A Valentine’s Day Wish: Building Qualities So Workers Love Their Job

Valentine’s Day most symbolizes, among many sentiments, love.

We express our love to those we appreciate throughout the year. Someone we can’t wait to get home to every evening, or excited to gush over when asked.

In many ways, it’s an ideal match.

Qualities that make people love their work

For employees or even job seekers, those same feelings we want in a love connection can also relate to the right job. They love to talk about work to anyone who will listen; they leave the office on Friday after a productive week, and arrive invigorated and ready to go Monday morning.

The Sunday Night Blues? Not a chance. Those last precious weekend hours are spent enjoying family and friends, rather than in anxiety and dread.

Just as we look for certain qualities in our most suitable companion, here is some of what we should look for to fall in love with work:

Support – Like at home, we could all use a trustworthy support system. At work, that begins with a supportive leader who is in tune with employees’ personalities, strengths and career goals. Employees in love with their jobs will likely have a manager who shows them respect, appreciation and a bright outlook for the future.
Being yourself – A loving partner accepts us for who we are. At work, the freedom to be ourselves comes with the autonomy to complete tasks or projects that best fit our working style. Autonomy allows employees to solve problems creatively, giving them more ownership and greater fulfillment of their work. Employees appreciate a manager who has confidence in their ability, as opposed to a micromanager.
Being appreciated – When “honey-do” lists or errands get completed, a genuine “Thank you” can make us feel especially appreciated. When employees have an identical sense of purpose and realize their contributions are important to achieving company goals, their motivation to succeed increases.

It isn’t easy, but it is simple: once we know what to look for, finding the ideal job isn’t much different from finding someone special with whom to share that happiness.

Hopefully, you and your employees have reason to celebrate your job this Valentine’s Day.

This was originally published on the Michael C. Fina blog.