My niche

This blog addresses workplace environment.  We were asked to consider, not the perfect job or duties assigned to it, but to consider the ideal workplace environment.  All creatures have their own special niche. An environment in which they thrive best.  A polar bear would not do well in the desert, nor would a lizard do well in the Arctic.  Human beings have proven that we can live and adapt to many different environments, but where do we thrive best?  The answer to this question is unique to each individual.  Happiness in one's surroundings goes beyond the physical.  It is mental as well as emotional.  It is spiritual.  This applies to the workplace as well.  We can love what we do, but if we don't do it in a satisfying environment, it can lead to much stress and dissatisfaction.  So, what is my workplace niche? In what environment can I best thrive?

For me, I suppose relationships are one of the most important elements.  Nothing is more stressful to me than working (and living) in tense situations.  I don't like gossip.  I don't like drama.  I don't like walking on eggshells just because someone is in a bad mood.  I don't have to really like my co-workers on a personal level, nor they me, but I want an environment of mutual respect for the work we do and a display of professional courtesy.  I like to work within a team framework where everyone has a valued role and opinion.  I want to be part of a workplace that is nurturing and supportive where colleagues bolster one another and communicate positively and effectively. 

I like variety and would not want to complete the same tasks day in and day out.  That's one of the many reasons I chose this profession.  I thrive on challenge and new opportunities to learn and grow.  There has to be balance, though.  I'm not sure that I would thrive in an environment, such as a medical setting, where you never know what patients you will have from day to day.  Thinking about why this is, I have to refer back to the importance of relationships.  I enjoy building relationships with people, including my clients/patients.  In an acute care setting, you often do not have the opportunity to build relationships.  You do what you need to do to assess the patient and/or get them swallowing, and then it's on to the next one.  There certainly is satisfaction in helping people in those situations, but I know I would be  happier having the opportunity to spend more time with them and forming a relationship with them.

Although I appreciate structure, I would like to have professional autonomy and the freedom to develop my own system of organization.  Creativity is a strength of mine, and it would be stressful for me to not be able to use it.  I would not thrive in an environment that did my scheduling for me or limited me to specific assessment tools or interventions.  Being micromanaged makes me quite cranky! 

Time is also a critical factor in finding the ideal workplace niche.  I put great value on my personal time.  I have many outside interests, and I need time with family and friends.  Although I do not mind putting in occasional overtime or filling in on a weekend here or there, these would have to be rare occasions.  I also know that I would not like having to be on call to come in at a moment's notice.  What I do may be a big part of who I am, but it is not the only part of me!  Besides, some of my best therapy ideas have come while out walking the dogs, digging in the garden, or talking with my kids!

Every workplace has is shortcomings, and I do not expect to find one that meets all of my expectations all of the time.  I do not know exactly what I want, but I know more about what I don't want.  That alone is a big step in the right direction to finding my own workplace niche that feeds my intellect and nourishes my soul.