101 ways to job craft for 2024

A graphic of a pink and blue jacket with a tag that reads “Tailor me to make me more you”

In 2023 we shared a blog post highlighting 101 ways we’ve seen people job craft. It was our most visited page of the year, and people still ask us for examples of job crafting, so we thought you’d want some more for 2024!

For anyone who is new to job crafting, it is essentially about making small tweaks and changes to your job that make it a better fit. Typically we experience people job craft in 5 different ways: Wellbeing; Purpose; Skill; Relationship; and Task Crafting.

We have collected some of our favourite examples from teams and individuals we have worked with to bring job crafting to life.

These are personal examples, so they may not apply or be relevant to your circumstances. However we know that people appreciate some inspiration when they set out on their job crafting adventures.

Fancy kicking off 2024 in style with guided job crafting? Well, you’re in luck, our Job Crafting Challenge starts 15th January and entries are open until the end of the month.

Don’t miss out!

Wellbeing crafting

Wellbeing crafting is enhancing and maintaining our physical and mental health through the work we do.

Examples:

1. Adjusting working hours in the winter so I’m spending more time working in the light

2. Taking annual leave around bank holidays to extend the long weekends to a full week off

3. Doing 10 minutes stretching at lunchtime after being sat down all morning

4. Switching my phone and email notifications off in the evenings

5. Doing an exercise class once a week with colleagues to hold us all accountable

6. Changing my working hours to start earlier so that I could prioritise exercise in the afternoon after finishing work

7. Arranging one walking meeting a week

8. Listening to my favourite podcast before starting work to put me in a good mood

9. Introducing a ‘fake’ commute to help start and end the day

10. Trying a standing desk

11. Saying no to requests that I enjoy doing but don’t have the time for

12. Moving to a condensed week in order to have a day off work mid-week

13. Getting into a routine of leaving the office on time (e.g. leaving the office with a buddy)

14. Bringing more nutritious snacks to work

15. Planning out my lunch breaks for the following week and blocking them out in my diary

16. Setting a timer to take a break from my desk at least every hour

17. Trying to keep one day a week meeting-free

18. Treating myself to a lie in once a week - starting and finishing later that day

19. Taking the stairs instead of the lift

20. Listening to my favourite album whilst working on a project

Purpose crafting

Purpose crafting is reframing how we think about our work in general including the value and significance it brings to us personally and others.

Examples:

1. Reflecting on the value I want to bring to others through my work in 2024

2. Saying no to requests that don’t align with the core purpose of my role

3. Considering how I can bring my coaching skills and tools into conversations outside of work, to support friends with career goals and challenges (this also allows me to further develop my skills - i.e. skills crafting)

4. Writing down three things I appreciate about my work and sharing with a colleague / friend / family member etc.

5. Defining who I want to be professionally in 2024 and sharing this with others (e.g. on LinkedIn / Teams chat)

6. Re-framing the importance and value of tasks I don’t look forward to (e.g. taking time to cost out proposals in detail is a way of looking after the business and saving my future self the same task)

7. Make a daily / weekly list of the best interactions with customers / clients

8. Sharing my passions at work (e.g. starting a running club)

9. Volunteering for projects that I find meaningful (e.g. working with charities, mentoring junior colleagues, etc.)

10. Setting up a fun competition with colleagues (e.g. who can get the most engagements on social media, plan the most sustainable work trip)

11. Finding new and innovative ways to gather feedback from stakeholders at the end of projects

12. Identifying at least one event for the year I would like to attend focused on a subject I am passionate about - make a business case for attending and share back key takeaways with colleagues

13. Reframing work travel as an opportunity to explore new places

14. Becoming a company advocate or champion for something I care about (e.g. inclusion, sustainability)

15. Surveying service users to better understand their needs and how my work can add value

16. Asking to be invited to more client-facing meetings to understand the impact of my work from their perspective

17. Reflecting each day on the person that I have helped the most

18. Creating a case study after completion of each project and sharing this externally (e.g. on LinkedIn)

19. Volunteering to arrange the next team social event

20. Exploring the impact of my role on the wider organisation

Skill crafting

Skill crafting is developing, refining and focusing on new skills.

Examples:

1. Researching what the most desirable skills are for 2024 and setting a goal to develop in one area

2. Taking a strengths assessment to better understand my top strengths and how I can maximise my use of these at work

3. Asking if I can record an online call to watch back for my own learning

4. Keeping up to date with industry news and thought leadership

5. Saying yes to a scary project

6. Learning a new skill (and teaching others)

7. Asking to shadow a colleague doing a specific task

8. Attending a lunchtime webinar

9. Asking for constructive feedback from someone I wouldn’t usually ask

10. Finding reliable sources of aggregated news on specific topics

11. Subscribing to email alerts for new articles on a specific topic

12. Finding an opportunity to present to a new group (e.g. to enhance public speaking skills)

13. Offering to arrange a lunch and learn for the team

14. Taking the lead in a team meeting (e.g. to develop leadership skills)

15. Setting a goal of writing 5 blogs each quarter and asking for feedback on how my writing has improved

16. Buddying with a colleague in a different team to learn more about what each other does

17. Listening to a work-related podcast whilst getting ready for work

18. Joining a LinkedIn community

19. Each team member sharing something new they’ve read / learned each week in a team meeting / 1:1

20. Experimenting with a new digital tool (e.g. using AI)

Relationship crafting

Relationship crafting is shaping how we relate and engage with others, including building and adapting our relationship with co-workers.

