What is the art of getting up on a wet, grey Monday morning?

Steve Jobs famously shared his view that we shouldn't settle for anything less than work we love. This is a sentiment I share strongly and I have been fortunate enough (and stubborn enough) to have had the opportunities to follow my passions in life.

Life is short and work is about far more than money.

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle." Steve Jobs

I am not alone in this pursuit. A YouGov survey found that 64% of people in the UK would accept lower pay for a job they loved. Disappointingly though, despite this lack of greed, only 17% of people have been successful in finding these fulfilling roles.

That leaves, as a minimum, a staggering 47% of people who long for a job they love but have yet to find it! Lives of quiet desperation. Lives filled with the dread of dragging yourself out of bed on a grey, wet Monday morning.

In reality, many organisations have been poor at creating environments and roles which would engender love. For our parents, the post-war generation, work was primarily about ensuring that the family had a house to live in and food on the table. Stability and income were the primary drivers, with job satisfaction considered a frivolous luxury by many.




This led to workplaces that treated people like machines, constantly fighting and pushing to get more from less. In return for this daily grind the 'resource' would be paid. A simple financial transaction. Buying part of your life in return for cash.

In return the workforce sought 'work life balance'. In short, minimising the impact of a job they disliked on the rest of their existence.

Thankfully many organisations now take a more enlightened view and there are a new breed of very successful organisations who thrive as a result of working hard to create teams of people who love their work.

Take BGL Group as an example in point. A successful, commercially driven business who invest heavily to create an environment in which everyone can achieve their aspirations, follow their passions and be recognised for the unique skills and experience they bring.



The search for "work-life balance" is being replaced, for many, by a more nuanced need to mindfully ensure ones' passions are part of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. Having a gym at work, free fruit and drinks, yoga lessons, flexible & remote working and the option for taking sabbaticals certainly help view work as an integral and healthy part of life.

In my experience treating people under my care as racehorses, to be nurtured and helped to achieve their potential, has been far more effective in driving performance than treating the 'resources' like a donkey that merely has to be whipped harder to deliver more.

It also helps to work for an organisation whose purpose and values align to your own. Whenever I lose track of why I am in my current role I spend time on the phone, listening to our customers and reconnecting with the 'why'.

This 'why' extends further than just our customer propositions. In my current role our teams are urged to volunteer in our local community and are given time to do so. The corporate raping the local resources is being replaced by organisations that form a foundational and constructive part of the community.

Creating this type of environment is a challenge and doesn't come cheap; but this isn't an altruistic act. Ultimately, my team and I perform at a much higher level as a direct result of working in an organisation that creates the right environment for us all to excel, with a clear set of values that are authentically lived out.

BGL isn't alone. The business success that can be achieved through creating passionate, engaged teams far outstrips any marginal gains achieved by deontological management philosophies.

From experience, I will always back an organisation driven by an authentic heart and soul to outperform one that is purely focused on ruthless efficiency. After all, we will all work exceptionally hard for the things we are passionate about and with teams we love.

This shift to more enlightened ways of achieving performance, is especially marked in the tech sectors. The dual challenges of competition for scarce skills and the need to produce innovative digital products at an ever faster rate are increasing the pace of change of our workplaces.

To attract the best tech talent and to ensure our performance is optimal requires us all to have roles we love. Roles with a clear purpose that we are willing to invest our lives in. An environment which recognises that we aren't robots but a team of creative craftsmen, mastering our art and thriving in the ability these skills offer to help our customers.

If you ever find that you are dragging yourself out of bed on a grey, wet Monday morning dreading the day ahead it is worth asking whether you are pursuing your passion, with a team you love, in an environment that celebrates your skills and will nurture you to succeed. If the answer is no then I urge you to take bold action.

Life is far too short to waste sleepwalking and living a fulfilled life is far too precious to miss out on.