How to start your job crafting journey
DEVELOPMENT
Job crafting is all about doing more of the tasks that give you energy and joy . Here , managers enable employees to customise their roles , giving them the opportunity to align tasks , relationships and cognitive aspects with their strengths and motivations .
Unsurprisingly , job crafting has been linked to better performance and intrinsic motivation . And as a result , more and more companies are crafting roles to fit the people , rather than searching for people to fit the roles .
When employees have the autonomy to design their own jobs , they take greater ownership and responsibility . Amy Wrzesniewski , an awardwinning professor at Yale School of Management , and has spent 20 years researching how people make meaning of their work . She suggests we think of the crafting in three buckets :
w T ask – What , when and how . w Relational – Who you work with . w Cognitive – Altering how you think about the tasks .
Play to your strengths Research by Gallup finds that when people have the chance to do what they do best every day and play to their strengths , they are over six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs . And they are more than three times as likely to report leading happier lives !
The challenge is that not everybody knows what their strengths are . This is where assessments like CliftonStrengths can help individuals discover their unique fortes .
Trash and treasure In a team meeting several years ago as a newcomer in a consulting firm , I was assigned to peer review some materials . This triggered panic and dread due to my dyslexia . Although I was new , I suggested I might not be the best person for the job and asked if someone wanted to swap .
Sam eagerly volunteered , expressing her love for peer review work . This baffled me – a task that drained me gave her joy ! “ Well , would anybody want to pick up my inductions ?” asked Joe , half joking and half serious . “ I ’ ll do them ; I love inductions ,” I piped up .
I am energised by meeting new people and believe strangers are friends I haven ’ t met yet . One of my CliftonStrengths is WOO , which stands for Winning Others Over . In essence , I am socially courageous and networking comes naturally to me . I easily break the ice and make connections .
My friend Lisa calls this ‘ trash and treasure ’. One person ’ s trash ( tasks that drain them ) is another ’ s treasure – a task that energises .
Our team then started ‘ job crafting ’; working out the things we loved that played to our strengths and exploring the things that drained us . It helped that we all knew our own CliftonStrengths and those of our fellow team members . As tasks and projects came up , we were able to think about who would be best suited , and who would be energised and motivated by each one .
So , next time you think of quitting a job that drains you and offers little joy , consider instead how you could redesign the role to suit you … S thestrengthspartners . com
How to start your job crafting journey
Here , Charlotte talks EAs through the steps towards designing a workday full of what you love .
Conduct an audit Let ’ s rewind to Amy Wrzesniewski ’ s task bucket . Grab a pen and paper and write two lists – one with all the tasks from your job ( your job description might help you here ) that you enjoy doing ; those that give you energy when you think to yourself ‘ When can I do that again ?’
On the other , all the things that drain you . Things that you procrastinate over . Things that you dread . ( If you know your CliftonStrengths , draw lines between your strengths and what you bring and need in the role ).
Make the ask Armed with the list , be prepared to have a conversation with your manager about how you can do more of what you love and less of what drains you . Be clear on the value job crafting would bring to the organisation .
Think of the objections they might have and be open to discussing them . Could you suggest conducting a trash and treasure audit in your team ? Task swapping is easier than justification for not doing a task you don ’ t like . And if you are a manager , consider proactively conducting this with your team .
Check-In Job crafting is not a one-time endeavour . It ’ s an ongoing process of experimentation and refinement . As individuals grow and evolve , so too should their approach to job crafting . Ensure you have regular conversations about how the new arrangement is going for you , the manager and the team .
Remember that job crafting reflects individual values , motivations , and strengths , which will differ across the team . And ultimately , you need to ensure the business ’ s goals and expectations are met .
THE EXPERT
Charlotte , one of Australia ’ s longestestablished and most experienced Gallupaccredited strengths coaches , works with individuals , managers and teams across the world to help them discover and use their strengths to meet their business and personal goals .
Summer Issue 2025 | Executive PA 45