Examples:

1. Setting up calls to chat with colleagues on a Friday afternoon when I’m feeling disconnected

2. Setting up a Teams group for people with similar interest to me

3. Writing a thank you note to a colleague at the end of each week to express my gratitude

4. Starting a meet-up for new parents returning to work

5. Going to a networking event and sharing contact details with at least one new person

6. Asking for support to address a challenging working relationship

7. Offering to mentor a new colleague

8. Organising a team away day

9. Setting a goal to initiate one new conversation each week

10. Popping into someone else’s office to see how they’re doing

11. Scheduling informal 1:1 check-ins with direct reports to compliment more formal 1:1s

12. Scheduling regular (i.e. monthly) calls in advance with colleagues to reconnect

13. Setting a goal to learn something new about each team member

14. Setting up a coffee scheme that pairs colleagues from across the organisation at random to meet for coffee (online or in person)

15. Allowing time for informal “chit chat” before meetings

16. Spending less time with people that can drain my energy levels

17. Grabbing lunch with a colleague from a different team once a month

18. Car sharing

19. Asking someone about their passions outside of work

20. Arranging to check-in with a new starter to see how they are getting on

Task crafting

Task crafting is tangibly changing aspects of how we undertake our work including re-designing, adding or removing tasks.

Examples:

1. Rewarding myself with a small treat when I’ve done a task I don’t particularly enjoy

2. Mapping out my week so that there’s a balance of tasks that I enjoy and look forward to

3. Asking colleagues to delegate tasks that I enjoy but noticed I was missing from my work ‘plate’

4. Consciously aligning tasks to business goals as a source of motivation

5. Keeping a receipts purse in a convenient place so that business receipts don’t get lost

6. Protecting the first hour of the week to plan my tasks for the rest of the week

7. Recording voice notes for colleagues

8. Only checking emails during specific times

9. Finding ways to channel a strength e.g. bringing competition into everyday work

10. Doing the hardest task first thing when energy is at its highest

11. Experimenting with voice-to-text software for faster email, report and content writing

12. Doing admin on a Friday when the mood is more positive

13. Limiting non-essential meetings

14. Using the pomodoro method for time management

15. Delegating or swapping tasks that don’t play to my strengths

16. Experimenting with new tools to make existing tasks more fun, effective, etc.

17. Calling a colleague rather than emailing

18. Working collaboratively using Google Docs instead of Microsoft Word

19. Scheduling meetings for the afternoons to keep mornings free for focused work

20. Shortening all meetings by 10 minutes

Job crafting example number 101:

Write down 3 good things at the end of the working day. You can note these somewhere or share them with someone (we share ours as a team on LinkedIn every Friday).

We hope that you found these examples inspiring and that you can try out job crafting for yourself.

Don’t forget to get your name down for our Job Crafting Challenge starting 15th January. Entries are open until the end of the month.

Happy crafting!

101 examples of job crafting

People curious about job crafting often ask for examples of how others have crafted their jobs. Job crafting, for anyone that doesn’t know is making small tweaks and changes to a job to make it a better fit for the individual.

Part of the work and research we do in job crafting is to uncover and share job crafting examples from ‘in the wild.’

Here are 101 examples of some of the weird and wonderful ways people have personalised, shaped and crafted their jobs.

All of these examples are based on a person’s own context so some of this may not apply or be relevant to your personal and professional circumstances. See this list as a source of inspiration rather than a source of ideas to copy…

Task Crafting

Task crafting is tangibly changing aspects of how we undertake our work including designing, adding or removing tasks.

Examples:

1. Protect the first 30 minutes of the day to focus on specific tasks

2. Only respond to emails between 9am-11am or 4pm-5pm

3. Do the hardest task first thing when energy is at its highest

4. Experiment with voice-to-text software for faster email, report and content writing

5. Do admin on a Friday when the mood is more positive

6. Limit non-essential meetings

7. Use the pomodoro method for time management [look it up!]

8. Record voice notes for colleagues

9. Delegate or swap tasks that aren’t enjoyable or don’t play to strengths

10. Say no to requests that don’t align with the purpose of the role

11. Find ways to channel a strength e.g. creativity into everyday work

12. Strategically structure the work day

13. Experiment with tools like Slack or Teams for effective comms

14. Ask to start a workplace Team group for those who enjoy more social time

15. Call a colleague rather than email

16. Work collaboratively using Google Docs instead of Microsoft Word

17. Hire someone to do specific and expert tasks e.g. finances

18. Get involved in more client facing meetings

19. Schedule all meetings for the afternoons to keep morning free

20. Shorten all meetings by 10 minutes

Skill Crafting

Skill crafting is developing, refining and focusing on new skills.

