Calvin Rosser is a writer and startup operator who has an aim to
help people lead more fulfilling lives. He tweeted an
interesting thread which sheds lights on the many values associated with work
and our professional identities. He wrote:
Each job pays your 5 salaries:
- Financial: Annual salary, bonuses, equity, healthcare, benefits, etc.
- Psychological: The internal and external meaning you derive from your work. Your connection to the mission, product, work you produce, and praise you receive.
- Social: Prestige, job title, and identity capital you receive.
- Education: Skills, relationships, and learnings that contribute to your development as a person and professional.
- Freedom: Your ability to work on your own terms.
When we’re unhappy at work, we often focus on getting more of the wrong ‘salary’. This strategic misstep fails to solve our problems and is entirely preventable.
Think about this the next time you feel unhappy at work. Start by rating each of your five salaries on a scale of 1 to 10. This will hopefully help you identify the problem and diagnose the biggest area for improvement. Negotiating a raise ‘financial’ when the problem is really psychological means that the problem will still be there and perhaps you will feel even more stuck than before.
