would come out to our training not to criticize but to learn. We started to have more people wanting to join our team when they realized the change in our unit. For me, what was going to be no more than a two year assignment ended up being four years. I did not want to leave the unit, the support was great and the new command team understood the challenges that came with being part of the unit. I had many individuals wanting to take my position. But, the unit became a place that nobody wanted to leave. Only retirement was finally able to move me.

nnsavel

says:

That is very interesting that your satisfied and dissatisfied job experiences came from the same job. After thinking about it though, I have had jobs where I feel extremely satisfied at first or with some aspects of it but then it is ruined by a manager or coworkers or other various factors. I think the army can be related to the fire service where my background comes from fairly well. Both jobs can be extremely exciting but there can be a lot of micromanagers out there. While at times that is something that may be necessary because of the nature of the jobs, it can also be extremely frustrating. Especially when the manager or the person micromanaging may not be entirely correct but unwilling to listen to others. As a manager, I think it is imperative that they listen to suggestions and are willing to accept that they may not be correct all the time. If they aren’t it will lead to a very unsatisfying workplace. I really enjoyed reading your post and definitely was able to relate to it.

rmashlock

says:

I currently work at a medical office in Fairbanks, Alaska. I am highly satisfied with my job and have a good attitude about my work because I love the patients and staff who I work with as well as the hours that I work. Aside from those factors, I enjoy that our work will do things together outside of work. For instance, the office is taking a trip to Hawaii together for a training seminar and also gets together for game night every so often. As we learned in the textbook, interactions with staff outside of the workplace strongly leads to increased job satisfaction (Organizational Behavior, 76). Since I know that I am not the only person who gains a deeper satisfaction and has a better attitude from having friends as co-workers, I would try to incorporate fun activities and pieces of training so that workers can have improved workplace satisfaction.

I once worked in a facility where the staff was not supposed to talk to each other because there was so much that always needed to be done. When staff did communicate, it was just to say what tasks they were not able to complete before leaving for the day. This job left me feeling very dissatisfied because people were often yelled at by the boss so I was scared to talk to the boss. I also did not enjoy the high expectations for completion of tasks that did not come with much training. As a supervisor, I would not want workers in such an unhealthy work environment. To ensure a healthier working environment, I would want to be a supervisor that people feel they can talk to without getting yelled at as well as provide training to the staff. By doing so, I would hope that the worker’s satisfaction levels and attitudes would be increased.

mbeza

says:

Rachel-I love how both of your post touch on the very same thing, human interaction. We as human are social creatures and whether we realize it or not, we require social interactions. Many times people will stay somewhere just for the pure enjoyment of the social interaction they receive there. When you go and do thing outside of work with your coworkers it brings a sense of belonging. There is also a sense of support and the willingness to support. I have had both of your experiences in the same job. The plus side of the bad experience is that it brought my coworkers closer together, since we were all suffering from the same boss. We as humans are very interesting creatures and to be able to interact with such uniqueness in each is always interesting and many ties fun. Thank you for your post.

fagallagherroach

says:

The job I have the best overall satisfaction is the one I currently have. It is great. I meet people all day and I get to help them navigate the UAF system. It is a job that is tailored for my personality. I also have support from my colleagues. My direct supervision and is readily available and approachable. My coworkers and I have the same work ethics and desire to be of assistance to the students on Eielson and Ft Wainwright.

It never gets boring because I can work in three locations, Eielson, Wainwright, or downtown Fairbanks. Everyday is not the same. We assist with testing, advising and student services. I work with the DOD personnel and advisors form 2 other Universities and 1 college. I love diversity in with people, my duties and my surroundings. I get that here.