Examples:

1. Shadow a colleague doing a specific task

2. Say yes to a scary project

3. Learn a new skill or piece of knowledge

4. Take a course or programme on an area you want to improve

5. Attend a lunchtime webinar

6. Ask for help on a difficult subject

7. Watch YouTube videos to improve a skill

8. Ask for constructive feedback

9. Find an opportunity to speak to a group (e.g. to enhance public speaking skills)

10. Organise team social events (e.g. to utilise planning skills)

11. Experiment with different meeting styles

12. Set a goal of writing 5 blogs each quarter

13. Listen to a podcast related to work on the commute

14. Delegate 15 minutes before work to focus on a new/current skill

15. Each team member shares something new they’ve read / learned each week

16. Ask to gain experience one day a week in a different team

17. Experiment with a new digital tool (e.g. to get better at presentation design)

18. Follow a top tips page on a specific topic on social media

19. Enquire about arranging a lunch and learn for colleagues

20. Set a goal to learn 5 new things about a topic

Purpose Crafting

Purpose crafting is reframing how we think about our work. in general including the value and significance it brings to us personally and others.

1. Re-frame the importance and value of tasks you enjoy less (e.g. doing finances shows your care for the business)

2. Make a daily list of the best interactions with customers / clients

3. Volunteer for projects that you find meaningful

4. Write a blog post about what you love about your work

5. Share your passions at work (e.g. start a running club)

6. Attend a conference on a subject you are passionate about

7. Become an advocate or champion for something you care about (e.g. inclusion, sustainability)

8. Survey service users to better understand their needs and how your work can add value

9. Volunteer to support new starter induction events

10. Get involved in client facing calls to understand the impact of your work

11. Learn more about the people your role is helping

12. Explore the impact of your role on the wider organisation

13. Reflect each day on the person that you have helped the most

14. Write down the purpose of your role before every work shift

15. Say no to tasks that don’t align with your role purpose

16. Ask for feedback on projects (to see how you have made an impact)

17. Create a petition for a recycling bin at work

18. Reframe work travel as an opportunity to explore new places

19. Meet with customers of projects you have delivered in the past

20. Create a case study for every new piece of work and share this externally

Relationship crafting

Relationship crafting is shaping how we relate and engage with others, including building and adapting our relationship with co-workers.

Examples:

1. Write thank you notes to colleagues at the end of each week to express gratitude

2. Pop into someone else’s office to see how they’re doing

3. Start a breakfast club

4. Organise a team away day

5. Schedule informal 1:1 check-ins to compliment more formal 1:1s

6. Set up a random coffee scheme that pairs colleagues from across the organisation to meet for coffee

7. Allow time for informal “chit chat” before meetings

8. Spend less time with people that can drain your energy levels

9. Grab lunch with a colleague from a different team once a month

10. Start a book club

11. Offer to mentor a new colleague

12. Ask someone about their passions outside of work

13. Chat to someone about something non-work related

14. Seek support to address a negative relationship

15. Recognise and praise a colleague when you see it

16. Walk to the coffee shop together as a team

17. Make connections with clients to foster a relationship

18. Set a goal to learn something new about each team member

19. Arrange to catch up with a new starter

20. Connect with someone from a different team

Wellbeing crafting

Wellbeing crafting is boosting our physical and mental health through the work we do.

Example:

1. Go for a 15 minute walk at lunchtime

2. Mindful walking up and down the corridors to collect patients

3. Switch your phone and email notifications off in the evenings

4. Arrange walking meetings

5. Watch 10 minutes of Netflix at lunch time to switch off

6. Have a coffee break in the garden

7. Yoga before work

8. Introduce a ‘fake’ commute to help start and end the day

9. Use a standing desk

10. Say no to non-critical work requests

11. Get into a routine of leaving work on time (e.g. leave the office with a buddy)

12. Take a tactical nap

13. Bring nutritious snacks to work

14. Ensure you take regular breaks

15. Cycle/run to work

16. Try having one day a week that is meeting free

17. Treat yourself to a lie in once a week - start and finish later that day

18. Take the stairs instead of the lift

19. Listen to music whilst working on a project

20. Get away from the desk at lunch time

Job crafting example number 101:

Write down 3 good things at the end of the work day.

Can you guess which type of job crafting this is? 5 gold stars if you can!

We hope that you found these examples inspiring and that you can try out job crafting for yourself.

For more information on job crafting please click here or email us if you fancy a chat at [email protected]

Happy crafting!

Setting a job crafting goal in 2023

You might have heard about a concept called job crafting. As experts, we talk about it a lot and the media are finally catching on. The pandemic gave us a flavour for personalising our jobs, we began to work with freedom and autonomy, like adapting when and where we worked. It shifted the working world on its head, opening up a huge opportunity to start crafting our job.

