Workplace investments are most easily measured in terms of bottom-line financial performance. Money goes in, money comes out. We also know there are aspects of workplace investments that are not directly monetary, such as energy, time, emotion, effort and skill.
We can measure the return on our investment into workplace activities by defining the currency we are using to accomplish our activities. Sometimes, it is strictly monetary. Other times, our currency is energy, time, emotion or skill.
Evaluate the rates you're getting.
It is the exchange rate between these currencies that enables us to measure the return on our investment. If you are pouring tons of time, energy or emotion into your work for the sake of monetary gain, you might find that the exchange rate is so poor that your investment is no longer worth it. Especially if you find the value of your money tends to decrease faster, or perhaps not appreciate as quickly, as other yields such as satisfaction and self-worth.
Itemize the currencies you use at work (or in life) and attempt to evaluate the exchange rate. If an hour of your time is trading for twenty dollars, is that same hour worth the return you are receiving in terms of your emotional health? If you put a lot of emotion into your work, do you find that time is also being consumed in the process, making it harder to find and, therefore, highly valued? If you bought more healthy emotion with your time, given the exchange rate, would you relieve the downward pressure on your energy, but also increase the downward pressure on your income?
Do others exchange these currencies at the same rate? Is their internal bank offering the same terms as yours? Your boss, spouse, children, friends and co-workers likely set their own exchange rates, and the terms they give themselves are probably different from the ones they give to you.
Like stock markets, workplace and personal currency markets will suffer their bears and bulls. The great thing about our personal currency market is that each one of us, individually, controls the exchange rates we give ourselves and others.
Whereas in stock markets, there are other, external factors beyond the control of most individuals, the workplace and interpersonal exchange is our own doing. Once you’ve listed your currencies and the exchange rates, look and see if they are fair – to yourself, and others. If you don’t like the rates you’re receiving, maybe it’s time to change your investments.
