Free Family Finance

A recent study has determined that job satisfaction in America is at an all time low:

Even Americans who are lucky enough to have work in this economy are becoming more unhappy with their jobs, according to a new survey that found only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their work.

That was the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board research group in more than 22 years of studying the issue. In 2008, 49 percent of those surveyed reported satisfaction with their jobs.

Given that this dissatisfaction is spread across the board, what can we attribute it to? The author suggests the economy. However, many of the reasons provided for dissatisfaction, point more directly to a lack a leadership, than economy issues.

Workers seem to suffer from a clear sense of vision. An important role of a company’s leadership is provide a clear mission for its employees. This adds interest to their job. They understand why their responsibilities are important:

Fewer workers consider their jobs to be interesting.

A good leader instills an corporate atmosphere of teamwork & comradery:

“There is no sense of teamwork in most places any more,” Carrasco gripes.

‘Listening’ is one of the most influential leadership skills”

“Most of the time they only listen to what their bosses are saying,” he says. “Bosses need to come down to the employee level more and see what actually goes on, versus what their paperwork tells them is happening in the stores.”

It is important for baby boomers to understand, 40 years in the business does not make you a leader. Leadership is an art form – and maybe a skill set that hasn’t been previously required of that particular team member. However, as baby boomers climb the corporate ladder, they can completely transform their company by developing their leadership skills.

via Americans’ job satisfaction falls to record low – Yahoo! Finance.
Photo by pegwinn

“Until you make peace with who your are, you will never be content with what you have.”
~Doris Mortman

It is only fitting that this article is scheduled for Black Friday. Today is nationally recognized for its extreme consumerism. Often we find it under the guise of Christmas shopping, but get real.

As we have discussed before, contentment is an integral part of your financial plan. In our consumer-driven society, a simple-minded person could spend a lifetime looking for importance in all the wrong stores. But that product-sponsored importance is a unicorn. It is not obtainable.

Suppose you disagree with me on this point. If so, I challenge you to look at those with money – those with things. Their insecurities are no different. Their divorce rate is no different. More so, they are no more important. Skinny jeans and skinny ties might make you cool, but cool is temporary. Just ask Millie Vanillie (why I choose to pick on them, I have no idea).

So how does this concern our financial plans? The latest & greatest is freakin’ expensive. This year’s new model and this season’s new style will leave you with last century’s pocketbook. In short, I am talking about moderation.

I am not proposing that you should never have nice things, but I am proposing that you will never become wealthy chasing the unicorn. However, if you practice moderation now, some day you will be wealthy. When that day comes, you can (without guilt) choose to tickle your fancy. And that will be a marvelous day! But that day will never arrive if you don’t practice moderation today.

• “Until you make peace with who your are, you will never be content with what you have.” ~Doris Mortman
• “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.”  ~Meister Eckhart
• “Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.”  ~W.J. Cameron
• “Thanksgiving, man.  Not a good day to be my pants.”  ~Kevin James
• “Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday.  People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year.  And then discover once a year is way too often.”  ~Johnny Carson
• “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good…” ~Psalm 100:4, 5a
• “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”  Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.” – George Washington (1789 – The institution of Thanksgiving as a national holiday)