Job crafting is about making small, tangible and personal changes to our job to make it a better fit for us as individuals. There are 5 ways you can craft your job: skill crafting, task crafting, relationship crafting, wellbeing crafting and purpose crafting.

However, we recognise that making change is hard. New Year’s resolutions only have a 40% success rate. If setting goals and making change was easy, we would have a 100% success rate. To help you, we’re sharing a goal-setting template, created by our founder and job crafting specialist, Rob Baker.

Job crafting goal-setting template.

Rob recommends that you consider 6 different factors when developing and committing to a job crafting goal:

1) Goal - what is my job crafting goal?

Write down your goal as concise as possible. The clearer you are the better. Make your goal small so it can be achieved in under 10 minutes a day or an hour a week in total.

2) Significance - why is this goal important?

Articulate the reasons for setting a / your job crafting goal. This enables you to consider why this change matters to you, and will help tap into your internal motivations and values.

3) Trigger - what are my triggers?

Write down any triggers that are associated with your job crafting goal. These are physical or mental cues that remind you to act on your new job crafting habit.

4) Barriers - what are the potential barriers?

This requires you to reflect on your practicalities of the goal you are setting and the different hurdles which might prevent you from achieving your goal.

5) Reward - how am I going to reward myself?

Write down how you will recognise or celebrate the achievement of your goal. This can be anything you want. A cup of coffee, your favourite snack, a social media break, you choose! Each individual is different, therefore personalise your reward to something personal to yourself.

6) Accountability - who am I going to be accountable to? And how are we going to check in?

Identify an accountability buddy who you can share your goal with. This can be anyone, a colleague, a partner, your gran, whoever you like. Consider how you are going to check in with each other and this will get you to start planning and identifying opportunities to speak, which makes it more likely to happen.

Goal-setting example

Expressing gratitude to others.

Customer service manager Sue has felt a disconnect from colleagues whilst working from home and values human connection and making others feel good. She wants her team to know she values their efforts and wants to get others into the habit of giving positive feedback.

Goal: To express thanks to a colleague by email, phone or in person once a day.

Why? I value the contribution of others and recognise the importance of human connection and a team effort. It makes me feel good giving thanks to others and it makes them feel good too.

Trigger? I’ll set a reminder on my phone each day at 16:30 to remind me to send a thank you note.

Barrier? Some days there may not be clear opportunities to thank people, especially if working from home. On these days I will think of the wider benefits of my job that I appreciate.

Reward? The feel-good factor of saying thanks and the accomplishment of completing my daily target and ending the day on a positive note.

Buddy? My partner at home, I’ll tell her each night at dinner who I thanked that day.

Reminder! This goal-setting framework is not a check-list, you don’t have to complete every stage. However, evidence and research suggests the more areas you address the more likely you are to be successful in achieving your goal.

If you would like to learn more about job crafting you can read more here, or if you need some help with your goal please get in touch via email: [email protected]

Using job crafting to shape my career

Michelle Reid, People and Operations Director at IOM (job crafting model).

Michelle Reid, People and Operation’s Director at IOM will be sharing her experiences of job crafting and how it has helped her shape her career. Michelle has a successful history in implementing, leading, and optimising multi-level business & HR practices.

Michelle was recently listed in the HR Most Influential List 2022.

I started my role as HR Manager at IOM 5 years ago. The purpose of our organisation is to improve the health of people in their workplace and in the wider environment. 

When I joined the company, what they thought they wanted wasn’t actually needed. As a result, my role now is completely different and I have used job crafting to shape it in a significant number of ways. FYI job crafting is making small, tangible changes to your job to make it more meaningful, engaging and a better fit for you as an individual. 

Job crafting for me is very much aligned to my purpose. My purpose is to unlock the value of people to unleash commercial success. If there are tasks on my to-do list that don’t align with my purpose then I’ll ditch them in favour of investing my time into tasks that do.

In this blog I wanted to share with you some job crafting examples, including the 5 different ways I have crafted my job.

The 5 types of job crafting

Task crafting

At IOM, I have full responsibility for the HR function end to end, so I have to think cleverly about the tasks that I do. The way I task craft is by thinking about the tasks I enjoy doing, those I don’t enjoy doing, and how I can delegate tasks to people who may have an interest in some of my tasks (this takes the pressure off me).

A great exercise to kick start task crafting is the love and loathe exercise.

Relationship crafting

Relationship crafting is about understanding people and the relationships we have with them

When I first joined IOM the first thing I did was walk around and talk to every single person. This wasn’t with the aim of understanding what people did in their roles, but to understand how they felt about working for IOM and what they liked and disliked about the organisation. I also asked them what they would change if it was their business and what they thought was standing in their way.

This enabled me to think about where I needed to apply my skills and knowledge to help drive improvements for them. So my relationships were at the heart of that. I have become a relationship chameleon, adapting my relationships and crafting my approaches to different people and circumstances.

Purpose crafting

Purpose crafting is the one I find harder than anything else.

