Invite people to lunches, organize happy hours, chat folks up during coffee breaks. There’s a twofold benefit to this move: one strictly wholesome, the other slightly Machiavellian. Embrace both. It’s time to start looking at your teammates, coworkers, bosses, and peers in other divisions as opportunities. Build a network amongst these people and you’ll hear about job openings, learn about shortfalls, and, yes, have the support of people going through the same thing as you. When these people are promoted, they might serve as your entree into the big time; when they move on to other companies, they might be a foot in the door. At the very worst, they’ll be useless slugs and you’ll have made some friends – something that studies suggest in itself improves work immeasurably.
Last week, we covered 10 simple ways to make work better in the short term. This week is all about big fixes. Check in every day this week for a new tip on how to ensure your longterm happiness.