I have learned from those in position over me that the best way to keep a contented workforce is to keep them engaged, informed and use their talents to their fullest. The people I work with come from many disciplines and we use our knowledge and talents to organize the office and to make the students’ experience the best so they can achieve their education goals.

tcshelton

says:

Hi! 🙂 I had gone through a rough time with my co-workers and supervisors and they all turned out to be really supportive people in the end. I say this to mention, I believe that the people around you such as co-workers, managers, and leaders, the more support they are giving to you will trigger you to enjoy your jobs and what you do. Plus, it’s pretty awesome that you’re not always doing the same tasks everyday. It must keep it easy to maintain and enjoyable.

gdgrigals

says:

Hi Fagallagherroach,
I agree that it never gets boring if your job has three different locations and that whenever you’re at a different location you experience something new. It’s great to receive support from your colleges. The job that you’re doing is awesome for students and sounds interesting as well.

MartinR

says:

My satisfaction with my current job as Business Development Director for a Chamber of Commerce stems from the job conditions set by the President/CEO of the Chamber. I connect businesses to one another to facilitate growth, education, and community outreach for corporate social responsibility. I help build stronger communities by bringing business, employees, and consumers to the our town, and serve as a conduit between business, government, and the citizens. The psychological empowerment staff feels is founded on a cooperative environment that values input from four different personal and work experiences, and three different generations; last year’s staff retreat resulted in new job responsibilities for all, including the CEO, from a brainstorming session. I have independence in my approach to building membership in the Chamber with an emphasis on being out of the office, and not under supervision, unless other staff need my help with their projects. And the organization demonstrates its support for staff as people by encouraging flexibility in schedules and covering one another during illness, while discouraging answering emails at home and attending weekend work events; the CEO covers those.

Shaping job responsibilities to staff strengths is an important management technique that I plan to use when I become a supervisor again. Employees feel that they are valued when they contribute maximally to the success of the organization. Feeling undervalued or under-employed can lead to neglect or a widening schism between the passion of leadership and staff. Defining the mission and goals of the organization help staff succeed independently in executing a variety of jobs because they know the parameters of the common cause of the organization. And simple, conversational feedback from supervisors balances the professional and peer relationship that makes employees feel that they are part of something larger while continuing to improve their skills. Transparency in communication creates loyalty and a positive reputation, even when the contractual relationship is no longer the right fit for both parties.

nahong

says:

I do believe having a supervisor that encourages you take your personal time and keep it personal by not wanting you to answer emails at home it very beneficial. It allows you the time away from work so it lowers the chance of you getting “burnt out” on your job. Plus you having flexible hours and independence shows that they trust you to still work hard and get the task you need to accomplish done.

bfarnes

says:

It’s interesting to see more and more workplaces start to realize that giving project-based staff the freedom to decide when and where they want to work is fine as long as things are getting done. The ability to be out of the office working with clients rather that stuck at your desk, and having the flexibility to alter your schedule when you need to, is such a nice change from the past where so many managers felt that if they didn’t see your butt in your seat then you weren’t working.

mjteegardin

says:

My current job as an Equipment Accountant is where I have been the most satisfied and have a good attitude towards my job. I learned the reason behind it is because of my supervisor. She is always trying to make sure everyone knows how valued they are to the team and is always trying to help everyone succeed. She makes sure to let everyone know if there’s a problem she can help find a solution. Once I became a supervisor last year I used everything she taught me to be the best supervisor I can be. Two ways I try to do that is by making sure to let co-workers know when they are doing a great job and check in to see if they need help when they have a huge workload.

As well as taking good experiences I also took my bad experiences to learn what to avoid doing as a supervisor. I once had a supervisor that was always looking to blame people versus find a solution. When there was a problem they would just want to focus on who did it. I found that creates a very stressful environment and is unnecessary. When mistakes happen I found its best to use it as a learning experience. If I have a co-worker getting upset about a mistake I tell them about a mistake of mine I made and how I learned from it. I found it helps to know anyone can make mistakes.

MartinR

says:

Molly – I agree that consistent positive feedback from a supervisor is helpful, especially when it’s genuine. Good employees will set their own expectations and as supervisors, we sometimes forget to recognize excellence. That neglect of an employee can lead to them feeling underappreciated or taken for granted. The next level of recognition is bringing that technique or process to the whole staff as a suggestion, without pressure.