Subconsciously, I knew my purpose deep down. But it is only in the last 2 years that I came to this realisation and I have written it down in front of me in my diary ever since. As soon as people are connected to their purpose, the physical tasks they do, the relationships they have the skills they hold and how they feel, everything becomes aligned. They move to a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. They are not wedded by their job descriptions, titles or how they have always done things, they begin to think “why am I doing this, can this be done better, what more can I do or bring?”

Skill crafting 

I find skill crafting the easiest because I’m so nosey!

I know I don’t know everything so I’m always consciously trying to learn lots of new things. So if there is something I’m curious about I just go and find it out. Google is my best friend! I’m constantly building new skills all of the time with less of a reliance on going to a course, skills are things that are crafted and learned in lots of different new ways including great conversations with others who are in the know.  Skills sharing is brilliant and builds the feeling of reciprocation and value.

Wellbeing crafting

In regards to other people's wellbeing I’d say I’m great. In regards to my own… not so good.

A recent example involves an employee whose job is a combination of both physical and mental activities. Therefore they typically experience an energy dip mid-week. One of the ways they boost their energy is cycling, but they usually have to wait until the weekend to do this. I told him to take a few hours midweek to go cycling! He has now seen an increase in his energy, productivity and motivation, a no brainer for the business and for him.

Areas I want to improve in job crafting

Job crafting is something I do without thinking. However, one area I know I need to improve on is wellbeing crafting. When I’m feeling tired or drained, exercise is the first thing to go. It’s something that fills my tank, yet the thought of cardio puts me off all together. Even though I know it does wonders for my mental and physical health.

However, I have got into the routine of going to Zumba twice a week and I attend two external networking groups every Friday. Both of these activities boost my energy and productivity and make me feel good - win, win all round!

You can learn more about job crafting here, you can also connect with Michelle on LinkedIn if you would like to ask her any questions or have a chat.

Lessons from job crafting at a solo company

“One thing that I’ve learned about job crafting in my role over the years is that there is no failure, only learning opportunities.”

— Gary Butterfield, Co-founder and Director of Everyday Juice Limited

I lead a small business based in the heart of the UK; Yorkshire. We believe that everyone has the right to be healthy and happy at work, connected to a community of people who want to make a positive impact on themselves and their workplace.

We support organisations big and small with their social wellbeing and inclusion work, working towards the goal of reducing the prevalence of loneliness and isolation. After the past few years this kind of work has never been more needed, with a recent study by Benefex citing the 84% of employees surveyed considered social connection to be the key to improving organisational culture. 

One way that we work with organisations is by supporting their employees to share hobbies, interests, and talents with other colleagues, fostering greater connection and belonging across the business. 

I love what I do.

Job crafting doesn’t always come easy as a solo founder working in a one-person company. Despite having complete autonomy and flexibility over your role, there are many processes that have to be done in a certain way and at a certain time, with little room for manoeuvre.

With all that being said, there are a number of things that I allow myself, consciously, to engage with. I find this keeps me in a creative mood more often than not and allows me to not get lost in the detail.

Task crafting

Time is a challenge when working on your own, so I’m always looking for opportunities to streamline my key tasks.

In my role I really like that I’m free to explore and find solutions to problems, and if there is no solution, I try to create it. One of my favourite things to do is to play with new tools that automate the mundane so I can focus on things that are much more exciting, which in itself is exciting. 

I’ve also learned over the years that certain tasks drain me of energy. Some are part of the course of being a director, but others aren’t, so I made an active choice to outsource those tasks to others who have a better skillset than I. 

Skill crafting

I’ve already mentioned that I enjoy exploring new tools to meet a need/problem, and this element of experimentation gives me the opportunity to grow my skillset. I always make sure that I’m working on a side project, and I regularly block out time in my diary to work on it.

One such project was in fact co-created with Rob (Tailored Thinking) during the pandemic; it’s called “Three Good Things”. I created the website using a number of no-code tools and learnt loads in the process. 

Relationship crafting

It’s a surprise to many, but throughout my formative years I was a very shy lad, and putting myself out there in front of people is still relatively new to me. I value the friendships and relationships that I have, and treasure my time with them. 

The pandemic was difficult for me. I’ve been open in the past about my experience with loneliness, particularly in the earlier lockdowns, but the connections that I have remain affected today. 

I make sure that I always reach out to at least one person in my network, professionally or personally, every single day. It’s as much for me as it is for them.

Purpose crafting

I opened this blog post with our company’s belief. This mission to connect people is why we’re here and why we do what we do. It’s the change that we want to see in the world; our purpose. 

Everybody should feel like they belong, and nobody should feel lonely or isolated. 

Our belief and mission statement was written by my own hand, not a marketing agency, and it’s something that I believe in. When it comes to my role and the way that I do it, everything revolves around the company’s purpose, and by extension, my purpose. 

I’m in the privileged position of making my own purpose crafting efforts the company’s purpose crafting efforts. That’s why we’re in the early stages of B Corp accreditation, why we’re building belonging, reflection, and recognition into everything that we do, and the reason behind our net zero ambitions.

