What is your favorite breakfast food?
Mine is pancakes.

The reason is there’s really no right or wrong way to eat a pancake.
There is not one side that tastes better.

Neither side of a pancake is more important.
Both sides matter.

Likewise, if one side gets burned it effects the taste of the other side.
Again, both sides matter.

It’s the same way when it comes to our work.

To experience joy at work there are two equally important sides.

1. You should make your work a better place.
2. The work place should make you a better person.

You should add value to the business, non-profit endeavor or church.
And the business, non-profit endeavor or church should add value to you.

Often, we think about a single side of workjoy.

How does the employee add value to the organization?

This is obviously a critical component to staying employed and finding joy at work.

You have to work at work for things to work!

I work for a staffing firm called Slingshot Group. We help people build remarkable teams and here is a behind the scenes look at some of the criteria we use as we evaluate the value a person is adding to their organization.

• Immediate chemistry

Would you rehire the same person today?

• Team health

Does the candidate improve team dynamics?

Has the entire staff been positively affected by the candidate?

• Individual contribution

Has the team member brought visible value beyond their role requirements?

• Ministry momentum

Are there improved ministry area results under the candidates leadership?

Are new leaders being added to the candidates ministry area?

• Organizational capacity

Does the candidate increase the energy level of the leadership team?

Does the candidate increase the influence of your church in general?

Has the candidate helped you gain new ground as an organization?

These are great questions you can ask when it comes to discerning value from the employer side of the relationship. However, the side of workjoy that often gets undervalued or burned. Is the personal, me side. In order to truly experience workjoy, it must be two sided.

You should make your work a better place
and your work place should make you a better person.

Here are several ways you can find value from an employee side of the relationship and experience and become a better person as you also create a better place.

• Work in teams. This will make your product better. It doesn’t matter what you are creating a team will enable you and other to accomplish more, with less stress (eventually) and in less time.
• Work in strengths. This will make your potential better. It doesn’t matter what your creating or leading if you create and lead from your strengths (delegating your weaknesses) you will produce better things, in less time and with less stress.
• Work ahead. This will make your process better. Good things happen in the margin. When we “work ahead” we make our careers, calling, family, friendships and personal life taste better.

Workjoy occurs when we add value to a place and that place adds value to you as a person.

Who you become is more important than what you do.

Decide today to strive for double-sided workjoy!