I definitely change my opinion often on supervisors offering to help: sometimes, I want my boss to be so busy we have to help him/her. Other times, it’s helpful to admit that I need help without judgement.

Sharing mistakes, especially with new employees to an organization, is an important way to present the office culture and expectations, and potentially decrease employee turnover. A boss who dwells on mistakes will create a stressful environment and it becomes more important for staff to lead the effort to create the environment in which they want to work with constructive dissatisfaction and positive modeling. Good point!

Thomas

says:

Good afternoon Molly,
I would like to agree with you on letting every worker know that they are valued in the workplace and to let them know that they are doing great at their job. Even though they are doing a great job it is good to check up on them from time to time when they would like to get some help if they need it. I also agree with having bad experience would help more than the good experience. Good experience let you know that it was the right choice and we should keep using that when the same situation comes up again. However bad experiences would help more than the good because if you made a mistake, then you would learn from that and not make that same mistake again.
It is also great that you would use some of your bad experience and mistake on the job to try and help one of the workers know that everyone is not perfect at the job. The job is to learn more about the position and what is the best way to take on the position and learn from the mistakes we make from working in that job position as well.

Shayne Jones

says:

Molly, Your approach to a satisfying job is excellent and very similar to working in the Non-profit world. I especially like your approach to mistakes. Many mistakes are made every day. When people own the error, it makes it easier to deal with and correct. I feel like it helps to grow in an environment such as that.

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rsrudoy

says:

Hi Molly, great post!
I find it fantastic that your supervisor made sure to make all the employees feel like they are valued. So many companies/managers forget that you a person with feelings. It’s refreshing to hear someone in charge, takes out the time to create a positive working environment.

A negative working environment definitely consists of the “blame game”. Instead of trying to fix the issue at hand, the supervisor wants to search for someone to blame. I had a job like that and I felt like I had to watch my back every second of the day.

Thank you for being a positive supervisor!

nahong

says:

Before moving to Fairbanks, I worked as a vet tech at a veterinary clinic in Missouri. I worked there for 12 years, I loved my job and everything that had to do with it. I felt that I was helping not only the patient but the owners of the patients, doing what I could to comfort them when they needed it and providing information when asked. I started in the kennel area just walking the dogs, but my supervisor saw a lot of potential in me, so he decided to train me to do everything from drawing blood, taking x-rays, working in the rooms, and helping in surgery. I believe I was able to learn so fast and retain the knowledge because he was patient and was willing to walk me through step by step until I comprehended exactly how to do the task at hand.
Once I understood how to do the majority of the procedures and what needed to be accomplished every day, he began to give me more responsibilities. By him giving me more responsibilities, this made me feel like he trusted me with things that were important for the business to run. I felt like when I talked, my opinion was valued, I was never shut down or brushed under the rug. With the supervisor and the rest of the employees, we all worked very well together; tasks were distributed evenly, a schedule was put out a month in advance that each employee agreed with, files were updated as needed, and we made sure our clients were very pleased and happy when they left the office.
At this job, there were only 8 of us working there and we were treated very fair, we felt more like a family verse just co-workers. With me being in the military lifestyle, if my husband deploys, my supervisor gives me my previous job back if I go back to Missouri to be with family. If I were a supervisor I would make sure to listen and acknowledge when employees have concerns or questions, it is very important that they feel valued at their jobs. I would also make sure to use patients in the training part of a job because that is already a stressful situation, and there is no reason to make it worse.

mjteegardin

says:

At my job we feel more like family too and I believe it makes all the difference when people are willing to work together and be there for one another. Some of the main reasons I love this company is because they value your opinions and always help you advance with new responsibilities too. With the new responsibilities we are able to be backup for each other more and I found its great to know if you have a huge workload someone is willing to jump in to help.

dcheek3

says:

