Michelle: Alright Mark, I have a controversial statement for you: The whole idea of 'finding your dream job' is a trap. Mark: A trap? That's the entire goal of modern career advice! What are you talking about? Are we all just supposed to be miserable? Michelle: Exactly the opposite. The trap is the 'finding' part. It suggests your perfect job is out there somewhere, like a mythical creature you have to hunt down. Today, we're talking about building it, right where you are. Mark: Building it. Okay, that's a different verb. It sounds like a lot more work. Michelle: It is, but it’s also where all the power lies. And that's the core premise of a really practical book I've been digging into: 'Own It. Love It. Make It Work.' by Carson Tate. Mark: Carson Tate... I think I've heard that name. Isn't she a big deal in the productivity and organizational development world? Michelle: She is. She founded a consulting firm, has a Master's in Organization Development, and what I find fascinating is that her background is in psychology. She's not just looking at spreadsheets and efficiency; she's looking at the human side of why we feel so disconnected from our work, which is why her approach feels so different. Mark: Psychology. That makes sense. Because that feeling of dread on a Sunday night… that’s not a logistical problem, that’s a deep, emotional one. Michelle: Precisely. The book opens by painting that exact picture—the "Monday Morning Dread" that so many people feel. The alarm goes off, and it’s this wave of resignation. Tate argues this feeling comes from a sense of powerlessness, a feeling that our work-life is something that happens to us.

Mark: I mean, for a lot of people, it does! You have a boss, you have deadlines, you have company policies. You’re a cog in a machine. How much power do you really have? Michelle: And that’s the first major shift the book demands. Tate says we have to stop seeing the employer-employee relationship as a parent-child dynamic, where they dictate and we obey. Instead, we need to see it as a "social contract." It’s a two-way street, a partnership based on give-and-take. Mark: A social contract. That sounds great in a textbook, but what about in a real office with a real, difficult boss? My boss didn't sign a social contract, he signs my paychecks. Michelle: I hear that skepticism, and it's valid. But Tate’s point is that the contract isn't a physical document; it's a mindset. She builds on the work of an organizational theorist named William Kahn, who defined what real employee engagement requires. He said it needs three psychological conditions to be met. Mark: Okay, what are they? Michelle: First is psychological safety—the ability to be yourself without fear of negative consequences. Second is psychological meaningfulness—a feeling that your work has a purpose. And third is psychological availability—having the physical, emotional, and cognitive resources to actually do your job well. When those are missing, we disengage. We become victims. Mark: Right, and most companies aren't exactly acing all three of those. So if the company isn't providing them, what then? Michelle: This is the core of the book. You don't wait. You start creating those conditions for yourself. You become the catalyst. The book has a whole section on "Admit," which is about admitting your own needs. Let me give you an example from the book. It’s about an underappreciated software engineer named Sarah. Mark: Oh, I know a few of those. Michelle: Sarah was brilliant. She consistently delivered high-quality, innovative code. But her manager, Mark, was always preoccupied and rarely acknowledged her work. She felt invisible, demotivated, and was on the verge of quitting. The old mindset would be: "My boss is terrible, this company doesn't value me, I have to escape." Mark: Which sounds completely reasonable. Michelle: It does. But instead, Sarah decided to take ownership of her need for recognition. She scheduled a meeting with Mark. But she didn't go in to complain. She went in with a framework the book suggests called SEE: Specific, Example, Explain. Mark: SEE? What does that stand for? Michelle: She was Specific: "I'd like to get your feedback on my performance on the new feature launch." She provided an Example: "I'm particularly proud of how I solved that complex bug that was holding the team back." And then she asked him to Explain: "Could you tell me what you thought I did well, and where you see opportunities for me to improve?" Mark: Whoa. That’s a bold move. It’s not asking for a gold star, it’s initiating a professional dialogue about her value. Michelle: Exactly. She wasn't a child asking for praise. She was a professional partner in the social contract, asking for her contributions to be seen and evaluated. And the outcome was transformative. Her manager was taken aback at first, but he respected her proactivity. He admitted he'd been dropping the ball and committed to providing more regular feedback. Sarah’s motivation skyrocketed. She didn't change her job; she changed the dynamic of her job. She stopped being a victim and became a co-owner of her role. Mark: That’s a powerful story because she didn't just complain. She gave her manager the tools to be a better manager to her. She basically taught him how to meet her needs. Michelle: You've got it. That's the power shift. It’s moving from "Why aren't they giving me what I need?" to "How can I take action to get what I need?" It’s the first step to building your dream job instead of waiting to find it.

