askST Jobs: How to celebrate the small wins at work when new tasks keep coming in

SINGAPORE – In this series, manpower reporter Tay Hong Yi offers practical answers to candid questions on navigating workplace challenges and getting ahead in your career.

Q: It can be hard for me to feel a sense of accomplishment as new work is assigned as soon as I complete my tasks. How can I celebrate the small wins and adopt a positive mindset at work?

A: One possible reason why employees find it hard to feel a sense of accomplishment may be burnout from reaching a point of physical or emotional exhaustion as a result of chronic stress, said Dr John Shepherd Lim, chief well-being officer of the Singapore Counselling Centre.

“This can lead to increased employee cynicism towards work-related matters, possibly manifesting as apathy towards task completion.”

Not having the breathing room to let the achievement of completing tasks on hand sink in can be demoralising, as employees in such a situation may feel they are ineffective at clearing their workload despite all they have already done, noted industrial psychologist Brandon Koh.

“An important differentiator of whether employees feel accomplished might be whether they experience meaning at work.

“Being able to see their impact on the community they serve and receive validation from their peers and supervisors are important ingredients to meaning at work,” said Dr Koh, a lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Dr Lim suggested that employees who feel demoralised can reframe their thinking by exploring what lies within their control, to reduce the feeling of despair and being overwhelmed.

He said this entails asking themselves questions like: “I have a lot of work on my plate. What are some tangible steps I can take to resolve this?”

Dr Lim said: “Additionally, employees can take into consideration the impact of the work they are doing on others, and gather objective feedback about their contributions from the people around them, such as their supervisors or colleagues.”

Likewise, Dr Koh said recognition and validation are very important to help tide employees over difficult times and experience a connection with their team.

He said an experiment even showed that work left unacknowledged was just as demotivating as literally shredding up the same piece of work.

“Maintaining a completed-tasks list can remind employees about their accomplishments and productivity, bolstering their self-confidence when an overwhelming to-do list taunts at their effectiveness,” Dr Koh added.

Another practice that could help employees cope with a workload is pursuing high-quality leisure and rest that enables detachment from work, he said.

Such forms of leisure are mentally absorbing, physically active and build quality social relationships, rather than passive activities “which are convenient and seemingly relaxing, like watching television or online shopping”.

“Unfortunately, research consistently shows that passive leisure is not psychologically restful and often causes lethargy.”

Dr Lim also suggested that employees connect with colleagues over team-building activities, or even just a cup of coffee, to allow for open communication, with less fear of judgment or negative reactions.

Other than acknowledging employees’ efforts, he said employers could help employees feel accomplished, even when work piles up, by setting performance goals for quality work, rather than targets based solely on meeting deadlines. 

He added: “If employees are still struggling to keep up their morale, despite their best efforts and a supportive supervisor, it would be helpful to communicate these feelings to their supervisor... and to discuss alternative options, such as distribution of workload or more suitable job positions, which may better align with their needs and goals.”

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