Wellbeing crafting

As a self-confessed outdoorsman, it might not shock you to learn that for my wellbeing I spend time outdoors.

I love to run, cycle, wild swim, photograph, walk, hike, wild camp, plus most other things that I can get involved in. Living in Leeds and being so close to green space really helps me to get away in some way, shape, or form, and there’s nothing else that I would rather do.

I also exercise my creativity with Minecraft, which I first got into with my nephews. Admittedly, it does keep me at my desk, but it allows me to switch off from work and enter a world where I can create with no restrictions.

I allow myself to engage in all of these at any time, irrespective of day/time. It’s not unknown for me to look out of my office window one Tuesday midday, see that the sun is shining, pick up my camera and tent, and get the next train out to Ilkley for a night in the hills. 

Finally, I don’t work weekends. When I first created the business I worked every day, every night, every weekend, for 365 days, and didn’t take a week off for the first five years. It wasn’t big, it wasn’t clever, and I feel much better for drawing a line in the sand and giving myself permission to take time away.

Where I can do better

Time and capacity are always barriers when you work on your own. I have the same number of hours in the day as everyone else after all. Whilst we operate a four-day week, I sometimes still find myself working five days. I need to craft myself some more hours in the day!

I think my stint of working every hour under the sun (and every hour under the moon, too) was a failure to job craft when I had complete autonomy over my role, but reacting to it and changing my role to suit is also a job crafting success. 

The next stage

One thing that I’ve learned about job crafting in my role over the years is that there is no failure, only learning opportunities. It’s a grade A cheese statement but there is some truth to it. 

With job crafting there’s never an end point or best practice, it’s something that continually evolves over time to meet ever changing needs. If you want to experiment with something, start small and see if it works, and if it doesn’t, make another small change and give it another whirl.

In the years to come I’m looking forward to experimenting further with my tasks, skills, and relationships, and building upon my own sense of wellbeing and purpose.

The author of this blog is Gary Butterfield, Co-founder and Executive Director of Everyday Juice Limited. Gary creates communities within the workplace, bringing people together through common interests and shared experiences on and offline.

A proper Yorkshire lad with an infatuation for a good Yorkshire brew. 

Connect with Gary on LinkedIn.

The reality of job crafting as a founder

“People always think it is easy as a founder to job craft. On paper you have almost total freedom and flexibility in how you do your job. The reality, for me at least, often feels very different.”

— Rob Baker, Founder of Tailored Thinking

Despite the work I do, the research I read and share, and the amazing people I get to learn from, I personally have not mastered the perfect balance at work.

Whilst I still aspire to have better work life integration, I have found job crafting as a practice is critical to me remaining buoyant, focussed and perhaps most importantly energised and excited by the work I do.

People always think it is easy as a founder to job craft. On paper you have almost total freedom and flexibility in how you do your job. The reality, for me at least (and many other founders I know), often feels very different.

As a founder or director, the opportunity to personalise your work is perhaps always available in theory, but in the midst of day-to-day working on, and in, the business it can feel hard to find the space and focus to craft your work .

Despite the challenges of finding time and energy to job craft, I do actively and deliberately find and create opportunities to iterate, improve and experiment with how I do my job.

Job crafting fundamentally helps me allocate the energy and focus to the areas of (my messy) work and life that need it and matter to me.

How I job craft

Building on the (fabulous) blogs from Chloe, Charlotte and Carly, here are some small ways that I apply job crafting to my job and practice what I preach when it comes to shaping how we act, interact and think about our work.

Task crafting

I regularly try to tinker and change how I do tasks and allocate my time. A recent task crafting experiment - inspired by Charlotte - was to dictate rather than write elements of this blog. And whilst I’ve found this awkward and clumsy it’s also been freeing and fun to approach a specific task in a new and novel way. This experiment has encouraged me to think about other ways I might find for dictation and it is definitely something I’m committing to exploring further.

Skill crafting

I feel fortunate that I feel I am constantly learning in my role (although at times I crave a bit of stability); there are always new ideas to explore, people to learn from and skills and knowledge to develop.

From a work perspective I always strive to have at least one work project that stretches me and the team to learn and try new things or new approaches to existing issues.

As we look to develop the Job Canvas, a way that I am deliberately learning is my knowledge around the world of SAAS (software as a service) and how to build and market new products. I’m listening to lots of podcasts, speaking to people in the industry and reading lots of blogs.

Relationship crafting

Relationships inside and outside of Tailored Thinking are core and fundamental to everything that we do. We work with, and for, people. 

I try not to take any relationship for granted and find ways to shape, improve and amplify the connections I have with others.

Aside from colleagues and clients, I actively create and make time to informally connect and speak with people who are doing interesting things related to making work better to share and spark ideas, offer help and support, collaborate and / or just chat.

I try to pencil these types of meeting in on a quarterly recurring basis which means that we are not scratching around at the last minute to find time in our diaries (I hate diary management), that we forget to reconnect when we are busy doing other things.

