319: The Hidden Reason Why People Are Unhappy at Work with Dr. Tessa West

Are you or your team members feeling unhappy at work? 

When discussing job dissatisfaction, people often point to issues like job title or compensation. However, we frequently overlook the fact that humans have complex emotions, and sometimes, we struggle to express what we truly feel.

Thankfully, this week’s guest will help us explore what’s really going on beneath the surface and provide insights on how we can help ourselves and our team members reignite our passion for our careers.

Today's guest is Dr Tessa West. Tessa is a professor of psychology at New York University, where she is a leading expert on the science of social relationships. Her academic research and writing for the media focuses on how to improve communication between employees, bosses and hiring professionals across workplace settings. She has over 100 academic publications and is a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal. Her first book, Jerks at Work published to rave reviews, and her latest book, Job Therapy, is what we discussed today. 

Tessa and I dive into the deep psychological reasons behind job dissatisfaction, exploring how our careers can sometimes feel like challenging relationships. She shares practical tools and strategies to help diagnose and address these issues.

Are you ready to transform your work life and have a more fulfilling and productive career?

Join the conversation now!

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Conversation Topics

• (00:00) Intro
• (01:43) Why people are unhappy with their jobs (Hint: it’s not about the structural factors)
• (03:21) How job therapy tools can identify specific issues causing unhappiness at work
• (05:49) Why you should treat your career as a relationship 
• (08:10) Purpose-driven work could be making you miserable
• (10:16) How to spot hidden issues in employee behavior
• (15:13) What managers can do to address employee unhappiness
• (20:06) Real stories of how people handle job dissatisfaction
• (25:03) What happens when people find the perfect career for themselves
• (27:11) A great manager Tessa has worked for
• (28:44) Keep up with Tessa
• (29:34) [Extended Episode Only] How to effectively deal with busyness at work
• (33:41) [Extended Episode Only] Practical approach to managing task-switching and work interruptions

Additional Resources:

- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

- Read the full transcript here

- Follow me on Instagram here 

- Visit my website for more here

- Build your team’s skills here

- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here

Keep up with Tessa

- Take Tessa’s career quiz here

- Learn more about her research here

- Grab a copy of Tessa’s Job Therapy book here

Book Giveaway: FREE 10 Copies of Tessa’s Job Therapy

Tessa is giving away 10 copies of her latest book Job Therapy: Finding Work That Works For You. This book helps you figure out the real reason you're unhappy and shows you how to find a new position in which you'll thrive, whether in a different role, company or new industry altogether. 

You must be a member of Podcast+ to enter the drawing and do so before Friday, August 31.

To get this guest bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.

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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.

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