# Understanding What One Likes By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2022-09-05 Work can be interesting. Most jobs entail a mix of things one likes and things for which one doesn’t care. Through the course of one’s career, there could be some surprises as to what falls into one of those camps as opposed to the other. [[Understanding]] what one likes about work is suggestive of potential areas to focus one’s attention on for individual and collective [[success]]. Within professions, individuals find different areas on which to focus. Analytics is a useful example. Within analytics, some find a great deal of satisfaction in complex model building. For others, excitement comes from defining problems that are amenable to analysis. For still others, the rewarding aspect of the analysis is discussing results that are incorporated into organizational action. Part of harmony is integrating differences productively. Understanding what one likes provides is the start of achieving organizational harmony. For this to be effectively implemented, it requires honesty. This doesn’t necessarily mean people get to do whatever they want, or that one will be able to only do that which one likes. What it does mean is that by understanding and communicating what one likes one can ideally find more opportunities to add [[value]] in areas that are rewarding on a personal as well as professional level. Work can certainly be accomplished without introspection. It is sometimes possible to execute work without much thought at all. Being on autopilot can make the day coast by quickly. This approach is seldom fulfilling. Thinking about what one likes, and perhaps more deeply, coming to understand what it is about that type of work one likes, provides one with insight. Much work occurs in a zone of discretion. Understanding what one likes is essential to defining a job that is more to one’s liking. #### Related Items [[Work]] [[Analytics]] [[Honesty]] [[Organizational Analytics]] [[Reflection]] [[Models]]