Mark: Okay, I get the mindset shift. That makes a lot of sense. Stop waiting, start acting. But what do you actually do? Beyond asking for feedback, how do you 'build' this dream job, especially if the day-to-day tasks are what's driving you crazy? Michelle: That brings us to the second, and maybe most practical, core idea in the book: the concept of "Job Crafting," which is in the final 'Design' chapter. Before you can craft your job, though, Tate says you have to understand your current relationship to it. She uses a simple but profound framework: is your work a Job, a Career, or a Calling? Mark: Job, Career, or Calling. Let me guess. A 'Job' is just for the paycheck. A 'Career' is about climbing the ladder, getting promotions. And a 'Calling' is something deeply fulfilling. Michelle: Precisely. A Job is a necessity. A Career is a path of advancement. A Calling is a source of identity and purpose. And there's no judgment here. The key is to be honest about where you are right now. Because once you know your starting point, you can start to redesign the work itself. Tate argues you can do this in three distinct ways. Mark: Okay, give me the blueprint. What are the three ways? Michelle: They are Task, Relational, and Cognitive crafting. Task Crafting is changing the number, scope, or type of tasks you do. Relational Crafting is changing who you interact with. And Cognitive Crafting is changing how you think about your job. Mark: It’s like renovating a house. You can change the layout, change the people you have over, or just change how you feel about the squeaky floorboard. Michelle: That’s a perfect analogy! And it’s often the cognitive part that’s most powerful. Let me tell you a story that illustrates all three. It’s a classic example used in organizational psychology, and it perfectly fits Tate’s model. Think about a janitor working in a hospital. Mark: Okay, that’s a job most people would probably classify as just a 'Job'. It's tough, often thankless work. Michelle: Right. Let’s say this janitor feels disengaged. He could start with Task Crafting. Maybe he notices the supply closets are always a mess, making it hard for nurses to find what they need in an emergency. So he takes it upon himself to organize them perfectly. It’s not in his job description, but this small act gives him a sense of mastery and control. Mark: I like that. He’s adding a small project that he can own. Michelle: Then, he moves to Relational Crafting. Instead of just silently mopping floors, he starts making a point to learn the names of the nurses on his wing. He asks how their day is going. He even starts talking to some of the long-term patients, offering a kind word. He's changing his social environment from one of isolation to one of connection. Mark: He’s building a community around his work. Michelle: And finally, the most powerful part: Cognitive Crafting. He stops thinking of his job as "I clean up messes." He reframes it. He starts thinking, "My job is to create a safe, sterile, and healing environment for sick people and the medical staff who care for them. I am part of the healing team." Mark: Wow. That’s a completely different job. But nothing about his title or his paycheck changed. Michelle: Nothing. But everything about his experience of the work changed. He went from having a 'Job' to having a 'Calling'. He didn't find a new job; he designed a new one from the inside out. He crafted meaning. And Tate's book is filled with exercises to help you identify these small, craftable moments in your own work, no matter what your title is.

Mark: So we've gone from feeling powerless and dreading Mondays to realizing we're not just cogs in a machine. We're architects. We can literally redesign our work experience from the inside out, by changing our mindset and then actively crafting our tasks, relationships, and perspective. Michelle: Exactly. The book's ultimate message is that meaning isn't a feature of a job title; it's a product of your own actions and perspective. You don't find meaning, you make it. And that's incredibly empowering because it's a skill you can take to any job, for the rest of your life. It’s not about that one perfect, elusive 'dream job'. It’s about having the tools to make any job your dream job. Mark: That feels so much more hopeful and, honestly, more realistic. It puts the control back in your hands. Michelle: It does. And it doesn't have to be some massive, dramatic overhaul. The book emphasizes that small, incremental shifts are what create powerful, life-changing results. Mark: So what's a good first step for someone listening who feels inspired but also a little overwhelmed? Michelle: I think a great, simple takeaway is this: For anyone listening, just take one small task you dislike this week—filling out a report, attending a certain meeting—and ask yourself: Is there a way to change how I do it, who I do it with, or why I'm doing it? Just pick one thing and experiment with a tiny bit of job crafting. Mark: I love that. It’s not "redesign your entire career by Friday." It’s "tweak one annoying task." That leads me to a final question for our listeners to ponder. Michelle: Let's hear it. Mark: What's one small change you could make tomorrow to feel 1% more like an owner of your job, instead of just an employee? Michelle: A perfect question to end on. It all starts with that one percent. Mark: This is Aibrary, signing off.