Jan
21
What Drives Us to Succeed at Work? - The Three M’s
It’s important to understand what motivates us as individuals. To be successful, we need work that satisfies and fulfills us on some level. If we feel that our job is meaningful, and contributes to our personal development, we will be happier, and it will be easier to reach our professional goals.
I am very fortunate to have a job I enjoy, with colleagues I look forward to seeing every day. My career is challenging, interesting, engaging – and I make enough money to live comfortably. I feel settled and satisfied with my work life. But it wasn’t always like this. It took me awhile to get here.
The Three M’s
I recently came across an article on LinkedIn by Haresh Amre, a Lean/Agile specialist in India. He identifies three important elements that play a big part in determining our success and happiness at work: the three M’s.
The three M’s are Money, Mastery, and Meaning. Haresh explains that money is important - of course, it enables us to pay for food and shelter - but notes that “people who see the work as an avenue to practice their skills and develop a mastery are far more engaged compared to the one who sees merely a job.”
The three-M concept got me thinking: it’s very relevant to recruitment in general, and my own career path in particular.
Job Satisfaction
As a recruiter, I think we need to have at least two of these three M’s, in order to continue showing up at work with a smile on our face and trying our best day-by-day.
If your current position challenges and engages you, if you are learning on-the-job and mastering a trade, it can still be a good fit, even if the salary isn’t as much as you’d like.
If your job pays well, but you don’t feel your skills are improving, or a sense of purpose at work, you should consider making a career move – if you can afford it.
If your job doesn’t tick any of the three M boxes, then I hope you are already looking for a new role that will be more interesting, satisfying, and/or more lucrative.
Recruitment and the Three M’s
I have finally reached a comfortable place in my career; I found a job where I have all three M’s. I am lucky to have achieved this at a relatively young age.
For many of us, finding a job we are happy to settle down with is a much longer journey. Working with an experienced, capable recruiter can help you get there faster. It occurred to me as I was reading about the three M’s, that this is my goal as a recruiter: to help candidates find jobs that provide sustenance and meaning to their lives.
My Career Journey
At Thammasat University, I studied a very broad liberal arts curriculum. When I graduated, I was eager to find my place in the world. I wanted to find out what I am good at. I wanted to become financially independent. I wanted to master a trade or skill that I could be passionate about: it could be marketing, fashion design, anything.
It was mainly a process of trial and error. I had so much energy, so much vitality, and I was looking for a career to harness it.
My first job after university was at a book shop. My academic focus was on history and social science, so I thought I should do something related to my educational interests. But I was only focused on one M: Meaning.
I didn’t get paid enough at the bookshop, and I was not adding much to my knowledge of history – just being around history books was not really contributing to my chosen academic field. It was a decent job, but I had to move on: we all have bills to pay at the end of the month.
My second job was working as an investment consultant. The money was good, and in the beginning I was learning new things; I was engaged and interested at first. But really it was all about the money. I didn’t feel I was becoming a better person, or providing a valuable service to others.
It was useful experience because I had to become good at sales. But once I attained a level of proficiency, I realised I just didn’t enjoy it enough to continue putting in the effort and time it would take to reach a level of Mastery (the second M). Ultimately, I decided investment consulting was not a good fit for my character and core values.
The Holy Grail: Finding All Three M’s at JacksonGrant
One of my closest friends was working as a headhunter; she was doing very well. She said I should try recruitment: it requires sales skills that I’d developed as an investment consultant, but with more of a human element. I was skeptical; it sounded like a bit of a stretch. But she is a trusted friend who knows me intimately, so I took her advice. I’m so glad that I listened!
I started out working on talent solutions projects. It was a gentle introduction to recruitment; it wasn’t too competitive. The work was more collaborative. It involves research, consulting with clients, helping them to identify and attract the best candidates. I enjoyed helping clients build their organisations, while fostering a healthy office and work culture. The best part was helping people find jobs that change their lives for the better.
I was fully engaged with learning this new trade, and I was making a good salary. Finally, all three M’s at one job! It changed the way I feel about the recruitment industry: yes, recruiting can be a cutthroat business, but my job was not at all what I expected.
Career Fulfillment
The initial project work I did at the beginning of my recruitment career at JacksonGrant allowed me to focus on mastering new skills and finding meaning in my job. I was making good money, so I didn’t worry about finances. Now I could fully immerse myself in professional development, and become a great recruiter.
Nowadays, what keeps me engaged is not the financial reward for my work: I am fully committed to the process of helping clients and talent find one another, so that both can thrive. By being fully engaged in that process, I also benefit and thrive.
I want to encourage everyone who’s reading this to examine the work they do in terms of the three M’s. Does your job provide enough money, opportunities for mastery, and meaning? Are you fulfilled?
Please think about these core values. If you need to make some changes to steer your career in a better direction, I am here to help.
Please reach out to me on LinkedIn or Email to discuss how to find a job that fully engages your potential and leads to personal and financial fulfillment.
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