Knowing that your opinion is taken seriously can mean everything in a job. There are too many people in management positions that do not listen to their subordinates. The company you described sounds like they had great management. I also work for a company that we feel that we are family. There are hundreds that work for us but we all know if you need something to just bring it up. The people would give their shirt off their backs here. The management sees potential in the hard workers and gives them more responsibility.

jbjohnkins

says:

My satisfied job was a Job that I had right after my junior year in Highschool ended. So I was super excited for the summer, I was like I’m gonna party, I get to sleep and have fun. But my father had different plans for me. He was taking that summer that was supposed to be fun in the sun, turned into work and learning how to survive after High School. So I didn’t have the best attitude at the beginning. And to top it off, the job was at the fair. So I got to watch others have fun. And eat amazing food. The job title was called a Carnival Crew Member. Which the duties vary. So for me I had to lay sawdust around the ground. Cater to the mechanics who help make sure the rides work. Cater to the people with the food stands. Now that one wasn’t so bad, because they gave me free food.

But on top of all that I had to work the rides and orchestrate the games.. Now this sounds like a dissatisfying Job. But everything changed after the first couple days. It started to get easier and I actually started to have fun. I got to watch kids go on scary rides, and all I did was press a button. I got to give kids gift when they won. And even got in shape from all the labor. My attitude has definitely changed. But a big part of it was the supervisor. When we first started their was the supervisor who was rude and really bossy. Which nobody liked. But then that supervisor left. And we got a new one, she was nice and supporting. I liked her work strategy, she let us work and if we were doing something wrong or goofing off, then she would come intervene. She was laid back but at the same time assertive with her actions.
What made the job happy and satisfying was the environment. I was surrounded by happy people and not a lot of stress. Which made the job easier and less stressful. It made me happy to get up and go to work. I would use my Supervisors mindset and a little of what I saw during that Job. Let people figure out how things work, and when they need an explanation be their. And have a positive mindset and attitude. She also was very nice and calm, So I would like to be like that as a supervisor. Because your attitude can either make the job easier or harder.

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Sarah Griffen-Lotz

says:

Having a good supervisor makes all the difference. They set the tone for any workplace, and lead by example. Sounds like she enabled her employees to do the best work possible by running things smoothly. Having a good attitude individually helps too. Even in a difficult workplace you can at least make customers happy, which is the entire point of good customer service.

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Jennifer Griffen

says:

I can relate to your experience in your first job. I’ve talked to a lot of people over the years and many have said that their first job was the most fun. I had a summer job at a doughnut shop right after my junior year. I had a blast and it was probably my favorite job because everything was new and fresh. I’ll never forget that first paycheck, you would have thought that I won the lottery with my reaction to my $1.95 an hour + 40 hours! Having a decent supervisor can make it or break it in my opinion. When negativity hits a working team in any business, especially from a supervisor, it can bring down productivity.

mawetherington

says:

I completely agree! The supervisor can set the tone and change the work culture/atmosphere, which can be a good thing if they know what they are doing! I liked your post though because you started at a job that you truly thought wasn’t going to be fulfilling, but it turned out to be something that you enjoyed and you learned to have fun. I had a similar situation when I worked at a bank. The supervisor was super critical and didn’t feel like training was necessary. We could never keep new staff and people were always leaving. However, when I was moved to a different branch things were done differently and our supervisor was genuinely interested to hear and address concerns if we had them or discuss training options.

Great post! Hope your semester is going well!
–Mallory

rjones119

says:

I graduated from High School in 1988. Ronald Reagan was President, and the Soviet Union was falling.  Many in this class will not understand these times. Some will! My first job was in the U.S. Army in Berlin Germany.  At the time, Berlin was a divided city and separated by ideology and mistrust.  But the job I had was to ensure that those on the other side of the wall did not cross the border undetected.  It may sound like a great job, but it was so dull!  I was satisfied because there was a reason for doing the job.  Guard duty was a job with a clearly defined set of principles and instructions with the potential to impact the lives of thousands of people on both sides of Berlin. The importance of the job was high in the minds of everyone involved.  The leaders trusted the soldiers and diversity in the unit was at a very high level.  Many soldiers came from different part of the United States and held beliefs that differed from other members and it allowed for the open and honest communication of ideas. From the job, I was able to understand that diversity from a leader establishes success and a feeling of usefulness that allows people to want to be there and perform a job that may be dull but is essential. I have used it in many positions over the last 30 years, and It has proven to work.

