Thriving in Your Environment

What kind of environment do you thrive in? I think most of the time when individuals are looking for a job they are looking primarily at the role they will play, the responsibilities they will carry and the compensation package that comes with it.

In my previous posts I have written regularly about the importance of identifying, building and then leveraging your personal talents and strenghts for maximun success. Today, I would like to challenge you to consider, in addition to all of this, the environment in which you work.

In most cases the environment in which you work will have as much impact on your level of satisfaction as the duties and responsibilities. Certainly the people you work with and especially the person you directly report to are important. But, it goes beyond that.

Let me give you an example. In Gallup's StrengthsFinder language one of my talent themes is Learner. In very simplified terms this means that I absolutely love to learn. One clear ramification for me is I thrive in dynamic work environments because I am constantly being challenged to learn new things quickly. A stagnant or slow moving environment, or one in which I am doing the same thing day in and day out, would become stifling and boring for me.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to assess your current or future environment and its fit for you:

• Do I like the people I work with?
• Do I like my supervisor?
• Do my personal core values align with the values of the organization?
• What is the pace of work?
• Are the policies & rules rigid or pretty flexible?

Have a great weekend.

Seize the day!

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