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Job crafting to get consulting skills

A job can be defined as a group of tasks and responsibilities that are assigned to one person. We have all had some type of job where we had to do a certain set of tasks in order to help the group or organization be successful.

How we perceived the tasks that made up the job may have made the job seem exciting and valuable or dull and boring. Researchers at the University Of Michigan Ross School Of Business have outlined the ideas behind adding value and meaning to one’s job through the practice of job crafting.

Job Crafting

Job crafting is where one redesigns their own job to increase satisfaction, well-being, and success at work.

There are three key principles:

  • Altering the boundaries of the job
  • Changing your relationships at work
  • Reframing your perception of the work

Altering the boundaries of the job can include changing the scope of a task, changing the volume of work, or changing how you perform the work. This could mean doing more or less of a given set of tasks and using new or different tools to complete the work. Changing relationships could mean working with different teams or doing more coaching or advising on a given project. And reframing your perception means understanding the “why” of the job and relating it back to something that has meaning to you.

These activities help bring purpose and meaning to the set of tasks that comprise a job. Taking the time to evaluate the components of your current role can help identify what you enjoy and don’t enjoy about your job. This exercise goes hand-in-hand with the concept of the golden circle of communication by starting with Why, How, and What.

Job crafting your current role to gain consulting skills

Your title doesn’t have to be “consultant” in order to gain consulting skills. You most likely have some flexibility in your job that can allow you to get more exposure to certain tasks and opportunities to practice various skills.

Most firms are looking for people who have certain qualities:

  • Personal impact
  • Entrepreneurial mindset
  • Leadership
  • Problem solving skills
  • Desire to innovate and transform
  • Emotional intelligence, empathy, and adaptability
  • Communication skills and ability to persuade

Take an inventory of the various tasks and responsibilities you currently perform and see how many fit into the areas listed above. If you have all of them covered – you are probably a consultant. If not then you have some room to craft your job to get the kind of experience that will allow you to build your skills.

How you can craft your job

Start with the current definition of your role and the tasks you are responsible for and what defines success for the job. This should include the resources available to you and the tasks you are expected to complete. Segment the different parts of your job by grouping similar tasks together. These will describe “what” your job entails.

Next think about “how” you complete the tasks. This is where you can start to craft the job by changing the boundaries, relationships, or perceptions of the work. You may need to look a level higher to see what additional resources and people are available in the organization for you to interact with and utilize. As you write out how you will complete the tasks be descriptive and identify places where you can practice the consulting skills listed above.

Finally understand the “why” of the job. How your job helps the organization or the customer. Try to be creative here and think big picture. An example from the research done on this topic found that custodians in hospitals who viewed their job as helping to keep patients healthy rather than just cleaning the hospital led to increased job performance and satisfaction.

It may take you a few iterations of working through your tasks and responsibilities to find the right opportunities. Another trick is to start with the end-in-mind and think of how you would want to describe your role on a resume.

Some of the ideas you come up with may be small, such that you don’t need permission to make the change while others may require a conversation with your boss. If you can craft your job to make it more impactful and meaningful then it will likely be mutually beneficial to you and your organization.

Finally, remember that as an employee you can take initiative and start a conversation around redesigning your job to have a positive impact on the team and company. In some larger companies you may actually get to design your own job if there is a need to be met. And remember the jobs of the future are yet to be created, so get some practice crafting your job!

Andrew Kuczmarski is a PhD candidate at the University of Delaware whose passion lies at the intersection of science and business.

Image: Pixabay

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