My dissatisfied job was a job I held briefly after retiring from the Army.  The idea was to provide a service to clients who needed assistance from government programs and allow them to prosper on their own.  It did not work out that way! The bureaucratic methods in place did not allow for diversity, ingenuity, or even a desire to help. Instead, the job relied on the throughput of cases.  Cases closed either satisfactorily or just closed.  It did not matter. The boss was in business to protect their position and no one else.  Many merited cases should have been handled quickly and efficiently were closed.  As long as the public relations people were on the job it did not matter if laws were ignored or bent. Only those people with a desire for a paycheck and no other prospects for employment remain.  Having a purpose for the job I am doing is important to me. Knowing that a difference is essential and knowing that the people who are leading me trust that I will do my best is the reason for remaining and working hard on whatever project I assigned.

bkanuk

says:

In my opinion, according to Robbins, organizations attitudes are important, because they affect job behavior. In your essay, you stated that you were satisfied in your job, according to Festinger, people seek consistency among their attitudes and cognitive dissonance explains the linkage between attitudes and behavior.

Shayne Jones

says:

Very well said, and thank you for the input. However, I am still a proponent of job satisfaction coming from a place in the individual’s personality and not necessarily from their experiences. In Appalachia, where I was raised, there is a saying that says, “I would rather shovel STUFF with a spoon than do a job I do not believe in.” I, of course, changed a few items in that statement, but it goes to the heart of being satisfied as a person. And to be a satisfied employee, one must be a contented person.

fagallagherroach

says:

I like your attitude. I do believe that even the worse situation can be made better by one’s approach to life. If a person is positive, they can change the atmosphere of the workplace and make it better for all around. With that being said, if management is not willing to change it is a hard road to travel. People seem to forget that a in service-oriented company, the opportune word is Service.

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tpstickel

says:

First, thank you for your service. Yes, I am old enough to know remember the days. They were very interesting times and I know you were able to experience it first hand. Open and honest communication is a key component to employee satisfaction.

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Sarah Griffen-Lotz

says:

When I graduated from high school, I got a job working at a grocery store in the deli department. It was my first job, and after months of interviews at different stores in town, I was excited to finally be there. On my first day, I walked in, put my purse in the back room with everyone else’s, put on my apron, and walked out to the front. My main manager pointed to several boxes of gloves and said “make sandwiches”. No job training, no nothing. I had no idea where anything was stored, what the recipes for menu items were, what my job duties were, anything. I understand it’s a simple job, however they really threw new people to the wolves.

Over time, I learned the ropes. My managers neglected to do basic things, like print extra order sheets, when ordering new supplies. As a consequence, we ran out of supplies like hot food bags and popular food products every week. The employees suffered, the lack of basic supplies made our jobs more difficult. Customers were unhappy, and I dealt with their complaints the best I could. The managers would usually hide in the back room gossiping about co-workers and workplace dramas, romances, and other things unrelated to the job. They each had many years of seniority within the company. The union protected them against any possible complaints, so nobody tried.

In terms of how this affected everyone’s attitude, we had a whiteboard in the back room with the words “We don’t get paid enough to care” on it. My assistant manager wrote the message. This culture of negativity made going to work a chore. It definitely affected employees and the way they treated each other. Perhaps if the managers had ordered enough supplies and food, and worked harder on the job alongside us all instead of wasting time in the back room, the general attitude may have improved. I wouldn’t know, because after 8 long months there, I was able to quit and return to school full time.

