Harvard researchers: The people who are happiest with their careers share this mindset

Posted by Admin December 9, 2024 Jobs

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After a decade of interviewing and studying more than 1,000 workers — from Fortune 500 CEOs to Chipotle kitchen managers — Harvard researchers might have cracked the code to being happier at work.

The secret, according to the researchers, is to focus on progress over perfection in your career, which leads to greater fulfillment than chasing a “dream job” that ticks all of your boxes.

In other words, “identify what energizes you, understand what your priorities are and embrace the trade-offs needed to get there,” Michael B. Horn, a co-author of the research and lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, tells CNBC Make It.

The findings are detailed in “Job Moves,” a new book co-authored by Horn; Ethan Bernstein, a professor at Harvard Business School; and Robert Moesta, CEO and founder of consulting firm The Re-Wired Group.

Letting go of the “dream job” ideal doesn’t mean abandoning ambition — it’s about building a more satisfying and balanced career, Horn explains.

Progress, not perfection

Progress isn’t just about promotions, perks and salaries; it can look like taking a pay cut to do more meaningful work, living closer to family, more predictability or even switching careers altogether.

When you decide to work somewhere, you are hiring your employer to help you make this progress, Horn says.

“You’re making choices about how to spend your time, who you’ll spend it with and the trade-offs you’ll make,” he says. “If those choices don’t align with the type of progress you’re seeking, that could quickly lead to dissatisfaction and burnout.”

Before making a significant career decision — whether it’s accepting a promotion or quitting — Horn recommends weighing your top three priorities and considering the trade-offs involved.

For example, are you willing to accept a longer commute for a role that offers better career growth opportunities? Or take a job with a micromanaging boss in exchange for a higher salary?

Keep in mind that your priorities will change over time. If you’re saving up to buy a house, for example, you might want to maximize your earnings, but down the line, you might want a job that offers the strongest health-care benefits you can find.

Accepting certain trade-offs in a job that suits some of your needs — but not all of them — isn’t settling, Horn stresses. Instead, it can help you set realistic expectations for your career progression, and have a more positive outlook on your work overall.

The people Horn interviewed who were most satisfied with their jobs and optimistic about the direction their career was heading understood this implicitly: No job is perfect, but finding one that matches your values or puts you in a better position to hit longer-term goals can be the most honest, achievable path to fulfillment.

“Being clear about your priorities and tolerance for certain trade-offs can help you make choices that better align with your values and goals, bringing you that much closer to a career in tune with your passion and purpose,” Horn adds. “And if you don’t account for trade-offs upfront, you may feel blindsided and frustrated later.”

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