Having Fun at Work

Small fountains of Joy! 

Today a youngster, who was working with me nearly a decade ago, called me. "I am still not finding Joy in my work", he said.

He was a trainee  in 2010, from Pune Engineering College. Joined L&T through the Campus.

He is from Sangli, a dreamy small town boy. Had funny expectations about Mumbai, about the Job and everything in life. Being a little eccentric, he was not able to gel with any department.

"I am not enjoying my work”, “It’s not FEELING right”. He used to say even then.

I tried counselling him. No effect. He suddenly stopped coming to office and I got a phone call from his mother in couple of days. Both his parents are doctors. She told me that he came back home. Says "Maaja nahi yet aahe (Not enjoying what I do)”. “I want to do something different”.

They were not able to persuade him to resume his job. She told me that I should talk to him. Maybe he will listen. I managed to talk him into joining back. Monitored his work closely. He stabilized.

Then he got married. He also got a job in some small scale industry in Sangli, maybe thanks to L&T's name or his father-in-law’s influence. He shifted back to Sangli. I also moved to different assignments.

Today. Out of the blue. I got a call from him. Here in Oman.

Says "Maaja nahi yet aahe (Not enjoying what I do)”. Wants to know whether there is Job Opportunity here.

I asked, "What have you been doing for last couple of years?"

He worked in a small scale fabrication industry in Sangli. Then took up teaching "Strength of Materials" or some such in a Private Engineering College for 2 years. Then did a software course in SAP ERP. Now he is in Mumbai with a SAP implementation IT Company.

But ... "Maaja nahi (No Fun). I want to come back to Mechanical Engineering”.

I asked how much did he spend on the SAP course? Rs. 4 Lakhs Only. How long has he been working in this field? Almost a year.

“So you have not recovered that 4 Lakhs and you want to go back to Mechanical Engineering?” I asked.  “Are they treating you badly? Is your job temporary? Are they down-sizing?”

Answer to all that is, “NO. But the ‘FEEL’ is not right”.

This behavior is typical of today's young working class. You are constantly shown achievements of peers, acquaintances and friends of friends. What you do never feels satisfactory. Everyone else seem to be doing COOL things. You are bombarded via Social media with “Happening” events in other people’s lives. While there seem to be unlimited options, you feel forced to stick to own routine. It’s plain boring!

Bottom line is... One must find ways to enjoy everyday moments. Small fountains of Joy. Live in the moment. Relish. Enjoy. Chat with a friend at the coffee vending machine. Read fiction, every day. Go for a movie… the ultimate urban picnic. Write a blog. Follow a hobby. Join a dance, music or arts class. Teach on week-ends.

Relax, Unwind. Start afresh. Planning small things, Dream Big. Take setbacks in your stride. Moving ahead slowly, but surely.

Freedom of thought is underrated and conformance to routine is overrated. Implementing small but different ideas is the way ahead. A work-life balance.

I told him, “The Job Market is very bad. You are lucky to have a stable job. You are married. You are 30 plus now, not a kid anymore. Your parents cannot keep supporting your whims. Better stick here for at least 2 more years.”

“Try to find ways to enjoy your work, have a work-life balance. In parallel you can always look out for better opportunities that leverage your experience”.

He said, “Now I realize. This was a bad idea”.

I am not sure whether he meant "Not FEELING right" was a bad idea OR talking to me was. I hope it’s the former.

I wish he gets it right this time and has a good life!