Do What You Love. Love What You Do.

In the process of preparing for the second installment in the MSCI four-part Talent Development Webinar Series, titled “Cultivating Talent through Career Development” (registration here!), I was reminded of some popular career advice: Do what you love and love what you do. In an ideal world, we all want to do what we love and love what we do; however, in reality, most people do not get to do what they love, or do not always love what they do.

The truth is: it is easier said than done and it takes more than just luck to achieve both goals.

Do what you love.

Let’s first deconstruct what it means to be “doing what you love.”

In the organizational context, it means that employees are assigned to their dream jobs and placed in their desired positions, their skills are well matched with the job requirements, their strengths are maximized, and their personal interests are met. To be able to do what you love requires that you have the right competencies for the right job at the right time in the right company. It represents a “fit” — between what an employee can offer and what the job demands; it is where personal passion gets fulfilled in the world of professional practice, and personal wants are aligned with the organizational needs.

When you can do what you love, you are likely to be fully committed, actively engaged, and “go above and beyond” to produce optimal organizational results. At the same time, you are likely to be a happy and satisfied employee. It’s a win-win for both the employee and the employer.

Love what you do.

Now, let’s look at what it means by “love what you do.”

In the workplace, it means showing passion and devotion to your work. The truth is: what you do may not turn out to be what you love. For example, picture yourself in a same job for years and nothing is new or exciting anymore; as a result, you are simply going through the same motions at work every day. Or, imagine you have been assigned to different tasks as part of your company’s rotation program, and some of the responsibilities you must assume are just not within your interest areas. In consequence, you become resentful of what you do. In these scenarios, to love what you do requires a strong work ethic or high-level professionalism. It requires you to learn to appreciate your job and its potential contribution to a larger mission beyond your own.

With this level of understanding of your job, you will, hopefully, be able to do your best for the benefit of your company.

What can be done?

In either situation, both the employer and the employee must make some conscious efforts. For employers, especially those with limited capacity to meet employees’ wants, it is essential to be creative in finding ways to engage employees and cultivate their love for their jobs.

Here are a few action steps employers can take:

• Individualize career plans. Show your employees a career path for tomorrow, not just a job for today. When employees see a clear and bright future with your company, they are likely to be more committed to work.
• Design strength-based assignments. Take time to understand what each employee is good or best at. When their individual strengths are recognized, the employees will become more motivated and engaged to work harder and perform better.
• Create job-rotation opportunities. In this way, employees will have exposure to different business functions and gain practical experience in each area. This process will help them determine the best job fit for their interests and strengths. A side benefit for the employer: you will get to test the employee’s ability in various contexts.

For the employees, consider the following:

• Set realistic expectations. This is your first step. Be realistic about what you expect from your employer in relation to what you can offer in return. Remember: your employer is not obligated to meet both your needs and wants. In fact, when your personal preferences conflict with the organizational needs, the latter usually comes first.
• Craft existing jobs. As a job holder, you are fully in charge of your work activities. If your current job is not interesting or meaningful to you, take a proactive approach to craft it to your liking. Organizations value employees who take initiatives; and this personal attribute is appreciated more than ever by employers who increasingly rely on their employees to drive change, innovation, and growth.
• Give before taking. Embrace the right work attitude and nurture a positive employment relationship. Remember: businesses exist for a purpose, and, as an employee, you are expected to contribute toward fulfilling that purpose. So give your best to your company, and you will likely take away meaningful rewards in return.

As leaders and people managers of your organization, if you can create a culture and structure that will enable your employees to do what they love and/or love what they do, then you are on your way to building the most competitive advantage.

To learn more about how to cultivate talents within your company using different career strategies, please join me on July 24, 2024 at 11 a.m. CT for MSCI’s free webinar. Here is the link to register.

Jia Wang is a professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on international and national human resource development, organization crisis management, and learning within organizations.