They’re informal, unstructured and are always positive. I often come away from them feeling energised and excited – this might be about something they are doing - or having discussed and explored a new idea.

Purpose crafting

I’m always surprised by the power of cognitive or purpose crafting. Simply changing how we think about a work activity can fundamentally shape how we engage with it. Remembering why you are doing something, and why it matters to you, can be instrumental in pushing forward with an activity when motivation or inspiration is in scant supply.

Along with diary management, another area of work that I never look forward to or enjoy relates to doing expenses and reviewing the finances of the business. Last year I started to think about how I could look at, and approach these tasks differently.

I started to think of finance tasks as ‘work weeds’ related to the general gardening required of growing a business. I recognised that most gardeners don’t look forward to weeding but they know it is a key and important part of having a thriving and blooming garden.

So now, when it comes to doing my expenses and finances I think about this as a way of showing care and compassion for the business rather than a transactional activity.

If I’m honest, this change in my mindset isn’t enough to spark joy and excitement when I log into Quickbooks or download the latest financial report, but it has shifted how I view these activities and I find myself dealing with them more regularly and thoroughly rather than simply putting them off.

Being diligent about my finances is a way of caring and being considerate for the business and is ultimately in the service of the team, our clients and partners, and the people we support.

Wellbeing crafting

I find watching films and TV a real escape but I often struggle to create the time to do this. Whilst I used to think it was sacrilege to not watch films and TV programmes in one sitting, I’ve started to ‘snack’ on films during my lunch break.

It feels really indulgent (I need to get out more) to watch a 15 or 20 minutes of film or TV programme whilst I am eating my lunch and it enables me to completely switch off. In the past couple of months I’ve made my way through a rewatch of Point Break (still a classic) and the first season of Severed (brilliant and mind-bending).

Another way I have wellbeing crafted relates to giving myself permission to run during ‘office hours’ as I know categorically and unequivocally that I will be a better worker, thinker, collaborator, husband and dad after I have exercised.

Job crafting failures

Whilst I’ve shared some ideas of how I have successfully job crafted, it’s important to recognise that job crafting is an experiment, and that experiments don’t always work. Some notable failures I’ve had when it comes to job crafting include:

• Keeping Fridays free from meetings (I found that I for lots of practical reasons struggled to keep this day completely free)

• Resolving never doing work in the evenings or at weekends (I found this absolute approach unworkable and ultimately increased my levels of anxiety - I now have looser boundaries)

• Having check-in meetings with colleagues first thing in the morning before I do anything else (I find that to give the team my full attention it is more helpful for me to have settled in for 30 minutes or so by planning my day and scanning emails and messages)

• Going to the gym at lunch (I struggled to commit the time to do this - I still aspire to do this but need to approach this in a different way – any advice welcome).

Finding the light

When it comes to my personal job crafting, I don’t do anything different from what we advocate to others. Starting small, with curiosity and commitment is all you need.

Making a small change to how I do my work can make me feel more in control of my day.

As founder, when you feel overwhelmed or overstretched it’s often hard to see a way through. And for me job crafting is like the smallest chink of light coming through in an otherwise blacked out room. It allows me to reorientate and refocus on the things that matter to me and hopefully allows us a team to do the work that matters to others.

The author of this blog, Rob Baker is founder and Chief Positive Deviant at Tailored Thinking. Rob is a chartered fellow of both the CIPD and the Australian HR Institute and has a first class Masters in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Melbourne. He is passionate about making work better and making better work.

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn.

Job Crafting: How I’ve made my job more me

Charlotte’s job crafting model

“Four months into my role I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I have already personalised my job. ”

— Charlotte Axon, Lead People Scientist

I began my journey at Tailored Thinking as a Lead People Scientist. Having realised I’d (unknowingly) crafted every job I’ve ever had, I was keen to understand how I could be more deliberate with it.

(Job crafting is making small and tangible changes to your job to make it a better fit for you).

Sharing my experiences 

Four months into my role I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I have already personalised my job. Much of this is due to the freedom and autonomy Tailored Thinking encourages and enables (how could we not?)

Similar to Chloe (my fellow team member), I grouped my experience against the 5 main ways that we find people tend to job craft. 

Five ways I’ve crafted my job:

1. Purpose crafting

Charlotte working on the flipchart

What is it? Purpose crafting is reframing how we think about our work in general, including the value and significance it brings to us personally and others.

How did I do it? Hearing stories from people who have made seemingly small and simple changes to their roles, but have seen huge impacts from it, reminds me of the power of job crafting and its potential to genuinely improve working lives. Speaking to people about their job crafting experiences is my go-to if I'm ever wondering how my role adds value to people’s working lives."

2. Task crafting 

Notes

What is it? Task crafting is tangibly changing aspects of how we undertake our work including designing, adding or removing tasks.

