Feeling Fulfilled at Work

Research has shown that we have three psychological needs that are important to help us grow, maintain integrity, be self-motivated, and be healthy. These needs are:

• Feeling competent that you can master your work and feel effective in managing challenges and meeting goals.
• Feeling you "own" something or that you can put your "stamp" on something by speaking up and endorsing thoughts.
• Relationships that are stable and enduring.

Workplaces have great potential for satisfying these needs. They can provide a source of challenge, achievement, and comradery. But, if even one of these needs isn't met, you likely will feel the consequences.

It's important for you to be aware of these needs, whether they are being fulfilled, and, if not, "craft" your job into one that does.

Need for Competence

Competence means you feel capable of managing or even mastering tasks that come your way. Unclear job expectations, bottlenecks, and monotonous tasks can impact how competent you feel.

There may be ways you can adjust your job so you feel more competent. For example, if you are an early bird, schedule your more complex tasks earlier in the day. If certain tasks align more with your strengths, ask if you can adjust workloads to lean into those tasks more. Additionally, review your day's work and note what you accomplished that day. Reflecting can help you be more mindful of your achievements.

Need for Volition

Feeling that you have volition or agency means you can provide input on decisions or choose how things are done. Micromanagers, routine work, and imposed deadlines can impact your sense of agency.

Ask your leader what decisions you are able to make on your own. Advocate for more two-way conversations so you can provide your feedback on processes, procedures, and/or tasks. See if there are any side projects you can "own." If your leader isn't open to this, use employee feedback and comment cards to try and make changes. Or you can ask your leader how to build trust so you can make decisions on your own.

Source: Cottonbro Studio/Pexels

Need for Relatedness

Feeling related to people at work means you experience a connection to your leader and/or your colleagues. Unhealthy conflict, isolation, and toxic cultures can impact your ability to build relationships at work.

Find ways to connect during meetings. For instance, host working meetings in which you engage in brainstorming or work through an issue alongside others. If you prefer to connect more on a personal, rather than a professional level, find break times to connect. If virtual, schedule check-ins, coffee chats, or end-of-week drinks.

Meaning and Purpose

Two other needs you have at work are driven by leadership—meaning and purpose. Leaders can help you meet your needs by aligning your job with a greater vision or connecting it to your own values. Meaning relates to how interesting or impactful you find your job. Purpose is driven by how proud you are of your organization. Research shows that people are more engaged by a meaningful or interesting job than by income.

If your leader isn't providing you with a sense of meaning or purpose, ask why your tasks connect to the bigger picture. Take time to reflect on what your personal values are and compare them to the company's values. Determine what tasks are more interesting to you and ask if you can take on more of them (while trying to offload uninteresting tasks).

Overall, meeting your needs at work is essential. These needs also apply across all your life spheres. That is, if your needs aren't met at home, they can spill over into work or vice versa. If you have met a need in one sphere, it can help buffer the impact in another. However, this is not a long-term solution. Find ways to meet all your needs in all areas of your life. This can result in a more positive mood, increased motivation/validation, reduced burnout and anxiety, and improved work performance.