I bought a book years ago titled, “Take this job and love it.” It’s a fun title and was a great read. 

Over the years, I’ve  come to the conclusion that for a job to be great, you also need to have a great boss. A bad boss can make a great job bad!  The fit and the boss are both critically important.

I think we have four options here:

1. Good fit and good boss—Delightful 

2. Bad fit but good boss— Doable but not for the long haul—keep looking for a better fit where you are,  or somewhere else

3. Good fit but bad boss— Discouraging and Doubtful

4. Bad fit and bad boss—Disastrous 

You  may have heard it said that people don’t leave a job they leave a boss. In some cases this is true but not in all cases. I have seen and experienced lots of both, bad bosses and bad fits. 

When you interview, here are some things to think about related to who your boss will be.

The boss:

When you put in an application for a new job or seek another position at your current place of employment, be sure to find out all you can about your boss. 

1. How do they supervise others, treat their direct reports?
2. Will they invest in you and help you grow  so you can reach your full potential, or  will they rather let you sink or swim on your own?
3. Will they let you make mistakes so you can learn?
4. Are they micro-managers who will make all the decisions; treating you like a hired hand?
5. Will they celebrate you or just tolerate you?
6. Is what your boss  values similar to what you value

How to know if the responsibilities you will have are a good fit for you. 

The Fit:

In order to know if a potential job is a good fit, you should have a pretty good understanding of who you are and who you aren’t. What are you really good at and really enjoy doing. You want to make sure that what you are being asked to do is a reflection of how God has made you and something you are excited about doing. 

Marcus Buckingham says that the key in your work is to be in a position where the best of your work is the most of your work. You’re spending most of your time on things that fit how God designed and gifted you.

I just finished Patrick Lencioni’s latest book, “The Six Types of Working Genius.” As usual he hits the nail on the head. You can find it on Amazon.

The Six Types of Working Genius

He discusses six different kinds of people and what their sweet spot is; what they bring to the table, to the team.

Here is a brief description  of the six types. It breaks down easily to two categories: 

1. Idea generators (the first three)  
2. Idea implementors (the second three)

Here is my Book Note:

The Six Types of Working Genius

The bottom line is that you want to wake up and go to work to do something you love, with people you love and who love having you on the team. Sad to say this is not the case with many today, both in the market place and in the church. 

By His grace, may you have a job  that exhilarates you and a boss who celebrates you.