How did I do it? People who know me well would describe me as super organised, and someone who makes plans happen. Naturally, I quickly adopted this role within the Tailored Thinking team. Those admin tasks that no-one ‘owns’ but someone needs to? That’s me! I’ve loved managing Trello boards, keeping projects on track, and writing proposals. We all have different strengths and interests and I look forward to taking on more responsibility for the finance and data sides of Tailored Thinking (you’re welcome Chloe!) as my role develops.

3. Skill crafting

Yes sign

What is it? Skill crafting is developing, refining and focusing on new skills.

How did I do it? I’m a believer in saying yes to the stuff that scares me - whether that be figuring out the technicalities of delivering large group facilitation online, or getting more comfortable speaking in public. I don’t always say yes immediately, but I know how much I have developed during my career through stretching myself, and trust that that will continue when I embrace opportunities to be vulnerable.

I’ve recently been delivering presentations on new topics and have just recorded a podcast, which I’m pretty proud of.

4. Wellbeing crafting

Charlotte’s Google calendar (not available)

What is it? Wellbeing crafting is boosting our physical and mental health through the work we do.

How did I do it? This is the area I’ve probably done most crafting. For example, most days I block out time for lunch to allow a proper break and eat proper food (not just the beige stuff). I always set an out of office for when I’m not working, which takes away any pressure to be working / responding, and also automatically declines invitations in my calendar - saving me the job of saying no to people. As a 4-day week employer, I also dedicate my non-working day to self-care (you can read more about that here).

5. Relationship crafting

Chloe and Charlotte chatting

What is it? Relationship crafting is shaping how we relate and engage with others, including building and adapting our relationship with co-workers. 

How did I do it? I think it’s really important to allow time for getting to know colleagues, especially in a remote world (but more generally too). Since joining the team I’ve actively tried to make time to collaborate with colleagues, as well as allowing space at the beginning of meetings for chit chat. Some days, connecting with lots of people can be energy depleting, so I try to keep one day a week meeting free. This allows me to indulge my introvert side, and also serves as uninterrupted focus time for larger pieces of work.

If you want to start crafting your job my advice would be:

1. Select an area of job crafting to focus on (1 of the 5 described above).

2. Think about parts of your role that you would like to start doing, stop doing or change. It doesn’t have to be additional work but doing more of the stuff you like or reframing how you approach parts of your role.

3. Treat it as an experiment - it’s OK if it doesn’t go how you expected the first time (we often see unintended benefits too).

4. Start small - it doesn’t have to be massive, just something that will improve your job by just 1% and can take less than 1 hour per week.

You can listen to Charlotte chat more about job crafting on her recent BA Brew podcast appearance.

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Charlotte is the lead people scientist at Tailored Thinking and is passionate about making work better for everyone. Charlotte has a first class masters degree in Occupational Psychology and enjoys understanding what meaningful work looks like and feels like for different people.

Connect with Charlotte on LinkedIn.

3 new Job Crafting articles every people professional should read

We believe that every HR and people professional should know about Job Crafting. In this blog we share 3 articles that we think you should read.

Job Crafting currently remains a fairly niche (and some might say nerdy) topic. However, the evidence behind the associated benefits of job crafting are so compelling in terms of engagement, retention, wellbeing and performance, that we are doing all that we can to raise the profile of the concept.

At its core, job crafting is about positively tweaking and shaping areas of your job to make it a better fit for you as an individual.

So trust us when we say if there is an article about job crafting we have probably read it. It’s great to see more being written about job crafting in academic and more mainstream press.

Here are 3 recent articles we have picked for you (yes, we’re nice like that) which highlight the role that job crafting can have in supporting current and contemporary workplace challenges and opportunities.

1. How to love your job according to science

[Photo: Luis Alvarez/Getty Images]

Website: FastCompany

Author: Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

With the pandemic bringing to light the need for more meaning, purpose and enjoyment in our jobs. This article provides you with 5 ways you can make your job better in areas that you can control.

One of the ways is to embrace job crafting.

“Whatever you do, you always have some autonomy and control to do it better”.

2. How Job Crafting can help digital gig-workers build resilience

Artwork by Franziska Barczyk

Website: Harvard Business Review

Author: Sut I Wong

We’re always interested to hear of different industries and sectors are crafting their jobs. We were even more excited when we heard about gig-workers.

This article suggests several strategies to help gig workers and platforms boost resilience through job crafting.

A supportive and collaborative job crafting culture is key to ensuring both a resilient gig workforce in the near term, and a healthy gig economy in the long term.

3. Leadership To Last: 4 Ways To Keep Employees During The Great Resignation

Website: Forbes

Author: Aliza Knox

There is lots of chatter around the term the ‘The great resignation’ and ‘The great imagination’. This article argues that leaders need to enable people to see how they can get what they need from their existing jobs, before moving on.

Of course, one of the ways you can do this is through encouraging job crafting.

One more tip for keeping employees engaged, and working alongside you: make sure their jobs grow with them.

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If you enjoyed this blog and are curious about job crafting we have some cracking stuff over on our website here. Also, if you want to go really deep into job crafting research you can check out Rob’s book Personalization at Work.

Thank you for reading.