When was the last time you were genuinely joyful at work?

I'm not talking about simply being content, happy, or even satisfied with your job – but truly joyful at work.

It seems from many coaching conversations lately that joy is much needed in today's workspaces.

The lack of joy is everywhere.

I don't need to explain to you what joylessness turns into. I'm sure you understand (and may have even experienced) the effects of joylessness at one point or another.

But let's focus on joy today and how to develop it at work.

I love this quote from Pearl Buck: "The secret of joy in work is contained in one word -- excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it."

There are things you excel at – things you have been gifted to do better than most. This is part of how God wired and designed you to function. You have specific, definable, natural strengths.

Have you stopped to consider what they are? What are your unique strengths?

This set of questions can help point you in the right direction:

What are you naturally good at?
What gives you energy when you do it?
What activity makes time fly by when you're doing it?
What do other people say you're good at?
When was a time, now or in the past, that you felt like you were making a difference? How did you make this happen?
Describe a time when you responded to a challenge in a way that made you feel really on top of things.

Think about your answers to these questions. They can point you to your strengths. Then, try to pick out at least one strength from these answers.

And once you've defined a strength of yours, lean into it. As you do, you'll discover a shift in the tectonic plates in your life. The latest research performed by the Gallup Institute confirms this.

Tom Rath (from Gallup and author of StrengthsFinders 2.0) says, "Our studies indicate that people who do have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general."

Those are powerful words.

All of life improves as you develop and leverage your strengths.

You're more engaged at work, home life improves, and ultimately it's easier to find joy in what you do – because you're living in harmony with how you were created.

So what can you do to develop and leverage your strengths?

Here are three suggestions that may help (and a bonus):

Define your strengths. Write them out. Consider how you've used them in the past and potential ways to use them now and in the future. Lean into them as often as possible. Being consciously aware of your strengths will lead to natural opportunities for you to leverage them.
Talk to your leader or supervisor about your strengths. Together, work to develop a plan to structure your responsibilities around your strengths.
Join a group/team that will allow you to leverage your strengths. Is there a group or team that needs your unique skill set? Is there an opportunity inside or outside your organization to leverage your strengths? Look for opportunities or positions that can allow you to leverage your strengths consistently.

BONUS: If you're a leader in your organization, consider how you can structure the responsibilities of your team around their strengths. Your team will thank you by becoming more joyful, engaged, and productive.

So, are you looking to find more joy in your work? If so, the good news is that joy may be closer than you think – and you're already pretty good at what can bring you joy.

Find joy by developing and leveraging your strengths every day.

What strength of yours will you focus on today?

For your growth,

Bill Cox Coaching Team