Loving the job you hate

updated 8:36 p.m. ET Dec. 7, 2005

NEW YORK - You know the feeling: Getting out of bed Monday morning is a struggle, followed by five long, bleak days.

You're not alone. About a million people a day phone in sick — and it's not the bird flu. Some surveys have found that 87 percent of Americans don't like their jobs.

"We spend our highest-energy hours working, and families get what's left," says Jane Boucher, author of “How to Love the Job You Hate: Job Satisfaction for the 21st Century.” "Most of us can't just quit our jobs."

The problem of being stuck in a lousy job is compounded by the feeling that we are what we do. This attitude is prevalent among men and becoming more common as more women earn professional degrees and climb the corporate ladder higher. If you hate what you do, your self-worth is likely to take a hit.

It's just part of our culture. When you meet someone new, one of the first questions asked is "What do you do?"

Job loathing is more than just a punch in the gut. Boucher says it costs the nation an estimated $150 billion per year in treatment for stress-related problems, absenteeism, reduced productivity and employee turnover.

"There are three basic motivators for employees, and money isn't No. 1," says Boucher, who is also an adjunct professor at the McGregor Graduate School of Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and a professional speaker. "Workers are motivated by people they like and respect. A happy employee needs to feel that work is important. There has to be a sense of empowerment and independence — people don't like to be micromanaged, because it chokes creativity."

The question is simple: How do you make things better in a job that doesn't rouse your interest when the alarm clock goes off? Boucher offers ten tips:

1. Communicate. Let the boss know your achievements and problems. Don't boast and don't gripe. Create a sense of teamwork. Define the problem at hand and offer ways to solve it.

2. Do Something for Yourself. Take on a project that's dear to your heart or set aside time for what you do best. For example, if you got into medicine because you wanted to be a caregiver but find yourself buried in paperwork, find the time to be with your patients. Make an effort to connect with each patient and his or her family.

3. Improve a Bad Relationship. Some people are born grumpy and simply won't like you. Instead of fretting about it and thinking it's something you did, simply ask the person each day, "Is there anything I can do for you?" This will ease the tension and, over time, may win over the person who has the long knives out for no apparent reason.

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