Earlier this week, I sat in my office across from the daughter of a former client. A year 2000 college graduate, Gail was baffled about her career direction and had come to see me for some guidance. Once we had established rapport, I moved the conversation to a discussion about Gail's needs and values. Unlike her career direction, they were crystal clear and strong. Her integrity was high. She believed in honesty, doing a good job at whatever she set out to do and making a meaningful difference in the world. I was really impressed with the wisdom and focus of her youth. (Hey, when I was a 21-year-old college graduate, I took the first receptionist job I was offered.) When I suggested that her needs and values could be reflected at work, she surprised me with her reply: "I think that work is separate from all of this values and integrity stuff. I'm operating under the assumption that work is where you go in order to make the money you want to make. You may not really like the work or the company you work for, but you can live the life you want to live when you're not at work. I wish it wasn't this way, but that's how it looks from where I sit."

What struck me as so sad about Gail's comments is that at such an early age and prior to any post college working experience, this young woman's perception of work had already been seriously tainted. She sounded like so many of the midlife executives I have met over the years - disenchanted and drained by their experience of work. Once upon a time, they had envisioned more satisfying lives, but somehow work had robbed them of their dreams.

I suggested to Gail, and propose to all of you reading this column, that your life will never be satisfying (let alone joyful!) if your experience of work is not harmonious with your personal needs and values. I state this firmly from my own experience and from the experiences of so many clients who took the time to listen to their Inner Wisdom and to create a life - both in and out of work - that aligned with their Personal Truth.

Now, you may be thinking that this Inner Wisdom/Personal Truth thing sounds a bit too airy-fairy. Or, your frenetic life may actually have forced you to suppress it. The good news is that it's not terribly difficult to give your Personal Truth a voice. To do this, I suggest that you reserve some quiet time for yourself, away from the noise of your daily life. Take a journal and a pen with you and spend some time writing out your heartfelt responses to each of the following questions:

AM I AN IMPORTANT MEMBER OF THE TEAM?
In other words, do I experience the energy of a strong, supportive team? Are my creative ideas encouraged and frequently acted upon? Are my strengths solicited and valued by my peers, superiors and/or subordinates? Do I feel good about the people I work with?

AM I PROPERLY VALIDATED FOR THE WORK I DO?
In other words, am I being compensated fairly? Do I receive verbal/written recognition from my management? Does senior-most management know about and recognize my important contributions? Am I asked (and empowered) to take the ball and run with it?

AM I CONTINUING TO LEARN AND GROW?
In other words, does my employer encourage and support my professional growth in ways that are meaningful to me? Am I increasing my marketability as the result of my continued professional growth? Am I challenged and inspired by the work I do?

IS MY PERSONAL INTEGRITY IN TACT? In other words, do I believe in the quality of my company's product or service? Am I proud of the contribution I make? Does my employer treat people fairly? Are promises (for money, promotions, and opportunity) kept? Am I encouraged to devote adequate attention to my life outside of work?

If you answered "no" to one or more of these questions, you've got one other question to consider: Can I turn my current working situation around by taking specific and reasonable actions? If the answer is yes, go for it! If the answer is no, it's time to plan and create a working scenario that aligns more closely with your Personal Truth.

The bottom line is this: Work and life are not separate, conflicting entities. You spend more time and energy at work than any other facet of your life. This time can leave you energized, validated and aligned with your personal integrity - or, it can rob you of your life's quality both in and out of work. The choice is yours.

Gene Glatter
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Gene Glatter Biography:
Gene Glatter is an Executive Coach specializing in all aspects of leadership development and career management. With a private practice based in New Jersey, Gene delivers executive coaching services to corporate clients throughout the United States. Formerly, Gene served as a Vice President with Right Management Consultants, a global human resources consulting firm, where she specialized in coaching professionals and executives on a broad range of issues pertinent to career management and executive development. She can be reached at geneglatter@att.net.