I am reading a book called The Progress Principle. The essence of the book is simple: people want to feel positive about the work they do. The single largest factor that contributes to positive feelings is having a sense that you are making progress.

You are probably thinking, “That’s obvious.” Me too.

But the authors of the book studied several thousand workers and found that more often than not people didn’t feel positive about work and it’s because they didn’t work at a place that was focused on progress.

What kind of place makes progress?

A company focused on progress has an achievement culture. People have numbers they are trying to hit, projects they are trying to complete and standards they are attempting to meet.

They have the mental discipline to start the day with the goal in mind and take satisfaction in every step toward the goal.

It works for an individual but it has power when your teammates are aligned to accomplish things. It has a multiplying effect.

It’s a daily thing too. A positive work life can turn negative in a hurry.

The trick to turning it around is to have the awareness of what can change a bad thing to good. And, to do it.

Set a goal.
Celebrate a progressive step.
Get others to join in the game.

Are you making progress? What are you doing about it?