167 Quotes by Tom Rath

Every human being has talents that are just waiting to be uncovered.

Through this qualitative research, we learned that all teams need to do three very basic things: Create, Operate, and Relate. If a team is lacking in any one of these three major functions, it is almost impossible for the group to be effective, let alone thrive.

Once someone tells me their functional position, I, somewhat naïvely, probe a bit deeper. I ask, “So what does that mean a typical day looks like ... what do you spend the most time doing?” This is where I get into the far more interesting and revealing parts of each person’s story.... asking someone to reconstruct yesterday is a better lens into their happiness than simply asking them if they are happy overall.

Don't get me wrong; devoting time outside of work to serving others is a great idea. Recent research suggests that people who do so — by volunteering in their communities, for example — have better health and wellbeing, and perform better at work. Having a clear purpose beyond paid work also has a buffering effect. If your entire identity is wound up in a job that could go away, your wellbeing is in constant jeopardy.

Whether you are an individual contributor, manager, or leader, fixing the broken social contract between people and work starts with you. When you are able to make your work more enjoyable and purposeful, that possibility will be greater for others.

And all of the self-awareness in the world can quickly go to waste if you fail to keep learning about what the world needs from you and how you can best serve others.

Great jobs are made, not found.”...People often believe they have to make a dramatic change in their work in order to be more fulfilled, whether this means finding a new job or transitioning to a whole new career. Those may be the best options on occasion, but in most cases it's important to start by maximizing the contributions you're making within your current work.

the single biggest threat to our own wellbeing tends to be ourselves

When we can see an immediate payoff, we are more likely to change our behavior in the moment. This aligns our daily actions with our long-term interests.