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Jennifer Griffen

says:

HI Sarah, What a painful 8 months that was! It was a reminder to me about my many years spent working at a retail meat department. Your experiences there were very similar to mine. Passing the buck to lower seniority employees and doing as little work as possible was commonplace. How stressful for the new hires and I am thrilled that you are out of that industry! On to something that better utilizes your talent!

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Jennifer Griffen

says:

1. Describe a job you have held in which you were very satisfied and had a good attitude about your work. What factors caused you to be so satisfied and happy? How will you use (or how have you used) this experience as a supervisor?

I worked at KB Toys as a retail night shift cashier when my daughter was a baby. There were a few mature employees, but it was mostly high school and college students that worked there. The job was not difficult at all. Our main function was to stock the shelves and to sell toys. Another function of ours according to corporate, was get that kids last dollar at the candy counter. To sell toys, KB knew that once the toy was in a kid’s hand, it was as good as sold. Children put an enormous amount of pressure on parents when they want something. The main culture of each store was fun. Before the store was opened, we got the demos going. Whatever was the electronic toy of the hour, we had several going at once. When Furby’s were popular, I’d set them around the front of the store and get them talking. Kids enjoyed coming in to the store, it was rare to see even a toddler meltdown. KB created a magical atmosphere and the store vibe was all about fun.

Most of the managers I worked with were experienced as store managers who were very good about communicating daily directions from the corporate office. Emails would be printed out, put in a binder where each employee had to read and sign them daily. If a toy got recalled, we knew about it and were able to address parental concerns. We were given store quotas to meet on products. Our schedules were posted two weeks in advance. Product knowledge was very important to the success of our store. We were tasked to understand how the toys worked and could troubleshoot problems from any product that we sold. We were told to greet everyone that came in the front door and offer great customer service in a friendly tone. Because we were in a strip mall, we had regular checks from security to deter potential shoplifters; we felt safe.

It was a good company to work for because it was organized, and everyone was clear as to what the company and the store manager expected of us. I liked the fact that when I clocked in, I had an immediate game plan for that shift. I did not have to play guessing games as to what the manager wanted for the day, which I appreciated. Even though our actions were closely regulated, there was a lot of room for creativity. Most of the people working there were creatives and it was fun to arrange toy displays in new ways to keep it fresh. I used to have unofficial competitions on things like battery sales. There was never a prize, just something fun to do to challenge each other to make our quotas. When they asked me to be a manager I gladly accepted. There was a lot of pressure on the managers, however I’m a hard worker and I liked my position plus the big raise that came with it, so it was not a problem for me. Overall, the most important thing for me was having crystal clear expectations and the ability to incorporate my own personality into my work to keep the fun going.

Shayne Jones

says:

Jennifer, I appreciate your post when you talk about safety! Many managers do not realize the importance of feeling safe in your work environment – not only physical security but safety to err on occasion. Everyone who feels safe takes the job they are given more seriously.

atfinnigan

says:

Jennifer- I enjoyed the read. I knew the stores were trying to sell my kids candy on the way out the door! I wish that more retail companies still operated like KB Toys, were the staff was knowledgeable about products and enjoyed helping customers. I feel like this kind of product knowledge and and courteous customer service may be on its way out the door with Amazon taking over, I never seem to get this same experience I remember unless its the holidays. Also it seems like management, yourself included, worked hard and treated their employees very well. This kind of thing is a great way of inspiring hard work retaining your personnel and customers.

Cheers,
Finn

bkanuk

says:

In my opinion, it seems to be imperative to have a career and to be satisfied in a job. Also, job satisfaction can lead to a more productive work environment. Moreover, management must also determine the physical abilities needed for a job in order to have a high employee performance. Moreover, job satisfaction also requires general mental ability. Further, job satisfaction seems to relate to professional workers.
In my opinion, it seems to be important to be satisfied in a job, because it can lead to a better work performance. The more the individual is satisfied in a job, it could lead to less employee layoff or less turnovers. The more the individual is satisfied in a job can also lead to better management. The person can also be promoted if they have better work performance.

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